Student visa applications in the United Kingdom (UK) fell 10.3% in September 2026, according to Home Office figures released in October.
Main applicants under the sponsored study route dropped to 71,600, from 79,800 recorded in September 2025, and it was the lowest September total in five years.
The September 2026 fall in UK student visa applications follows an even steeper decline in August, the busiest month for applications.
Only 99,500 students applied in August, compared with 120,300 in August 2025 and 147,200 in August 2023. Across the crucial July-to-September window, 230,300 students applied this year, 24.7% fewer than the 305,800 who applied in the same window in 2022.
The data covers visa applications from prospective international students, rather than visas granted or students who eventually enrolled at UK universities.
Home Office data also shows that applications for main student visa applications totalled 352,500 in the 12 months ending September 2026, down 19% from the previous 12-month period.
Applications from student dependants fell to 15,700 during the same period, 31% lower than a year earlier and 89% below the level recorded in December 2023.
Sponsored study visa grants peaked at 652,072 in the year ending June 2023 before falling 41% to 383,455 by June 2026, according to the Home Office.
Since January 2024, most international students have been unable to bring dependants, except mainly postgraduate research students and government-sponsored scholars.
In March 2026, the UK introduced a visa brake affecting student applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
The Home Office told Parliament that applications on affected routes from those nationalities fell by more than 90% between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026.
Separately, the House of Commons Library says Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies issued for the September 2026 intake fell 27% year-on-year.
Universities tighten international recruitment
Some universities have since introduced additional recruitment and visa-sponsorship controls.
Recall that the University of Sunderland had paused applications from students in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, for courses beginning in early 2027, while separately seeking to cut about £40 million from annual operating costs.
Oxford Brookes University has also tightened visa-sponsorship requirements for Nigerian applicants, including earlier CAS deadlines and a requirement to provide evidence of a visa application within seven days.
It has also restricted CAS issuance for some management-course applicants relying on funds from Globus or Parallex Bank, citing UKVI compliance requirements.
International students account for 23% of university income
According to Higher Education Statistics Agency figures, UK universities received £12.4 billion from international student fees in 2024/25, equivalent to 23% of total income.
Research also estimates that 404,500 international students who began courses in 2024/25 will generate £45.1 billion in economic benefits during their studies.
After £4.7 billion in estimated public costs, their net contribution is projected at £40.4 billion, or about £100,000 per student.
International tuition fees are not capped in the same way as domestic undergraduate fees, allowing universities to charge overseas students higher amounts, while 48 publicly funded universities in England recorded deficits in 2024/25.
The September figures therefore come as international students account for nearly a quarter of university income and generate tens of billions of pounds in economic activity.
