UK work visas, broken down by the recipient’s nationality. Every country’s page tracks how its numbers have moved recently, the kinds of jobs that get sponsored, and which employers are doing most of the hiring.
Every number here is a Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker grant. Those are the two UK routes that actually need employer sponsorship. Study, family, and visitor visas aren’t in this data.
Grants to main applicants, one row per Home Office annual release.
| Year | Grants | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45,786 | -46.1% |
| 2024 | 84,875 | -59.8% |
| 2023 | 211,217 | +47.9% |
| 2022 | 142,799 | +111.9% |
| 2021 | 67,382 | — |
The countries that moved the most between 2024 and 2025, up and down. Nationalities with fewer than 100 recent grants are excluded so small-sample swings don’t dominate the ranking.
Which nationalities receive the most UK work visas? The five biggest origins in 2025 were India (8,734), United States (3,256), Pakistan (3,038), Philippines (2,574), France (1,864). India has held the top spot every year since the current sponsorship system replaced Tier 2 in December 2020.
What's the difference between a Skilled Worker and Health & Care Worker visa? The Skilled Worker visa is the UK’s main sponsored work route and covers eligible jobs across most industries. The Health & Care Worker visa is a branch of it for eligible medical and social-care roles, with lower application fees, quicker processing, and no Immigration Health Surcharge for the worker or their dependants.
Do EU citizens need sponsorship to work in the UK? Yes, thanks to Brexit. EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals who arrived after 31 December 2020 need the same sponsored visa as anyone else, unless they already qualified under the EU Settlement Scheme before the deadline.
How many UK work visas were granted in 2025? The Home Office issued 45,786 Skilled Worker and Health & Care Worker visas to main applicants in 2025, down 46.1% on 2024.
Does this data include dependants or extensions? No. The numbers here are first-decision grants to main applicants only. Dependants (partners and children) are published in a separate Home Office dataset, and visa extensions and settlement grants aren't included either.
Which UK work visa routes require sponsorship from an employer? Needs a sponsor: Skilled Worker, Health & Care Worker, Scale-Up Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility), and Minister of Religion. All require an employer-issued Certificate of Sponsorship. Doesn’t need one: Global Talent, Graduate, High Potential Individual, and the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics year ending Dec 2025. Data covers 2020–2025. Last updated 17 April 2026.