Indian nationals continue to have a significant presence across the UK immigration system, topping several major visa and settlement categories, according to the latest Home Office statistics.
The UK Home Office has released its latest immigration statistics for the year ending June 2026, providing a detailed picture of who is coming to the UK for work, study and visits, as well as who is progressing towards settlement and British citizenship.
The data shows that India was the leading nationality in several key immigration categories, underlining the continued strength of migration and mobility between India and the UK.
Indians received the highest number of UK work visas
Indian nationals received 47,009 work visas in the year ending June 2026, the highest number among all nationalities. This represented around 20% of all work visas issued during the period.
Of these, 37,402 were Worker visas, which include routes such as the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker categories.
However, the overall UK work visa market has contracted significantly. The Home Office recorded 234,841 work-related visas, including dependants, during the year—a fall of 18% compared with the previous year and 62% below the peak recorded in the year ending December 2023.
The decline has been particularly pronounced in the Health and Care Worker route following changes to the UK’s immigration rules.
India also leads UK settlement grants
The trend continues beyond temporary visas.
In the year ending June 2026, Indian nationals received 35,384 settlement grants, making India the largest nationality group to receive settlement in the UK.
The figure increased by 51% compared with the previous year. The Home Office says this reflects the growing number of Indian nationals who entered the UK through work routes in earlier years and have now completed the required period of residence for settlement.
Overall, the UK granted 199,628 settlement grants during the year, the highest annual level since 2011. Grants to people whose previous immigration status was linked to work increased by 36% to 80,409.
Indians received the most British citizenship grants
Indian nationals also topped the nationality rankings for British citizenship grants.
The Home Office recorded 24,851 British citizenship grants to Indian nationals in the year ending June 2026, followed by Pakistani nationals with 18,489.
Most citizenship grants to these groups were acquired through naturalisation, following periods of lawful residence and settlement in the UK.
Overall, the UK granted 245,520 British citizenships during the year, 4% fewer than the previous year but still considerably higher than historical levels.
India remains the largest Visitor visa market
The visitor category tells a similar story.
Indian nationals received 514,398 UK Visitor visas in the year ending June 2026—the highest number for any nationality. Chinese nationals were second with 474,039 grants.
Although the number of Visitor visas issued to Indians fell by 9% compared with the previous year, India remained the UK’s largest nationality group for Visitor visa grants.
India is also a major study market
India remains one of the UK’s largest international education markets, although the study figures require an important distinction.
Indian nationals made the highest number of sponsored study visa applications, with 89,763 applications during the year ending June 2026.
However, in terms of actual sponsored study visa grants to main applicants, China ranked first with around 86,000 grants, followed by India with around 83,000. Together, the two nationalities accounted for 46% of sponsored study visas issued to main applicants.
What the latest figures mean for Indians
The latest figures demonstrate the scale of India’s relationship with the UK across multiple immigration pathways.
From work and study to visitor travel, settlement and citizenship, Indian nationals feature prominently in the UK’s immigration statistics. The particularly strong numbers for settlement and citizenship also reflect the large Indian workforce that entered the UK in previous years and is now progressing through the longer-term immigration journey.
At the same time, the figures should not be interpreted as an indication that UK visas have become easier to obtain. The overall number of work visas has fallen substantially following policy changes, and applicants must continue to meet the specific eligibility, financial, documentation and sponsorship requirements of their chosen route.
