According to fresh government statistics, applications for UK student visas and renewals increased by over 30% in Q3 2022 to a total of 316,735 compared to the same period in 2021.

The announcement comes as The Office for National Statistics releases data showing that net migration to the UK reached a record-high 504,000 in the year ending in June.
The most recent quarter for which data is available for 2022 saw close to 80,000 more applications for visas and extensions that included confirmation of admission for study than Q3 2021, when the UK received 237,563 such applications.
Comparatively to the 356,559 study visa applications it received in the year to Q3 2021, the UK received 462,660 applications with CAS in the year to Q3 2022 (excluding extension requests).

Across types of institutions, Q3 saw non-Russell Group applicants rise from 104,653 in 2021 to 161,635 in 2022, and for Russell Group institutions applications rose from 104,456 to 116,355.
Overall in the year up to Q3 2022, 146,473 visa applicants used CAS from Russell Group institutions, only marginally higher than the 145,947 in the year up to Q3 the previous year.
Non-Russell Group CAS use saw a big jump, from 179,176 in the year to Q3 2021, to 272,357 in the year to Q3 2022.

English language schools increased from 2,997 to 4,854 in Q3 2022, while tertiary, further education, and college providers increased from 5,872 in Q3 2021 to 9,591 in the most recent quarter for 2022. Independent schools stayed consistent at 8,929 to 8,954.
In comparison to the prior year, there have also been increases in other quarters over the past year.

According to a Universities UK spokesperson, “The UK has witnessed phenomenal interest and growth in recent years from international students, which is testament to the reputation and strength of our higher education sector, as well as the role of government and the sector working together to achieve the goals set forth in the International Education Strategy.”
They continued by saying that “should be taken with caution” when making like-for-like comparisons across years since “these figures cannot account for changes in travel patterns following the pandemic.”