The total number of UK visit visas issued to Pakistani nationals has increased by eighteen
percent during the last 12 months, the Home Office’s latest immigration figures have revealed. This is the second consecutive year during which the number of visas issued to Pakistani applicants has gone up significantly.
According to the Home Office immigration statistics for the year ending June 2022, a total of 48,346 Pakistani visa applicants with an approval rate of 70% were granted visas as compared to the same period last year wherein 13,634 applicants 52% of all the visitor visa applicants were granted visas.
Pakistan is ranked third for the number of total UK visitor visas issued, and India is on the
top with 258,246 visas issued to its nationals followed by Nigeria with 69,788 visitor visas issued in the last 12 months period.
UK Visitor visa applications from Pakistan are being processed by the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Decision Making Centre (DMC) in UAE. A senior Home Office source confirmed that they have seen an overall improvement in the decision-making process at DMC UAE and all the applicants for the UK visas are being assessed on their individual circumstances.
The source further claimed they have taken various steps to streamline the visa application
process. In this regard, they said since the removal of the appeal rights against the refusal of the visitor visa applications for the UK, the UKVI decision-makers always ensure that the immigration rules are correctly and fairly applied to all applications for a UK visa.
The Home Office immigration data also reveals that in the second consecutive year, Pakistani have received the highest numbers of family visas. 5,908 Pakistanis were issued family visas during the last 12 months to allow them to join their family members who are already in the UK. In 2021, 8,685 Pakistanis were granted family visas. The figures show that 23,490 applicants were granted student visas with an approval rate of 98%, a massive increase in the numbers as compared to the year 2021 when 9733 applicants were granted student visas with an approval rate of 92%.
However, due to Covid-19, a smaller number of students applied for student visas in 2021.
In 2022, 24,036 Pakistanis applied for student visas as compared to the previous year 2021 when 10,605 applications were received by the UKVI for student visas from Pakistani applicants, more than double the amounts of applications received from Pakistani students in the last 12 months.
Similarly, 5,406 Pakistanis were granted work visas during this year as compared to
the last year same period wherein 4,661 Pakistanis were granted visas in the same category to work in the UK with a 4 % increase in the grant rate.
