Nationalities most likely to be rejected for a UK work visa

Latest Home Office data analysed by the new global talent firm, Immpact, reveals that workers from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe experienced the highest volume of work visa refusals over 12 months. 

 Further analysis of nearly 500,000 work visa applications found that applicants from Bangladesh (75%), Ghana (77%), Pakistan (80%), Nigeria (80%), and Kenya (86%) had the lowest grant rates statistically for work visas by the Home Office in the year ending September 2024. 

 The latest data* also shows that the Top 20 list of countries applying for UK work visas during this 12 month period includes the US (11,131), Tajikistan (5,965), China (6,473), and Turkey (5,614). France was the only European country on the list, with 5,378 applications and the fewest refusals – just 42 French work visa applications were rejected, compared to India which topped the list with 10,526 work visa rejections.  

 While some surprising work visa applications by volume include Kyrgyzstan (11th place), Uzbekistan (14th), Kazakhstan (15th) and Nepal (18th), with the Home Office refusing a total of 56,834 work visa applications across all nationalities. 

 Comments Jonathan Beech, MD of Immpact: “We analysed a vast amount of Home Office data and found that across all visa categories – work visas, student, family and visit visas – over 664,000 rejections were made by the Home Office in just 12 months. 

 Although the volume appears high, the figures do reflect the start of the Home Office’s tighter control on visa applications. The most common reasons for visa rejections, regardless of nationality, include insufficient funds, inaccurate, conflicting, misleading or false information used in applications, and a lack of genuine ties to the home country, which can raise doubts about the intention to return. Other reasons can include a criminal record or security concerns, immigration violations, and documentation issues. 

 Adds Jonathan Beech: “With over 70% of applicants estimated to handle their own visa submissions despite the UK’s increasingly complex and ever-changing immigration system, we calculate that the Home Office has benefited by £125m from retaining fees from refused applications over this 12 month period.”