UK's tech talent pipeline shrinks as overseas worker visa applications fall 7%
Third consecutive annual decline adds to concerns about shortages of specialist skills
Figures released by UK Visas and Immigration show a 7 percent drop in skilled overseas workers applying for tech visas in the UK, the third year of declining applications. The number of applications fell from 37,376 in 2024 to 34,936 in 2025, down from a peak of 53,729 in 2022. RSM UK, a firm specializing in accounting, attributes the decline to higher employment costs and warns that the shortage of skilled workers could hinder the industry's growth.
The occupations with the most overseas tech recruitment in 2025 included programmers and software developers (15,689), IT business analysts, architects, and systems designers (11,821), IT quality and testing professionals (3,091), cybersecurity professionals (858), and IT network professionals (310). A government classification change in April 2024 split the data for that year between old and new codes, but the overall total remained unchanged.
RSM UK calls for visa reform, citing the challenges businesses face in hiring and the need for AI to be deployed safely and successfully.
Written by urgent.news from The Register Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
