🇷🇺#6 in the atlas · 2025
Russia
Eastern Europe · Home Office, 2019 — Q1 2026
Student migration has shrunk eightfold since 2019. Russia is now a story about a talent drain, not students.
01 the story
All visas by year
people: main applicants + dependants · work, study, family, other
2026 — Q1 only
Student migration has shrunk eightfold since 2019. Russia is now a story about a talent drain, not students.
What the data shows
In 2025, 3 158 people received visas — 25% fewer than the year before. The largest category is work: 50% of the flow.
How to read this
We count people — main applicants together with dependants, across four visa groups. Visitors are excluded. 2026 is Q1 only.
3 158
people in 2025 · ▼ 25% vs 2024
412
Q1 2026 · provisional
66 408
total 2019 — 2025
02 anatomy of the flow · 2025
What the flow is made of
visas granted 2025 · people, including dependants
share of the 2025 flow
Work1 564
Study1 045
Family356
Other193
Visas ≠ applications. We show visas granted. Far more people apply to the seasonal scheme than receive one — these are different numbers, often confused.
Source
Home Office, Immigration system statistics, Vis_D02. GOV.UK ↗
What we count
Visas granted — not applications or quotas. These are different numbers.
Update schedule
Release: year ending March 2026, published 21 May 2026.