UK Visa Approval Rates (2026)

UK visa approval rates 2026: Skilled Worker 90–95%, student 85–91%, spouse 70–80%, visitor often below 50% for high-risk nationalities. Published Home Office data covers hundreds of thousands of applications — your personal odds depend heavily on application quality.

Based on current UK Home Office immigration rules (updated 2026)

Approval Rates by Route

Based on the most recent available Home Office Immigration Statistics: • Skilled Worker visas: approximately 90–95% grant rate for in-time applications • Student visas: approximately 85–91% grant rate, varying significantly by nationality • Spouse / Partner visas: approximately 70–80% grant rate • …

Why Aggregate Statistics Are Misleading

Overall grant rate statistics include applications of widely varying quality. An applicant who meets every requirement with strong evidence has a very different risk profile to an applicant with a borderline income figure and incomplete documents. The more useful question is not "what is the overal…

Where can I find official UK visa approval rate statistics?

The Home Office publishes quarterly Immigration Statistics on GOV.UK, including grant and refusal rates by route and nationality.

Does my nationality affect my UK visa approval chances?

Yes. UKVI applies different risk assessments based on nationality. Certain nationalities are subject to greater scrutiny, and grant rates vary substantially across nationalities for the same route.