Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on a (a) student visa and (b) graduate visa took jobs (i) in caring, leisure and other service occupations, (ii) as care workers and (iii) as senior care workers in the financial year (A) 2021-22 (B) 2022-23 and (C) 2023-24.

The Home Office published ‘Analysis of migrants use of the Graduate route’. The report shows the proportion of student visa holders who were subsequently granted a work visa after their studies, and those who left the Graduate route and went into work (including those who were granted a Health & Care visa).

The report shows that, of the 25,469 people whose Graduate visas had expired by the end of 2023, 46% had switched to a work visa (9% of the total switched to the Health & Care route). In addition, based on matching Home Office visa records with HMRC income data, of Graduate visa holders who earned in at least one month during the financial year ending 2023 (including those who worked across the full year), 16% worked in the Health and Social Care work sector.

The report does not look at specific occupations Student or Graduate visa holders held, or the number of students who extended into the Health & Care route. This information is not currently published by the Home Office.