The number of foreign students applying to bring family members to Britain has dropped by 80 per cent, new figures show.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a statement on Wednesday, May 1, said that the figures mean that his changes to the country’s visa system were working.

Home Office data reveals that more than 26,000 fewer student visa applications were made from January to March 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Restrictions which bar most foreign students bringing their dependants into U.K. while they study came into force on January 1.

Across three visa categories reformed by the Home Secretary James Cleverly this year, there was a 24 per cent drop in applications overall, the figures showed.