The Conservatives' crackdown on legal migration has resulted in a more than third decline in the number of foreign workers and students arriving this year.According to new data, there was a 35% drop in visa applications between January and July of last year for students, skilled workers, and health and care personnel. The largest decline has been in the number of foreign healthcare workers seeking employment in the NHS or care facilities, as the previous Tory government prohibited them from bringing their families. During the same time period, there was a sharp 81% decline in the number of dependent applications. But from April to July of this year, compared to the previous year, the number of applications for skilled worker visas increased by 26%.

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly hailed the figures as proof that his tougher rules - announced last December amid alarm among Tories that voters would punish them for overseeing record levels of immigration - were working, even if it will be Labour who feel the benefit.

He said: 'We know net migration is too high, which is why when I became Home Secretary I introduced a record migration cut within weeks of being appointed. Today's data continues to show my stricter approach is working, with student and health care dependents banned and skilled workers and family visas requiring much higher earnings.'

But he warned that the new Labour government risks jeopardising his attempts to cut net migration - the number of people moving to the UK minus those leaving - after it reached a record 764,000 in 2022.

His successor Yvette Cooper has paused his plan to increase the income needed to bring a foreign partner to the UK from £29,000 to £38,700 and asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the level. New Science Minister Lord Vallance has suggested relaxing visa rules for scientists.

Tory leadership candidate Mr Cleverly said: 'Visa applications are down by more than a third where we took action, but Labour want to put this all at risk. They have already binned our Conservative plans to raise the earnings threshold for family dependents, while their Ministers openly advocate for lowering EU visa restrictions.

'They never cared about controlling our borders and they will leave the British people to pick up the bill.'

During the election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to reduce 'sky-high' migration but would not put a figure on it while Rishi Sunak vowed to halve the number of arrivals.