Is a visa the same as an arrival?
Permission and movement are different counts.
A visa grant records permission under an immigration route. It does not by itself show when someone travelled, whether they travelled, or how long they stayed.
Home Office visa statistics and ONS migration estimates answer different questions. A visa table may include dependants, exclude them or split them out. Check the table heading.
Do not add visa grants to migration arrivals. Some people are already represented in both measures. Extensions are also distinct from visas issued outside the UK.
Can visa grants be added to the ONS arrivals total?
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No. They are different measures with overlapping people.