The United Kingdom has imposed an immediate suspension on study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, marking the first-ever use of an emergency brake on specific country visa routes. The policy also halts skilled worker visas for Afghans and is a direct response to widespread abuse of legal migration pathways.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the measure on 3 March 2026, stating that asylum applications by students from these four countries have rocketed by over 470% between 2021 and 2025. This surge has created an unsustainable threat to the asylum system, with nearly 16,000 nationals from these countries currently receiving public support.
Abuse of Study Visas
Detailed Home Office statistics show that around 95% of Afghans who arrived on study visas since 2021 subsequently claimed asylum. Applications by students from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold over the same period, while claims from Cameroon and Sudan more than quadrupled.
“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused.
“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control to our borders.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said
The restrictions will be enacted through changes to the Immigration Rules on 5 March 2026 and will take effect immediately thereafter. The government highlighted that these nationalities now represent the highest proportion of asylum claims originating from study visa holders and that a higher-than-average number cite destitution in their applications.
The announcement forms part of ongoing efforts to tighten controls on legal migration routes while protecting genuine refugees. Study visa-related asylum claims currently account for 13 percent of the total asylum caseload.
