Britain will stop issuing student visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, the Home Office announced. It will also suspend skilled work visas for people from Afghanistan.
The department said the move is intended to clamp down on asylum seekers who enter the UK via legal routes. “An ’emergency brake’ on visas has been imposed for the first time on nationals from four countries following a surge in asylum claims from legal routes,” the Home Office said.
Since 2021, almost 135,000 people have entered the country legally on visas before subsequently lodging asylum claims, the Home Office added. It said student asylum claims fell by 20% in 2025 but that those arriving on study visas still account for 13% of asylum claims in the system. Applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan and Myanmar had “rocketed” by more than 470% between 2021 and 2025, it said.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity.”
The announcement comes a day after the UK’s tightened asylum rules took effect. Under the reforms, the Home Office will review refugee status for adults and their accompanying children every 30 months. Refugees whose countries are deemed safe will be expected to return home.
Previously, those granted refugee status had five years’ leave and could apply for indefinite leave to remain and a route to citizenship. Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five years’ leave while a long-term policy for that group is considered. Asylum seekers already in the country will continue to be assessed under the previous rules, it is understood.
The policy shift is modelled on Denmark’s system, which subjects refugee status to review (Denmark reviews every two years). Migration has become a major issue in British politics, with the hard-right Reform UK surging in opinion polls with its anti-migration stance.
Edited by: Zac Crellin