The UK government has confirmed new visa restrictions affecting four nationalities as part of wider measures aimed at reducing asylum claims made after entry through legal migration routes.
Under the new ‘visa break‘ policy, from 26 March 2026, the government will stop granting Student visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, while Skilled Worker visas for Afghan nationals are also to be banned.
Ministers say the restrictions are intended to address rising numbers of people who arrive in the UK on visas and later claim asylum.
What is a visa break?
The UK government has introduced a new policy described as a “visa brake”, which restricts visa applications for certain nationalities on specific immigration routes.
Under Home Office guidance published on 5 March 2026, the visa brake will apply to entry clearance applications made from outside the UK where the main applicant holds the nationality of a listed country.
The measures affect the following routes:
- Student visa applications made outside the UK by nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
- Skilled Worker visa applications made outside the UK by nationals of Afghanistan.
The visa brake is based on the nationality of the main applicant declared in the visa application. It does not depend on where the person currently lives or from which country the application is submitted.
The policy applies only to applications made from outside the UK. Applications made in-country are not affected by the visa brake.
When the restrictions take effect
The Home Office has confirmed that the visa brake will take effect at 12:01am on 26 March 2026.
Visa applications submitted online on or after this time will be refused if the applicant falls within one of the affected nationality and visa route combinations. The refusal rule applies even where the applicant has already obtained the usual supporting documentation for the visa route, such as:
- a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for the Student route
- a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the Skilled Worker route
Applications submitted before 12:01am on 26 March 2026 will continue to be processed under the existing rules.
Why the UK government has introduced the visa brake
The government has linked the introduction of the visa brake to an increase in asylum claims from individuals who originally entered the UK using legal migration routes.
Home Office data indicates that asylum claims made by people who first arrived as students or workers have risen significantly in recent years.
Government statistics suggest that claims from individuals who initially entered on visas more than tripled between 2021 and 2025. By 2025, these cases accounted for roughly 39% of the approximately 100,000 asylum claims made in the UK.
Officials have said that the rise has been particularly noticeable among individuals who originally entered the UK on the Student route.
The visa brake is intended to reduce the number of people who enter the UK through visa routes and subsequently claim asylum.
What the visa brake means for current visa holders
The Home Office has confirmed that the visa brake does not affect individuals who already hold valid UK visas.
If a visa has already been granted:
- the visa remains valid until its expiry date
- existing visa conditions continue to apply
- the visa will not be cancelled because of the visa brake
Individuals who are already in the UK with lawful immigration permission remain able to apply for visa extensions or switch to another immigration route in-country if they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
5. What this means for people planning to come to the UK
For people planning to apply for a visa from outside the UK, the introduction of the visa brake means that certain routes will no longer be available to applicants with the affected nationalities once the policy takes effect.
Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan who were planning to apply for a Student visa may find that their applications are refused once the visa brake begins.
Afghan nationals planning to apply for a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK may also be unable to use that route once the restriction applies.
Applicants from other countries and those applying on other visa routes are not affected by the visa brake.
6. What applicants should do next
Anyone planning to apply for a UK visa should check whether the route they intend to use remains open to applicants of their nationality and confirm the date when the visa brake takes effect. It is also advisable to review updates to the Immigration Rules and relevant Home Office guidance before submitting an application. Where the restrictions may affect eligibility or future plans to study or work in the UK, obtaining immigration advice may help clarify the available options and next steps.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
