UK Stops Study Visas for Four Countries

The United Kingdom has imposed an emergency restriction on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan after a sharp rise in asylum claims from individuals who entered the country through legal routes.

The UK Home Office said the move, its first use of such an “emergency brake”, will end sponsored study visas for the four countries and suspend skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.

The changes will be introduced via an Immigration Rules Amendment on March 5 and come into force on March 26, 2026.

Officials said the decision follows a sustained increase in asylum applications from visa holders.

In the past five years, about 133,760 people who entered the UK legally have gone on to claim asylum. Since 2021 alone, nearly 135,000 individuals arrived on student or other visas before applying for protection.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said such cases now account for a significant share of total claims. In 2025, they made up 39 per cent of roughly 100,000 asylum applications.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood. Credit: Pinsent Masons.

Applications from the four affected countries have risen sharply. Claims by students from these countries increased by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025.

Applications from Myanmar rose sixteen-fold, while those from Cameroon and Sudan increased by over 330 percent. For Afghan nationals, asylum claims relative to study visas issued reached about 95 percent within the same period.

“In 2025, they accounted for 39 per cent of the 100,000 people who applied for asylum.

“Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan increased by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025, making them among the most likely nationalities to claim.

“Applications by students from Myanmar rose sixteen-fold during that period, while claims from Cameroon and Sudan increased by more than 330 percent.

“Between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims relative to study visas issued reached 95 per cent.”

The government also noted a growing trend among Afghan work visa holders, where asylum claims now exceed the number of visas granted.

Despite a reported 20 percent drop in student-related asylum claims in 2025, those arriving on study visas still account for about 13 percent of all cases currently in the system.

Officials stated the financial strain on public resources, with asylum support costing more than £4 billion annually.

“Asylum support currently costs more than £4 billion annually.

“Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four affected countries are supported at public expense, including over 6,000 accommodated in hotels.

“The government says it has reduced the asylum support bill by £1 billion since coming to office.”

Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries are currently receiving state support, including over 6,000 housed in hotels.

Mahmood said the government would continue to offer refuge to those fleeing conflict but stressed that migration routes must not be exploited, adding that the new restrictions are intended to restore order and control to the system.

The measures form part of wider reforms to the UK’s asylum framework.

Under the new rules, refugee status will be reviewed every 30 months instead of the previous five-year period.

Individuals from countries deemed safe may be required to return, while unaccompanied minors will continue to receive longer-term protection.

The government said it has already reduced asylum-related costs by £1 billion and plans to expand controlled legal migration pathways once the system stabilises.