On 4 March 2026, the UK Home Office announced an emergency brake on visas for the first time, targeting the nationals of four countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, after claiming that many people were entering the UK through legal routes and then applying for asylum once inside the UK.

Under the policy, the UK will stop endorsed Student visas for applicants from all four countries and Work visas for Afghan nationals.

The decision has been taken in light of the fact that according to government figures nearly 100,000 asylum claims were filed in 2025, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan rose by over 470% between 2021 and 2025, which makes them among the most likely nationalities to claim, the number of Afghans in the UK on work visas claiming asylum is now outstripping the number of visas issued, and asylum support is currently costing the UK government more than £4 billion per year – with almost 16,000 nationals from the 4 countries currently supported at public expense, including more than 6,000 in hotels.

Between 2021 and 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims to UK study visas issued was 95%, while applications for asylum by students from Myanmar spiked sixteen-fold over the same period.  

Asylum claims by students from Cameroon and Sudan soared by over 330%, posing an unsustainable threat to the UK’s asylum system.    

Home Secretary’s statement

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that this policy was intended to address what the government described as abuse of the UK visa system.

She further said, “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.”

What happens to students and workers already in the UK?

The changes will come into force on 26 March 2026. They mainly apply to new visa applications, meaning people already in the UK from these 4 countries with valid visas are generally not affected.

People already studying in the UK from these countries can continue their studies until their visa expires, and will not be removed immediately. However, extensions or new visa applications may be blocked. 

Wider immigration reforms announced at the same time

The UK government also proposed several other asylum changes:

• Protection for refugees will be halved to 30 months from 2 March 2026 and reviewed regularly.

• Some rejected asylum seekers may get financial incentives to return home.

• The time required to get permanent settlement could increase significantly.

Other key facts to know

In November, the UK Home Secretary warned to shut down all UK visas for Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Namibia unless the governments of these countries agreed to take back illegal migrants.  

Four months later, the policy worked diplomatically, and the UK has secured cooperation with all 3 African countries. As a result, deportation flights began returning illegal migrants and foreign offenders to those countries.

The UK government has also pledged to open new safe and legal routes, with a cap, as an alternative to dangerous small boat crossings once order has been restored to the asylum system.  

Britain has offered sanctuary to more than 37,000 Afghans through its 2 resettlement schemes since 2021, while it granted 190,000 visas on humanitarian routes in 2025 alone.  

Between 2010 and 2025, the UK has resettled the sixth largest number of refugees referred by the UNCHR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in the world, showing the commitment of this government to helping those genuinely in need.

Key takeaway

The UK has introduced its strictest targeted visa brakes so far, mainly to stop people entering the UK on study/work visas and then claiming asylum. The government also warned that other countries could face the same visa brake if similar abuse patterns appear.