KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Kingdom will suspend the issuance of student and skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals, the government has announced, citing concerns over what it described as the “misuse” of legal visa routes to seek asylum.
In a statement, the UK Home Office said the decision will take effect from the 26th of this month.
The UK will also halt the issuance of student visas for nationals of Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
According to the Home Office, asylum applications from students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan increased by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025, placing these nationalities among the most likely groups to claim asylum.
The ministry said that between 2021 and the end of September 2025, the ratio of asylum claims by Afghan nationals compared to the number of student visas issued to them stood at 95 percent. During the same period, asylum claims by students from Myanmar increased sixteen fold.
Applications from Cameroonian and Sudanese students also rose by more than 330 percent, the Home Office said, creating what it described as an unsustainable pressure on the UK’s asylum system.
The ministry added that the number of Afghan nationals who entered the UK on work visas and subsequently applied for asylum now exceeds the number of work visas issued to them.
In what it described as an unprecedented move, the Home Office said it will suspend sponsored student visas for all four countries, as well as skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
The department said the measure was necessary as asylum claims from individuals who arrived through legal routes have more than tripled since 2021, accounting for 39 percent of the 100,000 people who applied for asylum last year.
Overall, 133,760 people have applied for asylum over the past five years after entering the UK legally, according to the Home Office.
The ministry said many of these individuals are subsequently accommodated at taxpayers’ expense, with a higher proportion of nationals from the four countries declaring destitution compared to the average.
It added that the cost of supporting asylum seekers currently exceeds £4bn annually, with nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries presently receiving public support, including more than 6,000 housed in hotels.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the UK will continue to offer protection to those fleeing war and persecution but added that the country’s 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,” said Home Secretary Shabana.
Britain has offered sanctuary to over 37,000 Afghans via its 2 resettlement schemes since 2021, while 190,000 visas were granted on humanitarian routes in 2025.
Between 2010 and 2025 the UK has resettled the sixth largest number of refugees referred by the UNCHR in the world, demonstrating this government’s commitment to helping those genuinely in need.
The visa brake will be introduced via an Immigration Rules change on 5 March 2026 and come into force on 26 March 2026.
