Student and work visa bans imposed to prevent asylum claims

The Home Office has announced it will cease issuing study visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan and work visas for Afghans. The purpose is to prevent those entering on such visas from claiming asylum.

The change will be introduced by new immigration rules on 5 March 2026 and comes into force on 26 March 2026.

Last year saw the second highest ever number of asylum claims made in the UK: 100,625. According to the immigration statistics released last week, the percentage of claims made by people holding a visa – for example as a visitor, student or worker – was 39%.

That is almost as many as enter by small boat. Unlike small boats arrivals, the granting of visas is something the government can directly control.

In 2025 there were a total of 910 asylum claims made by Afghans with visas and 596 claims by Sudanese nationals with visas. It is not clear what type of visas they held and there are no figures the number of asylum claims made by nationals of Cameroon or Myanmar with visas.

95% of Afghan students are said to have claimed asylum, and the separate entry clearance statistics state that a total of 227 Afghan student visas were issued and 154 Afghan work visas, for example. The number of student visas for the other affected countries were Sudan: 243; Cameroon: 538; Myanmar: 2,084.