Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood Freezes Afghan Student and Skilled Worker Visas

(UNITED KINGDOM) — Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood suspended new student visas and skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals on March 3, using “emergency brake” powers to curb what the government calls misuse of legal entry routes to claim asylum.

The pause takes effect March 26, 2026, and applies to new applications rather than existing immigration status, the government said.

Mahmood told Parliament: “Our visa system should not be abused. That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to deny visas to citizens who seek to exploit our generosity.”

Alongside the Afghanistan measures, the Home Office said it will also suspend new study visa applications from nationals of Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, framing the move as part of a broader response to asylum claims linked to student routes.

The Home Office set out the change as an “emergency brake” on specific visa pathways, arguing that legal migration channels have increasingly fed into the asylum system, with costs falling on accommodation and support.

Universities, employers and visa sponsors face an immediate halt in recruiting new Afghan students and workers under the affected routes, with the Home Office signalling further compliance checks during the pause.

The government has not yet published detailed Home Office guidance on how it will treat applications already submitted but not decided, existing visa holders, or dependants connected to people who would have applied after March 26.

Mahmood invoked emergency brake powers under the Immigration Act for the first time, the government said, allowing ministers to pause the routes for up to 12 months while it reviews safeguards designed to prevent exploitation.

Home Office analysis cited a sharp rise over recent years in asylum applications from students originating from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, and described a particularly high share of Afghan students later moving into the asylum system. The department also tied the trend to mounting pressure on public spending for accommodation and support.

In a wider snapshot of the asylum system, the Home Office said a substantial share of people claiming asylum in 2025 had first arrived through legal migration routes such as study visas, and it said asylum applications by people who entered legally had risen steeply since 2021.

During the review period, the Home Office said it will tighten sponsorship checks and introduce additional financial maintenance requirements, while also exploring data-sharing agreements with source countries’ education ministries.

The Home Office presented the planned safeguards as a way to improve upstream screening and enforcement, focusing on sponsors and student recruitment practices as well as the ability to cross-check data with overseas authorities.

Universities UK International warned the blanket suspension could cost the higher education sector hundreds of millions of pounds in lost first-year fees and risk undermining Britain’s reputation as a study destination.

Human rights organizations criticised the ban for unfairly punishing genuine students and workers and endangering people fleeing legitimate persecution, raising concerns that the suspension narrows access to protection when safe routes are limited.

Afghan nationals have also experienced declining asylum approval rates, falling from 51% to 34% in the past year, adding to uncertainty for people who might previously have pursued student visas or skilled worker visas before seeking refuge.

The Home Office said the next steps include issuing detailed operational guidance and setting out the review’s conclusions within the pause window, while Mahmood’s decision sets an immediate test for how far emergency brake powers can reshape student visas and skilled worker visas without disrupting institutions that rely on international recruitment.