The UK applies a Visa Brake

 

A “visa brake” has come into force in the UK from 12:01 a.m. on 26 March 2026. This visa brake requires the refusal of:

1. any Student visa application made from outside the UK by nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan; and

any Skilled Worker visa application made from outside the UK by Afghan nationals.

The practical impact of this visa brake is that:

a. UK employers cannot now sponsor new Skilled Worker entrants from Afghanistan applying from overseas, even where a valid CoS has already been issued; and

b. The student‑visa brake for four nationalities will reduce the future pipeline of graduates from those countries available for UK graduate‑to‑work or Skilled Worker transitions.

Legal Basis

The “visa brake” taking effect on 26 March 2026 does not have its own stand‑alone Act of Parliament. Its legal basis is as follows:

Under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971, the Secretary of State has power to make and vary Immigration Rules governing the practice to be followed in administering entry clearance and leave to enter or remain.

This visa brake is being implemented via changes to the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026 and is expressly framed as a targeted restriction where there are high asylum‑claim rates from particular nationalities and routes.

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