Visas: Overseas Students

(asked on 1st September 2026) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many visa applications have been refused under the “visa brake” policy; and what assessment they have made of the number of applications that have not been made in light of the policy, in respect of each of (1) Afghanistan, (2) Cameroon, (3) Myanmar, and (4) Sudan, since the introduction of the policy.


Answered by
Lord Hanson of Flint Portrait
Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 15th September 2026

Applications for visas on the affected routes from the affected nationalities are now being refused. The latest public immigration statistics show that visa applications for the affected routes and nationalities in Q2 2026 have on average fallen by over 90% compared to Q4 2025.

The visa brake for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be reviewed by the Home Office after 18 months after imposition. This principally involves an assessment of the risk of future visa-linked asylum claims. It does not mean the visa brake will necessarily be lifted. The brake will only be lifted once the government assesses it appropriate to do so and it is clear that there has been a reduction in the risk of high proportions of visa-linked asylum claims recommencing on these routes from these nationalities.

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