World Immigration News

(Pinsent Masons)UK to apply visa break to student applicants in new immigration rules shift

Release Date: 2026-03-10
Media: Pinsent Masons
Summary: The UK government plans to introduce a temporary “visa break” later this month, suspending certain student and skilled worker visa applications from specific countries. From 26 March, student visa applications from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan will be refused, and Afghan nationals will also be unable to apply for an initial skilled worker visa from outside the UK. Applications submitted before that date will still be processed, and the measure will be reviewed regularly rather than being permanent.

Experts note that the skilled worker restrictions are relatively limited, but the student visa suspension could affect UK universities that enroll many students from the affected countries.

At the same time, changes linked to the new UK-India trade agreement will revise the service supplier immigration route, allowing eligible Indian nationals to stay for up to 12 months and reducing the overseas employment requirement for seconded workers from 12 months to six months, giving companies greater flexibility to bring workers to the UK.

The government also plans to raise the English language requirement for settlement from B1 to B2 for several immigration routes, including skilled worker and global talent visas, though this change will not take effect until March 2027. Additionally, applicants will be able to reuse identity verification data in future immigration applications, reducing the need for repeated visits to visa application centers.
Tags: United Kingdom

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