‘Emergency Brake’ Visa Pushback, Key Asylum Changes and More – UK March 2026 Updates

Government Faces Pushback on ‘Emergency Brake’ Plans for Student Visas

The UK government have received pushbacks on their recently-unveiled plans to impose ’emergency brakes’ on Student visas, specifically from Sudanese and Afghan students in the UK.

As reported in the Guardian, six students from Sudan and Afghanistan have written an open letter to the Home Secretary accusing the government of racial discrimination and have also begun to pursue legal action in an effort to try and overturn the new restrictions.

The students, who have variously received offers from universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, state in their letter: “The unprecedented and harsh, directly racially discriminatory effect of this measure is to immediately terminate eligibility for sponsored study visas for all nationals from four countries,” also further stating that the restrictions are a violation of human rights laws.

The ’emergency brake’ on visas means that Student visa applications from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be halted, as well as Skilled Worker visa applications from Afghanistan, as of 26 March 2026. The Home Office cited steeply rising numbers of asylum claims from the aforementioned countries and “widespread abuse” of visas as reasons for the ban.

A government spokesperson responded to the pushback, stating that: “While we remain committed to expanding safe and legal routes to those fleeing persecution and welcoming the brightest talent in a fair and managed way, we cannot allow exceptions to study routes to prevent further abuse of our migration system…We consider visa brakes to be lawful and will defend any legal challenge robustly.”

Refugees to Only Be Given Temporary Protection in the UK

Asylum seekers granted refugee status in the UK will only be granted temporary protection instead of permanent leave to remain, in a radical shake-up to the system.

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the changes earlier this month, which will now affect all adults and accompanied children seeking asylum within the UK.

Prior to the changes, asylum seekers who have successfully been granted refugee status would normally be granted at least 5 years’ worth of leave in the UK, with the potential to apply for permanent residency after residing in the country for 5 years. Under the new changes, however, all refugees will have their cases reviewed every 30 months, with the potential to be sent back to their home country if it is deemed safe to do so.

Asylum seekers who already submitted their claims before the changes came into effect on 2 March 2026 will not be affected by the new rules.

Further changes are also planned to be, or already implemented, such as new powers to strip asylum seekers of accommodation or financial support if they break the law in the UK. Plans were also announced for a new pilot scheme wherein families would be offered £10,000 per-person cash incentives to voluntarily leave the UK, or else face enforced removal proceedings.

The possibility of further changes and amendments to be made to the asylum system are likely in the coming months.

Higher Standard of English Language Required to Settle in the UK

Foreign nationals will need to show proof of a higher standard of English in order to be eligible for permanent settlement in the UK, in one of the first concrete plans implemented from the government’s new Earned Settlement proposals.

From March 2027, foreign nationals applying for settlement will have to demonstrate English-language proficiency of at least B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), as opposed to the current threshold of B1.

B2 level is equivalent to a UK A-level qualification, with B1 being equivalent to a GCSE qualification. It takes an estimated 200 hours of study in order to move up to B2 level from B1.

The changes have been announced a full year in advance, with the Home Office stating that this will give immigrants “the best opportunity to integrate into British life.”

UK Visa Fees to Rise in April 2026

The Home Office have announced an increase to some visa and nationality fees, which will come into effect from 8 April 2026.

Application fees for key routes such as the Skilled Worker visa, Student visa and indefinite leave to remain will all be affected, as well as costs for naturalising as a British citizen and certain work visa routes.

Nearly all affected visa and nationality routes will see increases to baseline fees, with the exception of the fee for nationality registration as a British citizen for children, which will see a rare fee reduction of £1,214 to £1,000.

Some of the most pertinent routes affected and the corresponding changes in fees have been included below. The full list of fee changes can be found on the Home Office website.

How Can IAS Help With Your UK Visa Application?

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Regardless of where you’re coming from or what your chosen immigration pathway is, we can help you with almost all UK immigration and visa cases, using our years of experience and compassionate customer service to help get you to where you need to go.

We also offer fast-track and urgent application packages if you need to submit your application to a deadline.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help on your situation today. Call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or reach out to us online.