From late February through March 2026, the UK Government has announced a wide‑ranging package of immigration and border policy reforms, which are being implemented across almost all major categories at once, including international students, Skilled Workers, asylum seekers, visitors, Ukrainians in the UK and those preparing for settlement (ILR). These measures follow the direction set out in the Immigration White Paper and the Asylum Policy Statement “Restoring Order and Control”, with the stated aim of reducing abuse of the immigration and asylum systems, strengthening border control, and using digital systems to manage entry to and stay in the UK more efficiently.

1. Visa Brake introduced for four nationalities

One of the most striking changes is the introduction of the new “Visa Brake”. From 26 March 2026, for online applications submitted on or after that date, main applicants who are nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will, as a matter of policy, have their applications for UK Student entry clearance refused. In addition, Afghan nationals will also be refused Skilled Worker entry clearance, and this will apply even where a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) or Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) has already been issued: if the visa application itself is lodged online on or after 26 March 2026, it will be refused with no exception.

The Government has described this as a response to a sharp rise in patterns where students and workers from these countries are granted visas, enter the UK and then make asylum claims in large numbers. The stated objective is to reinforce border security and prevent visa routes from being used as an indirect channel into the asylum system. At the same time, the Visa Brake is presented as a temporary, targeted measure which will be kept under review and could be revisited in light of future developments.

In practical terms, there is an immediate impact on international students and sponsor institutions from the four affected nationalities, as well as on new Skilled Worker sponsorship plans for Afghan nationals. Even where offers, CAS or CoS are already in place, if the actual visa application date falls on or after 26 March 2026, a refusal under the Visa Brake policy should be expected, so institutions and individuals with study or recruitment plans involving these nationalities will need to review and, where necessary, revise their strategies.

2. Refugee protection: from five‑year grants to 30‑month “core protection”

There is also a major change of direction in the refugee and humanitarian protection regime. Under the previous framework, recognised refugees would normally be granted five years’ leave to remain, but going forward, the Home Office is moving to a “more basic and temporary core protection” model, under which only an initial 30‑month period of leave will be granted and any further 30‑month periods will depend on repeated reassessments of continuing protection needs. The intention is to ensure that the UK continues to meet its minimum obligations under international refugee law, while no longer automatically conferring more extensive long‑term rights than those obligations require.

For applicants who might previously have expected a relatively straightforward long‑term route of “recognition plus five years, then ILR”, this introduces significant uncertainty. Because the need for protection will be reviewed periodically, changes in conditions in the country of origin, developments in the applicant’s personal circumstances and the extent of their integration in the UK may all become live issues at each 30‑month review point. It is, however, understood that an exception will remain for unaccompanied asylum‑seeking children (UASC), who can still receive a five‑year grant of leave in recognition of their particular vulnerability.

In future, therefore, those requiring refugee or humanitarian protection will need a longer‑term and flexible plan based on 30‑month extensions, with supporting evidence and legal strategy at each stage, rather than assuming a single five‑year grant will lead directly to ILR.

3. Visitors, ETA, eVisa and Right of Abode: digital borders and preventing abuse

Nicaragua and St Lucia – visit visas now required.

Nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia can no longer use an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK and must now obtain a visit visa (Standard Visitor visa) in advance. The Home Office has pointed to a marked increase over recent years in cases where nationals of these countries arrived as “visitors” but then claimed asylum at the border or shortly after entry. At the same time, research on similar visit visa changes introduced for Jordan, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago and Botswana suggests these measures prevented thousands of asylum claims and saved hundreds of millions of pounds in hotel accommodation costs for destitute asylum seekers, and the new requirements are presented as a continuation of that approach.

Stricter enforcement of ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation)

Although the ETA scheme has already been introduced, from 25 February 2026, its enforcement has been significantly strengthened. Carriers are now required to prevent boarding by travellers who need an ETA but do not hold one, and anyone who does not require a visa for short‑term visits – other than British and Irish citizens and those with existing UK immigration status – must obtain an ETA before travelling to the UK or before a journey that involves transiting through UK border control.

Most ETA applications are processed relatively quickly, but some can take longer due to additional checks, so applicants are advised to apply at least three working days before travel. British and Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA requirement, but they must still be able to prove their status by presenting a valid British passport or digital Right of Abode documentation, and airlines may, at their discretion, accept some expired British passports as supplementary evidence.

Visitor visas are moving to eVisa.

From 25 February 2026, most visa‑national applicants for UK visit visas now receive an eVisa only, rather than a physical visa sticker in their passport. Applicants must attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) once to confirm their identity and enrol biometrics, after which their passport is returned, and the decision is issued by email.

If a visit visa is granted, the applicant must create a UKVI account to view and manage their eVisa. If they later receive a new passport, they must update their UKVI account with the new passport details so that the eVisa is correctly linked. Existing physical visit vignettes and wet‑ink entry stamps remain valid, but those travelling on a new passport while their visa is in an old passport must carry both passports and present them to the airline and at the UK border.

Digital Certificates of Entitlement to the Right of Abode

From 26 February 2026, Certificates of Entitlement to the Right of Abode (CoE), which confirm a person’s right to live in the UK without immigration restriction, are being issued in fully digital form. As a result, the certificate no longer automatically expires when the passport expires, and, where possible, existing holders of vignette‑style CoEs will be issued with a digital CoE and notified.

These digital developments should improve efficiency and reduce the risk of forgery or alteration, but they also mean that users must pay closer attention to managing their UKVI accounts, updating passport details promptly and understanding how to present digital evidence correctly to airlines and immigration officers.

4. Skilled Worker salary, Global Talent, Ukraine extensions, ILR English and criminality rules

Skilled Worker – salary must meet the minimum in every pay period.

Under the Skilled Worker route, sponsors will no longer be able to rely solely on meeting the salary requirement on an annualised basis. They must ensure that in each pay period the Skilled Worker receives at least the minimum salary required under the Rules for their occupation and route. This is intended to prevent employers from reducing or withholding pay for part of the year whilst still meeting the annual figure on paper, and to allow UKVI to detect low pay and potential exploitation earlier.

Sponsor licence holders should therefore review their HR and payroll systems to ensure that changes due to sickness, unpaid leave or part‑time arrangements do not result in sustained salary levels falling below the required threshold, which could amount to non‑compliance with the Immigration Rules.

Global Talent – new design pathway and clearer fast‑track for researchers

The Global Talent route is being widened to include a new pathway for design professionals, allowing world‑class and promising designers to work in the UK under a highly flexible visa, without being tied to a single sponsor. At the same time, the academic and research strands are being simplified and clarified in line with criteria agreed with the National Academies, and PhD‑level roles requiring academic, research or innovation leadership – or where research or innovation is a primary function at an agreed research organisation – will qualify for a fast‑track option.

This should make Global Talent more accessible and attractive not only for leading researchers, but also for creative talent in the design sector who wish to work in the UK on a flexible, non‑sponsored basis.

Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme – 24‑month extensions and a longer application window

The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is being extended so that eligible individuals can obtain a further 24‑month grant of permission to stay in the UK. The application window is being widened from 28 days before the current permission expires to 90 days before expiry, giving applicants considerably more time to prepare and submit their applications.

Importantly, applying early within this 90‑day window does not reduce the overall period of stay: any remaining time on the current permission is added to the new 24‑month grant. This is intended to reduce the risk of gaps in permission and to help Ukrainians and their families plan their medium‑term futures in the UK with greater certainty.

ILR English language requirement – moving from B1 to B2

From 26 March 2027, across a wide range of immigration routes, the English language requirement for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) will increase from level B1 to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference. As foreshadowed in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper, the Government’s rationale is that higher English language standards at the point of settlement will support better integration into UK society, stronger participation in the labour market and more effective use of public services.

Long‑term residents who aim to apply for ILR over the next few years will therefore need to incorporate preparation for B2‑level English tests into their medium‑ and long‑term plans. This may also affect those considering time‑based settlement routes such as the 10‑year long‑residence route, so it will be important to check carefully which requirement will apply at the anticipated settlement date in each case.

Criminality and suitability – suspended sentences of 12 months or more

Finally, the criminality and suitability provisions are being strengthened. Under the updated Rules, a foreign national who is convicted in the UK and receives a suspended sentence of 12 months or more will, like someone given an immediate custodial sentence of the same length, generally face mandatory refusal of, or cancellation of, permission to enter or remain.

This change is intended to align immigration decision‑making with the Sentencing Act 2026 and deportation powers, and it underlines that a suspended sentence – sometimes perceived as a relatively lenient outcome – can have very serious immigration consequences. For applicants with criminal records, it will therefore be essential to identify not only any custodial sentences but also any suspended sentences of 12 months or more, and to assess their impact carefully when advising on applications.

The reforms described above each carry significant implications in their respective areas, but viewed together they reflect a broader direction of travel: preventing abuse, tightening border control, accelerating digital transformation and raising expectations around language and criminality. In particular, the Visa Brake for certain nationalities, the move to 30‑month refugee “core protection”, the stricter digital enforcement of ETA and eVisa, the higher ILR English requirement and the tougher criminality rules are all likely to require substantial adjustments to immigration strategies and case management in the coming months and years.

If you have a UK visa or immigration matter that may be affected by these changes and would like specific advice, please call us on 020 3865 6219 or leave us a message so that we can provide detailed, up‑to‑date guidance tailored to your circumstances.