March 5, 2026
YANGON – The UK Embassy in Yangon has announced that it will no longer accept student visas from March 26.
The UK government has announced that it will temporarily suspend visa applications from Myanmar citizens from 00:01 GMT on 26 March 2026, in order to preserve the stability of the UK immigration system.
The UK has announced that it is suspending student visas for students from four countries, including Myanmar, the Guardian reported.
The closures are the first of their kind, following those from Sudan, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Myanmar, which Britain says are taking advantage of its generosity to seek asylum.
In addition, the news reported that in addition to suspending the issuance of student visas for these four countries, work visas for Afghan citizens have also been suspended.
The UK Home Secretary said that a growing number of people from these countries are using legal migration routes as a backdoor to claim asylum in the UK.
“”The UK will always offer refuge to those fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,”” British Home Secretary Mahmud Mahmud said on Tuesday.
According to Home Office figures, 39% of the 100,000 asylum seekers in 2025 claimed asylum after arriving in the UK through a legal migration route, such as a student visa.
Asylum applications from students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan increased significantly between September 2021 and 2025.