The UK Government has introduced a 'visa brake' for Student visa applications made outside the UK for nationals of certain countries. This change does not affect Student visa applications made inside the UK. This brake applies to nationals of:

  • Afghanistan
  • Cameroon
  • Myanmar
  • Sudan

If you are a national of one of these countries, and you submit a Student visa application from outside the UK on or after 26 March 2026, your application will be refused. This applies even if you apply from a visa application centre outside your country of nationality. Applications submitted before 26 March 2026 will be assessed under the immigration rules that were in place before this date.

If you already have a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) issued by the University of Bath, we strongly advise you to submit your Student visa application as soon as possible. If you currently hold an offer and will require a CAS, our Admissions team will contact you to explain what this means for you and the next steps.

If you hold dual nationality, you will not be impacted by the visa brake as long as you apply using a nationality that is not on the affected list. You must still accurately declare all nationalities you hold.

Current University of Bath students

If you are a specified national, but are already in the UK with a valid Student visa, the visa brake will not affect your current immigration status.

This means:

  • your current visa remains valid
  • your visa conditions do not change
  • you may continue your studies at the University of Bath as normal
  • the visa brake does not cancel existing visas

Students already in the UK may still be able to:

  • Apply to extend their Student visa from within the UK, if eligible (e.g., resits, course progression), or
  • Apply to switch to another visa route from within the UK, if they meet the relevant requirements at the time of application.

Further Information and Support

We appreciate that immigration changes can create uncertainty and will be disappointing to those of you who are affected by this change. If you have questions about how this affects you or your future visa options, please contact us by email or attend a drop-in session.

We will continue to monitor UK Government updates and will provide further information if the situation changes.