UK May Tighten Visa Rules for Some Nationalities

Charlie UK Immigration 7 May 2025 | | 0

The UK government is considering stricter visa rules for people from countries where applicants are more likely to overstay or apply for asylum after arriving legally.

According to a report in The Times, the Home Office may make it harder for people from countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka to get work or student visas. Officials are concerned about individuals who come to the UK legally and then apply for asylum, which, if granted lets them stay permanently.

Asylum seekers, whether they arrived in the UK legally on a visa or not, can apply for support under Sections 95 and 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

An official explained that to qualify for this support, applicants must fully disclose their income, assets, and any financial help they receive, including funds from student scholarships.

A Home Office spokesperson said their upcoming Immigration White Paper will outline a full plan to fix what they call a “broken” immigration system.

It's unclear which nationalities are most likely to overstay, as the UK has not published official exit data since 2020 due to concerns about its accuracy. Many people who leave the UK don’t have a recorded departure, so it’s not always clear who has truly overstayed.

Professor Jonathan Portes, from the think tank UK in a Changing Europe, said these visa restrictions are unlikely to significantly reduce overall asylum claims. Instead, the goal appears to be limiting cases seen as abuse of the system—such as people switching from student visas to asylum applications soon after arriving.

Recent Home Office data shows that:

Over 108,000 people claimed asylum in the UK last year—the highest since records began in 1979.
The top nationality for asylum claims was Pakistan (10,542 claims), followed by Sri Lanka (2,862) and Nigeria (2,841).
In 2023/24, there were 732,285 international students in the UK, with most coming from India (107,480) and China (98,400).
Work and study visa numbers have dropped in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce both legal and illegal migration, but has not committed to a specific target. Labour’s plans include cracking down on dangerous Channel crossings and reducing the need for overseas workers by training more people in the UK.

He has criticized the Conservative government for failing to reduce migration, claiming it was a deliberate policy choice. Net migration hit a record 906,000 in the year to June 2023 but has since fallen to 728,000 in the year to June 2024. Part of this drop is likely due to tougher rules introduced under Rishi Sunak, such as:

Raising the minimum salary for skilled foreign workers from £26,200 to £38,700.
Banning care workers from bringing family members.

Labour is also under pressure after Reform UK made gains in recent local elections. Reform has proposed freezing most types of immigration, except for essential sectors like healthcare.

Enver Solomon, head of the Refugee Council, warned that some people on legal visas may need asylum if conditions worsen in their home countries. He said they should be allowed a fair chance to seek protection.

Plans to crack down on visa overstayers were already being developed before the recent local elections.

Should the UK make its visa rules tougher? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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Do you need to renew your passport? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

Check out the deals we have found below and tell us your travel plans.

Check out the offers and discounts from:

And because of the pandemic, don’t forget to get your travel insurance, which will cover you for flight disruptions and pandemic related matters.

IaM can help with your visa application to Europe, the United States, the UK & other countries

Some of our posts include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products, we might get a small commission. For more information, check out our TOS.

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Charlie

Travel and Immigration Writer and Client Relationship Manager at IaM (Immigration and Migration)

Charlie is IaM’s resident Travel & Immigration Writer and Client Relationship Manager. They craft clear, engaging guides that demystify complex visa and migration rules - and then personally supports each client through every step of their journey.

Over the past 6+ years, with IaM, and working in the travel and immigration sector, Charlie has authored 200+ in-depth guides on Schengen, UK visas & other destinations they have relocated 1,000+ families safely through the system. A Clockwork Practitioner, Charlie also works hard to streamline operations and adheres to the mantra "Task Clients Well".

When they’re not translating policy into plain English, you’ll find them scouting new destinations, collecting local stories, and mastering a new language to better serve our global community.