Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in the review of the visa brake on student visa applications from nationals of Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and Cameroon; and whether any consideration is being given to the specific circumstances of women from Afghanistan in that review.

The visa brake is being kept under regular review. It is not intended to be permanent, and will be released once the government considers it appropriate to do so.

The government has no current plans to introduce any exceptions to the visa brake. However, the government has recently announced the development of new safe and legal routes to offer sanctuary to those fleeing war and persecution from around the world. We will ensure that these routes will be sustainable, well-managed and in line with UK capacity to support new refugees. It is expected that the student refugee route will be open for applications from Autumn 2026, with the first students arriving in Autumn 2027.