New visa crackdown: UK prepare to tighten rules for 'high-risk' nationalities, changes, countries affected

The measures are expected to be part of a broader plan to reduce net migration, to be set out in the upcoming Immigration White Paper, according to reports in The Times.

Who could be affected?

The proposed restrictions will focus on work and study visa applicants from countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, which have been flagged by the Home Office as having higher rates of individuals who overstay or claim asylum after arrival. It remains unclear whether additional countries will be added to the list.

The new policy is reportedly aimed at preventing abuse of the system by individuals who use legitimate visa routes as a backdoor to asylum. The paper said those fitting this profile will face stricter scrutiny and could see their applications more frequently denied.

What changes are expected?

In addition to targeting specific nationalities, the White Paper is also expected to propose new rules for international graduates. According to The Times, the Home Office will require them to secure a graduate-level job based on skill, not just salary, if they wish to remain in the UK after finishing their studies.

A Home Office spokesperson, speaking to The PIE News, said: “To tackle abuse by foreign nationals who arrive on work and study visas and go on to claim asylum, we are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster.”

“We keep the visa system under constant review and will, where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, not hesitate to take action. Under our plan for change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system.”

Why now?

The move is part of the Labour government's efforts to demonstrate it is tough on immigration, especially after the anti-immigration Reform party made significant gains in the May 2025 local elections.

Labour’s manifesto had pledged to reduce net migration, stating that it “must be properly controlled and managed,” and warning that failure to do so “reduces the incentives for businesses to train locally.”

Speaking at the Enroly event in April, Charley Robinson, head of global mobility at Universities UK International (UUKi), told delegates that: “We are expecting to see some quite tough trade-offs between the government’s economic growth goals and their migration policy priorities.”

She added that UUKi had been told “nothing is out of scope”, including the Graduate Route, despite the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) having recently recommended its continuation.

The UK has already seen a drop in visa applications following previous restrictions introduced in early 2024 under the Conservative government, including a ban on overseas care workers and international students bringing dependants and a sharp increase in the salary threshold for skilled workers to £38,700 .

According to Home Office figures, total applications across worker, study, and family visa routes fell to 772,200 in the year to March 2025—a 37% decrease compared to nearly 1.24 million the year before.

Net migration also declined to 728,000 in the year to June 2024, down from 906,000 the previous year.

The reported plans have triggered concern across the education and international recruitment sectors. Speaking to The PIE News, London Higher, which represents universities in the capital, warned that the approach “runs the risk of being discriminatory and could be interpreted as a kneejerk reaction to Labour’s local election losses, creating additional regulatory burden, as opposed to carefully considered policy.”

“In an age of ‘going for growth,’ the government should be shoring-up pathways for international talent, not sacrificing long-term economic benefits for political expediency.”

They added: “We strongly urge the Home Office to work with the Department for Education, the Treasury, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to balance legitimate immigration concerns with a recognition of the superlative benefits that international students bring to our communities and economy.”

When will the Immigration White Paper be released?

The Immigration White Paper is expected to be released in the coming weeks and will lay out the Labour government's full plan to reduce legal migration and address what it has described as a “broken system.”