Duncan Lewis challenges Home Office student visa restrictions in the Administrative Court (27 July 2026)

Duncan Lewis represents three Sudanese nationals in a legal challenge to the Home Secretary’s decision to introduce a ‘visa brake’ on student visas for nationals of a number of countries, including Sudan.

The matter is being heard in the Administrative Court this week. The challenge concerns the lawfulness of the decision to restrict the issuing of student visas and the impact this has had on individuals who had already secured places at leading UK universities.

The claimants are highly qualified professionals, including doctors and a pharmacist, who have received offers to undertake postgraduate study at the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL). The result of the policy is that they are unable to apply for visas to enter the UK and take up their offers of study. If successful, the challenge would enable them to apply for student visas and take up their places on their chosen courses.

The claim argues that the decision to introduce the visa brake was unlawful, including because the means by which the SSHD chose countries for imposition of the brake was flawed, the policy was based on nationality rather than an assessment of individual circumstances, and because the Home Office failed to properly consider the evidence supporting the decision.

Duncan Lewis solicitor Manini Menon has previously said:

“Our clients are talented, high-achieving women who have secured admission to some of the top universities in the world. It is disappointing that they have been deprived of the opportunity to take up their offers of study solely on account of their nationality, without any assessment of the individual facts of their cases.”

The case has received significant media attention, including coverage by The Independent, highlighting the wider implications of the policy for international students and skilled professionals seeking to study in the UK.

Duncan Lewis continues to act for individuals seeking to challenge decisions where there are concerns that public bodies have acted unlawfully or failed to properly consider the circumstances of those affected.

Duncan Lewis is proud to support its clients in pursuing this important challenge and remains committed to protecting the rights of individuals affected by unlawful or discriminatory public decision-making.

The team at Duncan Lewis are Toufique Hossain, Manini Menon, Isabella Healey, Shanaya Weerakkody, and Susannah Eley. Instructed counsel are Tim Buley KC of Landmark Chambers, Grant Kynaston, of Blackstone Chambers, and Sophie Lucas of Garden Court Chambers. 

CrowdJustice

The claimants are seeking public support to help fund the legal challenge through a CrowdJustice crowdfunding campaign.

Follow the link to support their campaign: www.crowdjustice.com/case/help-me-challenge-the-home-office-ban/

About Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading legal aid providers, which is multi award-winning and renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times. Duncan Lewis was crowned Law Firm of the Year at the Modern Law Awards 2023, further establishing its credentials as one of the leading law firms in the UK.

The firm’s Immigration and Public Law team is particularly renowned for handling complex and high profile cases involving human rights and asylum seekers. With landmark successes in cases such as Brook House, the Rwanda Challenge, and Manston House, Duncan Lewis continues to provide unparalleled legal representation, ensuring justice for the most vulnerable.