Universities in the United Kingdom are cutting back on international admissions, with Nigerian and Pakistani applicants among those losing offers as institutions seek to avoid penalties linked to student visa refusals.
An analysis of Home Office data by the Financial Times showed that 22.7 per cent of study visa applications from Nigerians were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, compared with 4.5 per cent during the same period in 2025.
For Pakistani applicants, the rate rose from three per cent to 40.9 per cent, while Bangladesh’s figure increased from 7.1 per cent to 23.5 per cent. Overall, withdrawn applications climbed to 10.5 per cent in the first half of 2026, up from 2.3 per cent a year earlier.
Universities attributed the withdrawals largely to a doubling of student visa refusals during the first six months of 2026 and stricter regulations that threaten institutions with the loss of their recruitment licences if more than five per cent of applicants with admission offers have their visa applications rejected.
About 15 universities are believed to have suspended recruitment from Pakistan this year.
Data from visa-processing company Enroly also indicated that refusal rates at nearly half of UK universities exceeded the five per cent threshold.
Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, said the unexpected increase in visa refusals had prompted several universities to take preventive action by reducing recruitment from international markets facing tougher visa scrutiny.
Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said visa processing had become significantly less predictable.
He said some refusals appeared to rely on flawed, inconsistent and subjective reasoning, forcing universities to withdraw admission offers to avoid breaching compliance requirements.
The restrictions have raised concerns about the financial stability of universities as they contend with declining international applications and increased competition for overseas students.
Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, warned that the situation could trigger institutional restructuring, resulting in job losses, course closures and campus shutdowns.
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Universities have also challenged the reasons given for some visa refusals, including cases involving applicants who had considered studying in other countries.
Professor Steven McGuire, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, said his institution began withdrawing offers from applicants in certain countries late last year after experiencing a sharp increase in refusals.
He described some decisions as arbitrary and poorly informed, citing a case in which an applicant was rejected after an interviewer apparently failed to understand that the university was located in Norwich.
McGuire warned that the restrictions could force universities to concentrate more heavily on students from China and India, where visa refusal rates are lower.
He added that institutions had few options left beyond significantly reducing their operations.
Professor James Miller, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland, also criticised some refusals as unjustified, saying the Home Office had not provided a convincing explanation for the increase beyond concerns about students claiming asylum.
Miller said some universities had stopped recruiting from certain regions to keep their visa refusal rates below five per cent.
He warned that international student numbers could fall by more than 20 per cent at many institutions this year, making job cuts inevitable without a policy change.
Miller said the restrictions were damaging the UK’s reputation and denying international applicants opportunities to advance their education and careers.
The Home Office maintained that international students make a positive contribution to Britain but insisted that universities must recruit responsibly to protect the integrity of the immigration system.
The department added that it was providing support to universities where necessary to improve their recruitment practices.
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