UK universities revoke offers to students from countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria

UK universities are withdrawing offers to international students from countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria to avoid breaching stricter visa refusal thresholds that could bar them from recruiting overseas students, according to the Financial Times.

In the first half of 2026, 10.5% of UK study visa applications were withdrawn, up from 2.3% in the same period last year and 0.4% in 2023, the Financial Times reported, citing its analysis of Home Office data.

The share of withdrawn applications from Pakistani students surged to 40.9% in the first six months of this year, compared with 3% a year earlier. For Bangladeshi applicants, the rate rose from 7.1% to 23.5%, while India's increased from 1.2% to 5.2%.

The rise comes as the UK government tightens rules for universities sponsoring international students.

Institutions where more than 5% of prospective overseas students have their visa applications rejected now risk losing the right to recruit them, down from the previous threshold of 10%.

Universities said the increase in withdrawals largely reflects their decision to revoke admission offers pre-emptively after a sharp rise in visa refusals.

International students can apply for study visas only after receiving university offers, meaning applications are withdrawn when those offers are revoked.

According to the Financial Times, the Home Office doubled the number of study visa refusals in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

The increase has been concentrated among nationalities the government suspects of using student visas as a route to claim asylum.

Around 15 UK universities are believed to have suspended recruitment from Pakistan entirely this year, according to figures from the higher education sector.

Data from visa-processing company Enroly also suggests that refusal rates at nearly half of universities exceed the 5% threshold.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, said the unexpected increase in refusals had prompted universities to take pre-emptive action by reducing recruitment from countries facing tougher scrutiny.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said visa processing had become "markedly less predictable".

"Many refusals appear to rest on flawed, inconsistent and highly subjective reasoning, forcing universities to withdraw offers at scale to avoid breaching compliance thresholds," he added.

Universities have cited cases in which applicants were refused visas because they had previously considered studying in other countries or could not name course modules that did not exist for their research degrees.

Professor Steven McGuire, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, said his institution began withdrawing offers from some countries late last year after refusals increased sharply.

He described some decisions as "arbitrary and ill-informed", including one in which an interviewer appeared not to understand that the university was based in Norwich.

The policy is also raising concerns over universities' finances. International student fees are a major source of income, while institutions are already facing declining overseas applications amid tighter visa rules and growing global competition.

Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, warned that the pressure could lead to restructuring, job losses and course and campus closures.

James Miller, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland, said some universities had stopped recruiting from certain regions to keep refusal rates below the threshold.

He warned that overseas student numbers could fall by more than 20% at many institutions this year.

The UK Home Office said international students make a positive contribution to the country, but universities must recruit responsibly to protect the integrity of the immigration system. It said it would support institutions seeking to improve their recruitment practices.