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UK universities withdraw admission offers amid visa crackdown
UK universities are increasingly withdrawing admission offers to international students, particularly those from Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. This trend is driven by fears of losing official sponsorship licenses following stricter Home Office regulations.
The UK government has lowered the threshold for visa refusal rates at educational institutions from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. If a university exceeds this limit, it risks losing its ability to sponsor international students. Data from visa-processing firm Enroly indicates that nearly half of UK universities have already surpassed this 5 per cent threshold.
Statistics from the first half of 2026 show a significant rise in withdrawn study visa applications. The overall withdrawal rate reached 10.5 per cent, compared to 2.3 per cent in the first half of 2025. Specific withdrawal rates by nationality include 40.9 per cent for Pakistani applicants, 23.5 per cent for Bangladeshi applicants, 22.7 per cent for Nigerians, and 5.2 per cent for Indian applicants.
Entities
Enroly · Financial Times · Jamie Arrowsmith · Nigeria · Sir David Bell · UK Home Office · United Kingdom · Universities UK International · University of Sunderland
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 10 SOURCES] The withdrawal rate for Pakistani applicants rose to 40.9 per cent in the first half of 2026. dailyreport.ng · matazarising.com · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · www.europesays.com · +4 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] The UK government reduced the visa refusal threshold for universities from 10 per cent to five per cent. www.iroyinyorubatv.com.ng · dailyreport.ng · matazarising.com · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · +8 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Data from visa-processing firm Enroly indicates that nearly half of UK universities have refusal rates exceeding the five per cent threshold. dailyreport.ng · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · everyday.ng · www.deshebideshe.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] Overall, the proportion of withdrawn UK study visa applications rose to 10.5 per cent in the first half of 2026, up from 2.3 per cent in the first half of 2025. dailyreport.ng · platinumpost.news · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · www.europesays.com · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] The Financial Times reported that 22.7 per cent of UK study visa applications from Nigerians were withdrawn in the first half of 2026. www.iroyinyorubatv.com.ng · dailyreport.ng · matazarising.com · platinumpost.news · promptnewsonline.com · +9 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Withdrawal rates for Bangladeshi applicants increased from 7.1 per cent to 23.5 per cent. matazarising.com · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · www.europesays.com · africa.businessinsider.com · +3 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of Universities UK International, described visa processing as increasingly unpredictable and potentially based on inconsistent reasoning. promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · www.gistmania.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, stated that universities are withdrawing from international markets facing tougher visa scrutiny. dailyreport.ng · promptnewsonline.com · www.thisdaylive.com · www.europesays.com · matazarising.com · +1 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] The withdrawal rate for Indian applicants was 5.2 per cent. www.deshebideshe.com · burkina24.com