UK Universities Suspend Recruitment from Pakistan, Bangladesh as Visa-Refusal Rates

At least nine universities in the United Kingdom have temporarily suspended or sharply curtailed student admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh amid a sharp increase in student-visa refusals and new regulatory pressure from the UK Home Office.

Institutions such as the University of Chester, University of Wolverhampton, University of East London, Sunderland, Coventry, Hertfordshire, Oxford Brookes, Glasgow Caledonian and a few private providers have placed recruitment from the two South Asian countries on hold. For example, the University of Chester has suspended Pakistani admissions until autumn 2026; Wolverhampton has paused undergraduate applications from both Pakistan and Bangladesh; and the University of East London has halted recruitment from Pakistan.

The move comes in response to a major overhaul earlier this year by the Home Office, which tightened the visa-refusal compliance threshold for institutions sponsoring international students — reducing the allowable refusal limit from 10 percent to 5 percent. Under the new Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) regime, universities risk losing their sponsor licence if they exceed this cap.

Universities say the decision was forced by visa-refusal data: student visa application rejection rates for Pakistan and Bangladesh soared to 18 percent and 22 percent respectively in the year to September 2025 — far above the new limit. Combined, the two nationalities account for roughly half of the over 23,000 student-visa applications rejected in that period.

Beyond high refusal rates, universities have cited rising numbers of asylum claims from international students — many of whom arrived on study visas — as another major factor in the decision to suspend recruitment. Officials and university management have described the measures as risk-mitigation steps, aimed at protecting institutional compliance records and preserving their ability to sponsor legitimate international students in future.

The abrupt tightening has triggered significant uncertainty and concern among prospective students in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Education agents and applicants have expressed dismay, calling the restrictions “heartbreaking” for genuine students who had been accepted and prepared to study abroad only to find the doors suddenly shut.

Analysts warn that the changes may push students toward alternative study destinations such as Australia, Canada, or other English-speaking countries. They also caution that lower-fee universities — which have depended heavily on international enrolments — could face financial strain, potentially affecting wider university funding and operations.

Meanwhile, others argue the restrictions risk undermining the global diversity of UK higher education and eroding its appeal to international students. As institutions adapt to stricter compliance regimes, prospective students are being forced to re-evaluate plans, explore other options, or face indefinite delays.