UK universities are withdrawing admission offers to Nigerian students as study visa refusals rise and institutions face tougher penalties for breaching immigration compliance rules.
A report by the Financial Times published on Saturday said 22.7 per cent of UK study visa applications from Nigerians were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, compared with 4.5 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.
The increase comes as the UK government tightens immigration rules for universities sponsoring international students. Institutions now risk losing the right to recruit overseas students if more than five per cent of their prospective international students have visa applications rejected, down from the previous threshold of 10 per cent.
According to the report, visa refusals by the UK Home Office doubled in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, prompting universities to withdraw offers to avoid breaching the new compliance limit.
Although visa applications may be withdrawn for other reasons, some universities told the newspaper that the rise largely reflected institutions revoking admission offers pre-emptively.
The trend extends beyond Nigeria. Withdrawals among prospective students from Pakistan climbed to 40.9 per cent in the first half of 2026, from three per cent a year earlier. Bangladesh recorded an increase from 7.1 to 23.5 per cent, while India’s rate rose from 1.2 to 5.2 per cent.
The Financial Times also reported that about 15 UK universities were believed to have suspended recruitment from Pakistan entirely this year, citing higher education sector figures.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, Sir David Bell, said the surge in visa refusals had forced universities to take preventive measures.
“The recent and unexpected spike in visa refusals has prompted pre-emptive action in several universities. This has involved pulling back from international markets where a tougher approach is being taken to visa applications,” he said.
Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said the immigration system needed to maintain public confidence but criticised the uncertainty surrounding visa decisions.
“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 said.
The restrictions have also raised concerns about the financial stability of UK universities, many of which depend heavily on international students’ tuition fees.
Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, which represents 20 professional and technical universities, warned that the pressure could trigger widespread cuts.
“This is going to result in restructures, which inevitably results in job losses, course closures, campus closures,” she said.
The report cited cases in which universities questioned the grounds for visa refusals, including applicants’ previous consideration of studying in other countries and a doctoral applicant’s inability to identify course modules that did not exist for the research degree.
The UK Home Office said international students made a positive contribution to the country but maintained that universities’ recruitment practices must not undermine the immigration system.
It added that it was supporting institutions where necessary to improve their recruitment practices.
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