UK universities are shutting their doors to students from Bangladesh and Pakistan

The Financial Times reported on Thursday (4 December) that concerns over visa misuse and strict rules from the Home Office have led UK universities to effectively shut their doors to applicants from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

At least nine higher education institutions in the country have limited admissions from “high-risk” countries. They said they are under increased pressure to ensure the enrollment of genuine students.

The decision comes in response to a rise in asylum applications among foreign students.

As a result, Minister for Border Security Dame Angela Eagle warned that the visa system “cannot be used as a backdoor to permanent residence in Britain.”

According to the Financial Times, among the universities that have introduced changes is the University of Chester, which has suspended admissions from Pakistan until autumn 2026, citing a “recent and unexpected rise in visa refusals.”

The University of Wolverhampton has stopped accepting undergraduate applications from Pakistan and Bangladesh, while the University of East London has suspended admissions from Pakistan.

Additionally, Sunderland and Coventry universities have also suspended admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The University of Sunderland stated that it will “make no apology” for taking a firm stance in the interest of preserving the “integrity of the student visa system.”

Earlier this year, the UK Home Office modified three “Basic Compliance Assessment” (BCA) thresholds, which universities must meet to retain their student sponsor licenses.

The reforms are part of a broader shift in the UK’s immigration policy, aimed at preventing system misuse and reducing net migration—now at its lowest level in four years.

Under the new rules effective from September, UK universities must ensure that no more than 5 percent of their visa applications are rejected, down from the previous threshold of 10 percent.

For the year ending in September 2025, the average visa refusal rates (excluding dependents) for Pakistan and Bangladesh were 18 percent and 22 percent respectively—far above the new limit.

These two countries accounted for half of the 23,036 applications rejected by the Home Office during that period.

Asylum applications have also increased among Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals—most of whom originally entered the UK on work or study visas.

International higher education consultant Vincenzo Raimo said the crackdown has created a “real crisis” for low-fee-dependent universities that heavily rely on international enrollments.

He said, “Even a small number of problematic cases can threaten a university’s ability to meet BCA thresholds.”

Several other universities have also revised their admission policies.

The University of Hertfordshire—placed under an “action plan” by the Home Office involving stricter compliance checks—has suspended admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh until September 2026, citing “long visa processing times.”

In a memo seen by the Financial Times, Glasgow Caledonian University—also under an action plan—told staff in July that “temporary changes” were needed in its international student recruitment. It warned that doing nothing was “not an option” under the new “tighter” indicators.

Although it paused admissions to several courses for the September session, a spokesperson said admissions have been reopened for the January intake.

Oxford Brookes University has suspended undergraduate admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh for courses starting in January 2026, citing “visa processing times.” It stated that applications for the September intake will reopen.

BPP University, a private institution, has temporarily halted admissions from Pakistan as part of a “risk-mitigation” strategy.

Last summer, London Metropolitan University confirmed that it had stopped admissions from Bangladesh, stating that the country accounted for 60 percent of its total visa refusals.

According to government data released in May, 22 higher education institutions would fail to meet at least one of the new strict BCA criteria.

Seventeen of the at-risk institutions have increased compliance to retain student-sponsor rights, but five will lose that right for at least one year—affecting an estimated 12,000 international students.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said some institutions will need to diversify their student sources and improve application and deposit processes to comply with the new rules.

He said that although the tightening of regulations may be “challenging for many universities,” the measures are necessary to maintain public confidence.

The Home Office said it “highly values international students,” adding, “That is why we are tightening the rules, to ensure those who come here are genuine students and that education providers take their responsibilities seriously.”