LONDON: A growing number of UK universities have stopped accepting students from Pakistan and Bangladesh due to rising concerns over visa abuse and stricter Home Office compliance requirements, according to multiple reports.
At least nine universities have introduced restrictions on applicants from what they now classify as “high-risk” countries. The shift comes after a surge in asylum claims from international students, prompting Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle to warn that the UK student visa system “must not be used as a backdoor” to settlement.
Recent data shows Pakistan had the highest number of asylum seekers entering the UK last year.
Among the institutions taking action, the University of Chester has suspended recruitment from Pakistan until autumn 2026, citing an “unexpected rise in visa refusals.” The University of Wolverhampton has stopped accepting undergraduate applications from both Pakistan and Bangladesh, while the University of East London has temporarily halted recruitment from Pakistan.
Other universities — including Sunderland and Coventry — have also paused admissions from both countries, citing concerns over compliance.
The moves follow major changes introduced by the Home Office earlier this year. Under the new rules, UK universities must ensure their student visa refusal rate does not exceed 5 percent — down from the previous limit of 10 percent. But current refusal rates for Pakistan (18%) and Bangladesh (22%) far surpass the new threshold.
The two countries also account for half of all visa refusals — 23,036 cases — in the year up to September 2025. Additionally, asylum claims from Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals have risen sharply, many of whom originally entered on study or work visas.
A number of universities have been placed under Home Office action plans requiring stronger vetting. Among them, the University of Hertfordshire has suspended recruitment from Pakistan and Bangladesh until September 2026, and Glasgow Caledonian University has temporarily restricted its international intake while adjusting to “stringent” new compliance metrics.
Oxford Brookes has paused recruitment from both countries for its January 2026 intake, and BPP University has temporarily halted admissions from Pakistan as part of what it calls “risk mitigation.” London Metropolitan University confirmed it has stopped recruiting from Bangladesh altogether after the country accounted for 60 percent of its visa refusals.
The crackdown is creating significant distress for genuine students, said Maryem Abbas, founder of Lahore-based Edvance Advisors. She criticised UK institutions for relying on overseas recruitment agents who “don’t really care” about student outcomes, calling the sector a “moneymaking business” that often fuels the very misuse universities now aim to curb.
According to official estimates, 22 higher education institutions risk failing at least one of the tightened compliance criteria. Five are expected to lose their ability to sponsor foreign students for at least a year, affecting an estimated 12,000 international applicants.
Jamie Arrowsmith of Universities UK International said institutions must diversify their international intake and strengthen their scrutiny processes to adapt. While the stricter rules may pose challenges, he argued they are necessary to maintain public confidence in the immigration system.
The Home Office maintains it “strongly values” international students but insists tougher measures are essential to ensure only genuine applicants enter the country and that universities uphold their responsibilities.
