Why UK varsities are cancelling Nigerians’ admission — Report

UK universities are pulling admission offers from Nigerian students due to a surge in study visa refusals and concerns over stricter immigration rules. According to a report by The Financial Times, 22.7% of UK study visa applications from Nigerians were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, a sharp increase from 4.5% in the same period last year.

The UK government has tightened rules for universities sponsoring international students, with institutions facing the risk of being barred from recruiting overseas students if more than 5% of them have their visa applications rejected. Universities have been withdrawing admission offers to avoid breaching compliance thresholds, with visa refusals doubling compared to the previous year.

The trend has also affected applicants from other countries, with Pakistan seeing an increase from 3% to 40.9%, Bangladesh from 7.1% to 23.5%, and India from 1.2% to 5.2%. Some universities have even suspended recruitment from Pakistan entirely. Universities UK International, which represents institutions recruiting overseas students, acknowledges the need to maintain confidence in the immigration system but criticizes the unpredictability of visa processing, stating that many refusals are based on flawed and subjective reasoning.

The pressure on UK universities, which rely heavily on tuition fees from international students, could lead to job losses, course closures, and campus closures. The Home Office maintains that international students contribute positively to Britain but insists that recruitment must not undermine the country's immigration system, offering universities support to improve recruitment practices.