UK Universities Withdraw Admission Offers to Nigerians, Others over Visa Crackdown

The United Kingdom's universities have withdrawn admission offers to international students, including Nigerians and Pakistanis, due to a surge in visa refusals, according to the Financial Times. In the first half of 2026, 22.7% of Nigerian study visa applications were withdrawn, up from 4.5% in the same period of 2025. Pakistani applicants saw a sharp increase from 3% to 40.9%, while Bangladesh's rate rose from 7.1% to 23.5%.

Overall, withdrawn applications rose to 10.5% in the first half of 2026, up from 2.3% the previous year. Universities cited a doubling of student visa refusals and stricter rules that put institutions at risk of losing their licenses to recruit international students if more than five percent of applicants with offers have their visa applications rejected.

About 15 universities are believed to have suspended recruitment from Pakistan, as refusal rates approached 50% at several institutions. The University of Sunderland's Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell, stated that the spike in visa refusals prompted universities to withdraw offers preemptively to avoid breaching compliance thresholds.

Director of Universities UK International, Jamie Arrowsmith, warned that visa processing has become unpredictable, with many refusals based on flawed, inconsistent, and highly subjective reasoning. Universities have expressed concerns about the financial impact, as declining international applications and growing competition for overseas students pose challenges.

Some refusals were deemed "arbitrary and ill-informed," with examples including applicants rejected for not knowing the location of their study institution. The Home Office emphasized that international students contribute positively to Britain but stressed the need for responsible recruitment to protect the integrity of the immigration system.