Several UK universities have suspended or restricted admissions of students from Pakistan and Bangladesh following stricter immigration rules introduced by the Home Office and growing concerns over alleged visa abuse, the Financial times has reported.
At least nine higher education institutions have placed the two countries in a “high risk” category for student visas and have tightened their enrollment policies to protect their ability to sponsor international applicants, according to the report released Thursday.
The move follows a rise in asylum claims made by international students, prompting UK ministers to warn that the study route “should not be used as a back door” to a deal.
Among the universities taking action, the University of Chester suspended recruitment in Pakistan until autumn 2026, citing a “recent and unexpected increase in visa refusals”.
The University of Wolverhampton is not accepting undergraduate applications from either Pakistan or Bangladesh, while the University of East London has completely suspended the recruitment of students from Pakistan.
Other institutions, including Sunderland, Coventry, Hertfordshire, Oxford Brookes, Glasgow Caledonian and private provider BPP University, have also paused or reduced admissions from the two countries under what they describe as risk mitigation measures.
The restrictions come after a regulatory reform that took effect in September, reducing the maximum visa denial rate allowed for institutions that sponsor international students from 10 percent to 5 percent.
However, student visa application rejection rates from Pakistan and Bangladesh stand at 18% and 22% respectively, far exceeding the new limit. FOOT reported.
Together, applicants from the two countries account for half of the 23,036 student visa refusals recorded by the Home Office in the year to September 2025.
Asylum claims from both nationalities have also increased, many relating to students who first entered the UK on study or work visas.
International higher education consultant Vincenzo Raimo said FOOT The crackdown had created a “real dilemma” for lower-fee universities that relied heavily on overseas enrollments. He warned that even a limited number of problematic cases could jeopardize compliance with the stricter thresholds.
The measures have caused frustration among educational advisors. Maryem Abbas, founder of Lahore-based Edvance Advisors, described the decisions as “heartbreaking” for genuine students whose applications were rejected at the final stage.
He argued that weak supervision by recruitment agents had contributed to increased misuse of the student route, turning it into a “money-making business”.
Universities UK International said some institutions would need to diversify international recruitment and strengthen application controls to retain their sponsorship rights. While the new rules may be “challenging”, he said they were essential to maintaining confidence in the system.
A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior said FOOT that the government “strongly values” international students but is tightening rules to ensure those coming to Britain are genuine and that education providers meet their responsibilities.
