UK universities clamp down on Pakistani applicants amid rising visa fraud and abuse

London [UK], December 5 : In a move that has sparked outrage among aspiring students, several British universities have halted or restricted admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh, citing rising visa misuse and mounting pressure from the UK Home Office to curb fraudulent applications.
At least nine universities have suspended recruitment from what officials describe as "high-risk" countries following an alarming increase in asylum claims from international students, as reported by The Financial Times.
According to The Financial Times, the University of Chester has announced a suspension of student recruitment from Pakistan until autumn 2026, citing a "sudden surge in visa refusals." The University of Wolverhampton and the University of East London have also stopped accepting undergraduate applications from Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals.
Meanwhile, Sunderland and Coventry universities have introduced similar restrictions to uphold what they term the "integrity" of the UK's student visa framework. This sweeping crackdown follows the UK government's tightening of its Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) thresholds, which determine an institution's eligibility to sponsor international students.
Under the revised rules, universities must ensure that fewer than 5 per cent of their visa applications are refused, a sharp drop from the previous 10 per cent. However, visa rejection rates for Pakistan and Bangladesh stand at worrying 18 and 22 per cent, respectively, significantly exceeding the new limits.
Other institutions, including Glasgow Caledonian, Oxford Brookes, Hertfordshire, BPP University, and London Metropolitan, have also suspended recruitment from these countries, citing "long visa processing times" and "compliance risks." London Metropolitan University revealed that Bangladeshi applicants alone accounted for 60 per cent of its visa refusals, as cited by The Financial Times.
Education consultant Maryem Abbas stated that these policies were "heartbreaking" for genuine students whose dreams of studying in the UK were abruptly derailed. She blamed both British universities and Pakistani agencies for creating a profit-driven system that encourages dubious applications. While the Home Office insists it "strongly values" international students, it maintains that the stricter regulations are essential to prevent the visa system from being used as a "backdoor to migration," as reported by The Financial Times.