At least nine British universities – including Chester, Wolverhampton, East London and Glasgow Caledonian – have quietly paused or severely restricted new intakes from Pakistan and Bangladesh after a sharp rise in student-visa refusals, the Financial Express reported on 5 December. Internal memos cite Home Office pressure to curb perceived ‘high-risk’ cohorts and protect the integrity of the student-route.
Average refusal rates for applicants from the two South Asian countries hit 18 per cent (Pakistan) and 22 per cent (Bangladesh) in the year to September 2025, well above the 5 per cent benchmark set by the Home Office’s new compliance regime. Under rules introduced in July, institutions whose refusal rates exceed 10 per cent risk enhanced audits, restricted Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) quotas and, ultimately, loss of sponsorship licences.
![Nine UK universities suspend recruitment from Pakistan and Bangladesh amid visa-refusal surge]()
Several universities say the suspension is temporary while they strengthen pre-CAS credibility interviews and financial-document checks. Others point to protracted UKVI processing times that jeopardise enrolment deadlines and accommodation bookings, driving last-minute deferrals.
The clampdown follows broader migration reforms that prevented most postgraduate taught students from bringing dependants from January 2024 and raised maintenance-fund thresholds. Pakistani and Bangladeshi education agents warn that blanket suspensions risk pushing prospective students to competitor destinations such as Australia and Canada.
Corporate employers that rely on the Graduate route to source early-career tech and engineering talent should expect tighter supply from these markets and may need to expand campus-hiring outreach to alternative source countries.
Average refusal rates for applicants from the two South Asian countries hit 18 per cent (Pakistan) and 22 per cent (Bangladesh) in the year to September 2025, well above the 5 per cent benchmark set by the Home Office’s new compliance regime. Under rules introduced in July, institutions whose refusal rates exceed 10 per cent risk enhanced audits, restricted Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) quotas and, ultimately, loss of sponsorship licences.
Several universities say the suspension is temporary while they strengthen pre-CAS credibility interviews and financial-document checks. Others point to protracted UKVI processing times that jeopardise enrolment deadlines and accommodation bookings, driving last-minute deferrals.
The clampdown follows broader migration reforms that prevented most postgraduate taught students from bringing dependants from January 2024 and raised maintenance-fund thresholds. Pakistani and Bangladeshi education agents warn that blanket suspensions risk pushing prospective students to competitor destinations such as Australia and Canada.
Corporate employers that rely on the Graduate route to source early-career tech and engineering talent should expect tighter supply from these markets and may need to expand campus-hiring outreach to alternative source countries.
