UK universities are withdrawing admission offers to Nigerian students amid a sharp increase in study visa application withdrawals and tougher immigration compliance rules, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The newspaper reported on Saturday that 22.7 per cent of UK study visa applications from Nigerians were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, compared with 4.5 per cent during the same period in 2025.
The increase comes as the British government tightens the requirements for universities sponsoring international students, exposing institutions to restrictions on overseas recruitment if their visa refusal rates exceed five per cent.
The threshold was previously 10 per cent.
According to the Financial Times, universities have increasingly withdrawn admission offers following a doubling of study visa refusals by the UK Home Office in the first six months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year.
Although applications may be withdrawn for different reasons, universities told the newspaper that institutions were revoking offers to avoid exceeding the government’s compliance threshold.
The trend extends beyond Nigeria. The proportion of study visa applications withdrawn by prospective students from Pakistan rose from three per cent in the first half of 2025 to 40.9 per cent in the corresponding period of 2026.
For Bangladesh, the rate increased from 7.1 per cent to 23.5 per cent, while India’s rose from 1.2 per cent to 5.2 per cent.
The report also said about 15 universities were believed to have suspended recruitment from Pakistan entirely this year, citing figures from the higher education sector.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, Sir David Bell, said the sudden increase in visa refusals had forced institutions to take preventive action.
“The recent and unexpected spike in visa refusals has prompted pre-emptive action in several universities,” he said.
“This has involved pulling back from international markets where a tougher approach is being taken to visa applications.”
However, Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, criticised the unpredictability of visa decisions, warning that institutions were being forced to withdraw offers to protect their recruitment status.
“Many refusals appear to rest on flawed, inconsistent and highly subjective reasoning, forcing universities to withdraw offers at scale to avoid breaching compliance thresholds,” he said.
The uncertainty has also raised concerns about the financial stability of British universities, many of which depend heavily on tuition fees paid by international students.
Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, which represents 20 professional and technical universities, warned that the situation could trigger job losses and campus closures.
“This is going to result in restructures, which inevitably results in job losses, course closures, campus closures,” she said.
The Financial Times further reported that some universities had questioned the grounds for visa refusals, including cases in which applicants had previously considered studying in other countries.
In another case, a doctoral applicant was reportedly questioned about course modules that did not exist for the research degree.
The UK Home Office said international students made a positive contribution to Britain but maintained that overseas recruitment must not undermine the country’s immigration system.
The department added that it was providing support to universities where necessary to improve their recruitment practices.
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