UK universities withdraw admission offers to Indian students as visa refusals rise: Report

Universities in the United Kingdom (UK) are withdrawing admission offers to Indian students, including those from other countries amid the concerns that rising student visa refusals could put their licences to recruit international students at risk, the Financial Times reported.

The admission withdrawal is a pre-emptive measure to avoid exceeding new UK government visa refusal rate thresholds, the report said.

“UK wants visa refusal rate to be low, hence universities are not allowing many international students to reach visa level by withdrawing their offer,” the report read.

The decision follows a UK government rule introduced on June 1 that requires universities to keep student visa refusal below 5%, down from the previous threshold of 10%, it added.

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UK student visa rules for International applicants

Institutions that repeatedly fail to meet the prescribed threshold could face enforcement action and risk losing their student sponsor licences, it said.

The proportion of withdrawn study visa applications from Indian applicants increased to 5.2% in the first half of 2026, up from 1.2% during the corresponding period in 2025, the report cited analysis of UK Home office data.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, said in the report that the unexpected rise in refusals had prompted universities to take pre-emptive action, including reducing recruitment from markets facing greater scrutiny.

Steven McGuire, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, stated in the report that the university began withdrawing offers from applicants in certain countries towards the end of 2025 after refusals increased significantly.

The UK government, however, maintains that tighter oversight is necessary to prevent abuse of the immigration system, it said.

Migration and citizenship minister Mike Tapp has said the country will continue to welcome genuine international students but that the student visa route must not be used as a means of accessing asylum or illegal employment, it added.