UK universities withdraw offers to Nigerian students amid visa crackdown

UK universities are increasingly withdrawing admission offers to Nigerian students amid a sharp rise in study visa refusals and tougher immigration rules governing international recruitment.

According to the PUNCH Online, 22.7 per cent of Nigerian study visa applications were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, compared with 4.5 per cent during the same period in 2025.

Universities now risk being barred from recruiting international students if more than five per cent of applicants they sponsor have visas refused, down from the previous 10 per cent threshold.

University of Sunderland Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell said: “The recent and unexpected spike in visa refusals has prompted pre-emptive action in several universities.”

Universities UK International director Jamie Arrowsmith added: “Many refusals appear to rest on flawed, inconsistent and highly subjective reasoning, forcing universities to withdraw offers at scale to avoid breaching compliance thresholds.”

Pakistan recorded a 40.9 per cent withdrawal rate, while Bangladesh reached 23.5 per cent.