British universities are tightening admission criteria for Bangladeshi applicants as part of a broader crackdown on student visas

Several UK universities have begun restricting student recruitment from Bangladesh as tougher Home Office rules and concerns over visa misuse compel institutions to tighten their international admissions, the Financial Times reports.

At least nine universities have imposed caps on student intake from what they classify as “high-risk” countries, with Bangladeshi applicants among the most affected. The move comes as universities face increased pressure to ensure they admit only credible students under stricter immigration regulations.

The University of Wolverhampton and the University of Sunderland have suspended recruitment from Bangladesh, while Coventry University has adopted similar measures. The University of Chester has halted recruitment from South Asian countries after experiencing a surge in visa refusals.

Under new rules introduced in September, universities must keep their refusal rate for sponsored visa applications below 5%, down from the previous 10%. But visa refusals for Bangladeshi applicants in the year to September 2025 reached 22%, far above the new threshold. Bangladeshi and Pakistani applicants together accounted for half of the 23,036 refusals during the period.

Officials say the crackdown follows a rise in asylum claims from individuals who originally entered the UK on study or work visas. Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle stressed that the student pathway “must not be used as a backdoor” to settlement.

Universities say the situation is increasingly difficult to manage. International higher-education specialist Vincenzo Raimo noted that lower-fee institutions heavily reliant on overseas enrolments face a “real dilemma”, as even a few problematic cases could push them beyond the Home Office limits.

Several other universities have taken precautionary steps. The University of Hertfordshire, placed under a Home Office action plan, has suspended Bangladeshi recruitment until September 2026 due to extended visa processing delays. Glasgow Caledonian University has temporarily paused admissions to a number of programmes under similar compliance pressures.

Oxford Brookes University has stopped accepting Bangladeshi applications for its January 2026 undergraduate intake, with admissions expected to resume for September the same year. London Metropolitan University previously confirmed it had ended recruitment from Bangladesh after the country accounted for 60% of its visa refusals.

Education agents say the new restrictions are leaving many genuine students in limbo. Sector representatives have urged universities to do more to vet the overseas recruitment agencies they work with.

The Home Office maintains that the measures are necessary. While stating that it “strongly values” international students, it insists that visa rules must be upheld to ensure universities admit only genuine applicants.

Similar restrictions have also been imposed on Pakistani applicants, with several universities announcing parallel limits for students from Pakistan.