UK wants visa refusal rate to be low, hence universities are not allowing many international students to reach visa level by withdrawing their offer.
In a new rule since June 1, institutions have been required to keep visa refusals rate below 5% — down from 10%. Professor Steven McGuire, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, told the FT that the university began withdrawing offers from applicants in certain countries towards the end of 2025 after refusals increased significantly.
universities said the main driver had been an increase in their revoking offers While visa applications can be withdrawn for other reasons. Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, told the FT that the unexpected rise in refusals had prompted universities to take pre-emptive action, including reducing recruitment from markets facing greater scrutiny. 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.
Universities that repeatedly fail to meet the thresholds can face enforcement action and then lose their student sponsor licence. Basically, the UK government wants universities to have fewer student visa refusals. Some universities, worried about breaching the new threshold, are responding by withdrawing admission offers from applicants they think might be refused visas. International students are only able to apply for a study visa after receiving an offer from a university, meaning the visa application is withdrawn if the offer is later revoked. The UK government, however, maintains that tighter oversight is necessary to prevent abuse of the immigration system. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.