A tougher approach by the UK Home Office towards international student
visa applicants is leading to prolonged waiting times and higher refusal rates,
raising serious concerns across the higher education sector. University leaders
and education agents warn that growing UK student visa delays could damage
institutional finances and undermine the country’s appeal as a global study
destination.
The Home Office says that it usually takes three weeks to process a
student visa, but university officials say this estimate is becoming less and
less accurate. Some applicants from certain countries are reportedly waiting
much longer, and some have missed their planned January 2026 intake entirely
because decisions were delayed.
Education agents say that despite students following all required
procedures, UK student visa delays have disrupted study plans. Sushil Sukhwani,
director of Indian education agency Edwise, said several students who had
complied fully with pre-application requirements were unable to secure visas in
time for the January start.
University staff and agents say that delays are not the same in all
areas. It seems that applicants from Pakistan are having to wait much longer
than they did in previous years. An anonymous university employee said that the
situation has led to late visa decisions, missed intakes, and schools adding
more pre-Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) checks and earlier
deadlines to lower the risk.
Alongside UK student visa delays, universities are also seeing higher
refusal rates, especially for the January 2026 intake. Staff say there is
growing uncertainty about how UK Visas and Immigration assesses whether an
applicant qualifies as a “genuine student.”
Gary Davies, the deputy vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan
University, said that more and more applicants are being asked to come in for
credibility interviews. He said, "That is where most of the refusals are
coming from."
Davies also said that some universities seem to do more credibility
checks on applicants than others, which makes things inconsistent across the
board. Students are sometimes asked very specific and subjective questions,
like why they chose one module over another. Davies called these questions
"almost impossible to answer."
Last year, the Home Office said that it had done more credibility
interviews than ever before as part of its efforts to cut down on student visa
asylum claims. Officials say that more checks are needed to stop people from
abusing the immigration system.
A Home Office spokesperson said all applications are assessed on
individual merit and that UK student visa delays can occur when further checks
or information are required. “This helps prevent abuse of the immigration
system and non-genuine students,” the spokesperson said.
As universities get ready for stricter compliance metrics, the visa
situation is getting worse. Institutions must make sure that fewer than 5% of
their international applicants are denied visas, down from the previous 10%
threshold. New rules are expected to be published soon.
If universities don't meet the new standard, they might not be able to
recruit international students at all. Leaders in the field say the rule is
unfair because the Home Office makes all the decisions about refusals, so
universities have little say or visibility.
Davies said, "We're seeing more refusals across the board at the
same time they're about to cut the refusal rate in half." "That's
making people very anxious."
New information shows that the number of study visa applications in
January is at its lowest point in four years. The number of international
students is going down, which is already putting a lot of financial strain on
UK universities because they depend on tuition fees from students from other
countries.
Facing tighter compliance rules and ongoing UK student visa delays, some
institutions have paused recruitment from countries with higher refusal rates,
while others may be forced to reduce international student intake altogether.
“I feel like we’ve gone back to a culture of hostility,” Davies said.
“It’s creating a perfect storm for the sector.”
As universities await clarity on enforcement and policy direction,
concerns remain that prolonged UK student visa delays could have lasting
consequences for the UK’s global education reputation.
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