- The Home Office has unveiled new reforms that could revoke universities' rights to recruit international students if high drop-out rates suggest visa abuse, aiming to tighten controls on those using study visas as a route to asylum.
- New sponsorship rules require universities to achieve a minimum 90 per cent course completion rate and a 95 per cent course enrolment rate for international students, an increase from previous thresholds of 85 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.
- From summer 2027, a traffic light rating system will be introduced for universities; those rated 'red' will face restrictions on student recruitment and must fund a 12-month action plan, with the ultimate risk of losing their sponsorship rights if improvements are not made.
- In the year up to March 2026, 10,835 individuals on study visas claimed asylum in the UK, though the Home Office reported a 30 per cent decrease in student asylum claims over the last year.
- Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp emphasised that while genuine international students are welcome, the visa system must not be exploited as a 'backdoor to asylum', a view supported by Universities UK which also highlighted the £37 billion economic contribution of international students.
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