The Great Britain (UK) has introduced tougher immigration rules that could affect universities recruiting foreign students, including Nigerians.
Under new measures announced by the UK Home Office, universities risk losing their sponsorship licenses if they fail to meet stricter compliance requirements.
The reforms are part of the government’s efforts to combat abuse of the visa system on study, work and tourist routes, which authorities say they have contributed to a rise in asylum applications.
One of the main changes is a reduction in the acceptable rejection rate for student visas. Universities must now keep rejection rates below 5%, down from the previous threshold of 10%.
Institutions will also be required to meet higher performance targets. They must achieve a student enrollment rate of 95% and a course completion rate of 90%, compared to the previous benchmarks of 90% and 85%.
According to the Home Office, the high dropout rates could mean that some students entered the UK for reasons other than education, including participating in the illegal labor market.
Officials added that low enrollment figures and high visa rejection rates may suggest that institutions are not conducting adequate checks on applicants.
The policy builds on earlier visa restrictions imposed on applicants from countries including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
The UK government also revealed that asylum applications from international students have fallen by 30% following recent enforcement measures.
In addition, authorities revealed that around 306,000 students with expired or expired visas have been warned to leave the UK or face removal if they make what the government describes as unfounded asylum claims.
The latest measures signal a continuation of the UK government’s push to tighten immigration controls, with universities expected to meet stricter standards or risk losing the right to sponsor international students.
