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There is no official red list yet. Since 1 June 2026 UKVI rates each university green, amber or red on its visa refusal and enrolment rates. A red rating brings an action plan of at least 12 months and a CAS cut of at least 10%. Ratings go public once every university has one. Checked 14 October 2026.

UKVI ratings, live since 1 June 2026

Red List UK Universities 2026: What a UKVI Red Rating Means

Lists of “red” universities are circulating among students in Nepal. None of them is official. This is what a red rating actually is, what it does to a university, and what it means for you at each stage of an application, from the Home Office’s own guidance.

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HOA’s own explanation of published Home Office rules. It is not a UKVI list, it names no university as green, amber or red, and it is admissions guidance, not immigration advice.

By Rahul Chhetri, Director, House of Admissions. Updated .

Rules checked against the Home Office’s Student sponsor compliance guidance on .

The three bands, from the Home Office’s own table

Student sponsor compliance, paragraph 2.28. A university’s rating is its worst metric, not an average.

MetricGreen AmberRed
Visa refusal rate<4%4% to <5%5% or more
Enrolment rate96% or more95% to <96%<95%
Course completion rate*92% or more90% to <92%<90%

*Completion is not part of a university’s first rating. It counts from assessments made on or after 1 June 2027. Checked 14 October 2026.

Is There an Official Red List of UK Universities?

No. No official red list exists yet, and nobody outside UKVI and each university knows which universities are red. Since 1 June 2026 the Home Office rates every university that sponsors international students green, amber or red at its yearly Basic Compliance Assessment. A university is red if its visa refusal rate is 5% or more, or its enrolment rate is under 95%. From assessments made on or after 1 June 2027, a completion rate under 90% also counts.

A red rating means an action plan of at least 12 months, a cut of at least 10% in the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) the university can issue, and a final warning: a second red within the next five assessments puts its licence at risk. UKVI publishes ratings only once every university has had its first one, so any “red list” you see today is a guess. This page names no university as red.

The facts at a glance

Checked against the sources cited on 14 October 2026.

Red if
Visa refusal rate 5% or more, or enrolment rate under 95%. Completion under 90% counts from assessments made on or after 1 June 2027.Home Office, Student sponsor compliance, para 2.28
How it is decided
By the worst of the metrics, not an average. One red metric makes the university red.Student sponsor compliance, para 2.29
First red rating
An action plan of at least 12 months, and a CAS cut of at least 10% of the previous year’s use, with no maximum.Student sponsor compliance, paras 2.44 and 2.45
Final warning
Lasts for the next five assessments. A second red in that time, or two red metrics at once, is treated as a serious breach and UKVI says it intends to revoke the licence.Student sponsor compliance, paras 2.46, 2.51 and 2.52
When ratings go public
Only after every sponsor has had its first rating. All first ratings are then put on the register together.Student sponsor compliance, para 2.87
Nepal’s refusal rate
4.6% in the year to June 2026, or 5.8% counting withdrawn applications, against 4.9% UK-wide. A national average, not a university’s rating.Home Office statistics, compiled by The PIE News
A withdrawn CAS
If a university withdraws a CAS before the visa decision, that CAS is left out of its refusal rate.Student sponsor compliance, para 2.19
Your visa
A rating applies to the university. GOV.UK’s guidance for students covers a suspended or revoked licence, not a rating.GOV.UK, If your education provider loses its licence
If a licence is revoked
You may be able to finish a limited “teach-out”. If your visa is then cancelled you have 60 days, or the time left if shorter, to find a new sponsor or leave.GOV.UK, If your education provider loses its licence

When Will UKVI Publish University Ratings?

Each university is rated at its own Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA), which falls due at a different point in the year for each one. The university is told its rating in a BCA Outcome Notice and has 20 working days to make representations. Normally the rating then appears on the register of licensed sponsors and stays there until the next assessment.

The first year is different. The Home Office’s guidance says no individual rating will be published until every sponsor has received its first one, and all of them will then be uploaded at the same time. Because assessments fall due across the year from 1 June 2026, HOA does not expect a public list before summer 2027.

So what are the “red lists” being shared now? Guesses. Some are built from news about action plans, some from visa refusal stories, some from nothing at all. A university can be on an action plan for a sponsor-duty issue and still be rated green, and the reverse. Treat any named list as unofficial until the register shows ratings.

Why UK Universities Are Withdrawing Offers and CAS in 2026

The red line is a 5% visa refusal rate. In the year to June 2026 the refusal rate for UK study visas across all countries was 4.9%, so many universities are working close to that line, and some are acting early to stay under it. These are the Home Office’s own figures for the main source countries, Nepal included.

Sponsored study visa outcomes by nationality, year to June 2026. Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026, as compiled by The PIE News, 5 October 2026. National averages across all universities, not ratings.

NationalityVisas issuedRefusedWithdrawnRefusal rateCounting withdrawals
All countries383,45519,60811,5004.9%7.5%
Nepal17,1508272314.6%5.8%
India83,9583,8461,7314.4%6.2%
Nigeria33,0804,3442,96411.6%18.1%
Bangladesh10,0211,63580814.0%19.6%
Pakistan21,3274,7783,59418.3%28.2%

Two things that matter for students from Nepal

  • Nepal’s average sits between the green and red lines. At 4.6%, it is under the 5% red threshold but over the 4% green one. That is an average across every university, not a rating: a university’s own rate counts every CAS it used, from every country.
  • A withdrawn CAS does not count against the university. Under paragraph 2.19 of the Home Office’s guidance, a CAS the university withdraws before the visa decision is left out of its refusal rate. The PIE News reported on 5 October 2026 that some universities now act as soon as an applicant is invited to a UKVI credibility interview, and that the student is usually asked to withdraw the application themselves.

Withdrawals have risen sharply across the sector. A Financial Times analysis of Home Office data, reported on 11 October 2026, found that 10.5% of study visa applications were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, against 2.3% a year earlier, led by Pakistan (40.9%), Bangladesh (23.5%) and Nigeria (22.7%). About 15 universities are believed to have paused recruitment from Pakistan. Nepal was not named in that reporting.

Applying from Nepal? Four things to do now.

  • Ask the university in writing what it does if you are invited to a credibility interview, and what happens to your deposit if it withdraws your CAS.
  • Prepare for the credibility interview before you apply, not after the invitation arrives. A mock interview helps.
  • If a university asks you to withdraw your visa application, ask for the request and its reasons in writing, and talk to a counsellor before you act.
  • Keep a second offer open, so one withdrawn CAS cannot cost you the intake.

What Puts a University in the Red?

Three numbers, each measured over the 12 months before the assessment. One of them in the red band is enough.

The red thresholds and what each metric measures, from the Home Office’s Student sponsor compliance guidance (paras 2.16 to 2.28), checked 14 October 2026.

MetricRed ifWhat it counts
Visa refusal rate5% or moreStudent visa applications made with the university’s CAS that were refused, out of all CAS it used
Enrolment rateUnder 95%Students granted a visa with its CAS who then actually enrolled
Course completion rateUnder 90%, from assessments made on or after 1 June 2027Students due to finish in the period who completed. Not part of the first rating

Why this matters to students from Nepal. Every refusal of a student who used a university’s CAS counts against that university, wherever the student applied from. A university close to the 5% line therefore has a direct reason to check applicants more carefully before it issues a CAS. A strong, well-documented application protects your own visa and is exactly what such a university wants to see: 28-day funds, an account at any of Nepal’s 20 Class A commercial banks, and interview preparation.

What Happens When a University Is Rated Red?

In order, as the Home Office’s guidance sets it out.

  1. The university is told, and can challenge the data. It has 20 working days to make representations, for example if students were wrongly counted.Paras 2.30 to 2.36
  2. An action plan of at least 12 months. UKVI sets out what must change.Para 2.44
  3. Fewer CAS. The next allocation is cut by at least 10% of the previous year’s use. There is no maximum: the size of the cut is decided case by case.Para 2.45
  4. A final warning for the next five assessments. The university must not be rated red again in that time. Some privileges, such as assessing applicants’ English itself, may be restricted.Paras 2.46 to 2.50
  5. A second red, or two red metrics at once, is a serious breach. UKVI says it intends to revoke the licence and usually removes the university from the register while it decides.Paras 2.51 to 2.55
  6. Revocation, unless the university shows it met the requirements or exceptional circumstances apply. There is no right of appeal.Paras 2.57 to 2.60

Small numbers are treated differently. Where fewer than 100 students were counted in a metric, a university that is not green may get a discretionary assessment, which can move a red to amber or green. A red rating also does not stop UKVI taking other compliance action for other reasons.

What a Red Rating Means for You, Stage by Stage

A rating is about the university’s licence, not your visa. It does not cancel a visa or a CAS on its own. What it changes is how many CAS the university can issue, and how carefully it is likely to issue them.

What a red rating can mean at each stage, and what to do. Based on the Home Office’s rules for sponsors and GOV.UK’s guidance for students.

Where you areWhat can happenWhat to do
ShortlistingYou cannot see ratings yetCheck the register and GOV.UK notices, and keep a second choice
Offer, no deposit paidCAS places may be fewer and deadlines earlierAsk the university in writing for its CAS deadline for your intake
Deposit paid, waiting for a CASA CAS is not guaranteed if the allocation runs outRead the refund terms for “CAS not issued” and “visa refused” before paying more
CAS issued, visa appliedYour application is decided on its own meritsNothing changes. Make sure your documents are complete
Studying in the UKNo change while the university keeps its licenceKeep attending. Know the revocation rules below, just in case

Red Rating, Suspension, Revocation: What Is the Difference?

They are three different things, and only the last two are made public as they happen.

Student sponsor licence actions against UK higher education providers published by the Home Office on GOV.UK in 2026, as of 14 October 2026. Neither is a rating. The register of licensed sponsors is the complete record of who can sponsor students.

ProviderActionDatePublished reason
Bloomsbury InstituteLicence revoked5 August 2026Failed its Basic Compliance Assessment
Buckinghamshire New UniversityLicence suspended30 September 2026Concerns about its sponsor duties, under investigation
  • Red rating: the result of the yearly assessment. The university keeps its licence and can still issue CAS, in smaller numbers.
  • Suspension: the university is taken off the register while the Home Office investigates. It cannot issue new CAS. Buckinghamshire New University’s licence was suspended on 30 September 2026 over concerns about its sponsor duties; that is not a rating. Follow the BNU case.
  • Revocation: the licence is withdrawn. The Home Office revoked Bloomsbury Institute’s licence on 5 August 2026 after it failed its Basic Compliance Assessment.

If your university loses its licence while you are studying

  • You may be able to keep studying for a limited “teach-out” period, which the university sets.
  • If your visa is then cancelled, you have 60 days, or the time left on your visa if shorter, to find a new sponsor and apply, or leave the UK.
  • Moving to a new university because your sponsor lost its licence is exempt from the academic progression rule (Appendix Student, ST 14.4), so a course at the same level is allowed.
  • From outside the UK, before you start: your visa may be cancelled straight away, and GOV.UK says the visa fee and health surcharge are not refunded.

Studying in the UK and worried about your university? Message HOA’s UK line. It is free, and we will tell you if the right answer is to do nothing.

+44 7770 988491

Work Out a Rating From the Three Rates

Enter the three rates to see which band the Home Office’s table gives. It shows how the rules work. It cannot look up a real university: no university’s rates or rating are public.

Bands from Student sponsor compliance, paragraph 2.28; the worst metric decides (2.29); completion is not part of the first rating (2.88). Universities with fewer than 100 students in a metric may be moved up by a discretionary assessment (2.74).

How to Check a University Before You Pay a Deposit

You cannot look up a rating yet. You can check everything that is public, and ask the university the questions that matter. It takes about an hour.

  1. Search the register of licensed sponsors

    Download the latest register of licensed sponsors: students from GOV.UK and search for the university. A suspended university is removed from it.

  2. Look for Home Office notices

    Search GOV.UK for the university’s name with “sponsor licence”. Suspensions and revocations are published there.

  3. Ask the university four questions in writing

    What is the CAS deadline for my intake? Is CAS availability limited this year? What happens if I am invited to a credibility interview? What happens to my deposit if no CAS is issued, or it is withdrawn? Keep the reply.

  4. Read the deposit refund terms

    Look for what happens if your visa is refused, if no CAS is issued, and if you withdraw. Pay only what you must until the CAS is in hand.

  5. Make your own application strong

    Hold the maintenance money for 28 days at a regulated bank, prepare for a credibility interview, and get your NOC. A refusal hurts you first, and the university second.

  6. Keep a second offer open

    If the first university’s CAS places run short, a second offer keeps your intake alive.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. UKVI has not published any university’s rating. Under its guidance, first ratings are published only after every sponsor has received one, and all are uploaded together. HOA does not expect a public list before summer 2027. Any named “red list” today is unofficial.

A visa refusal rate of 5% or more, or an enrolment rate under 95%, over the 12 months before its assessment. From assessments made on or after 1 June 2027, a completion rate under 90% also counts. The worst metric decides the rating.

An action plan of at least 12 months, a cut of at least 10% in the CAS it can issue compared with the previous year’s use, and a final warning for the next five assessments. A second red in that time, or two red metrics at once, is treated as a serious breach and UKVI says it intends to revoke the licence.

Yes. A red rating reduces the number of CAS a university can issue; it does not stop it. Places may run out sooner and deadlines may be earlier, so ask the university for its CAS deadline in writing.

No. A rating applies to the university’s licence. Your visa is affected only if the licence is suspended or revoked, and GOV.UK sets out what happens then.

No. A red-rated university keeps its licence. Suspension takes it off the register while the Home Office investigates; revocation withdraws the licence. Buckinghamshire New University was suspended on 30 September 2026, and Bloomsbury Institute’s licence was revoked on 5 August 2026.

You may be able to finish a limited teach-out period. If your visa is then cancelled, you have 60 days, or the time left on your visa if shorter, to find a new sponsor and apply, or leave. A move forced by the loss of a licence is exempt from the academic progression rule.

To keep their visa refusal rate under 5%, the red line since 1 June 2026. A CAS withdrawn before the visa decision is not counted in that rate. A Financial Times analysis reported in October 2026 found 10.5% of study visa applications were withdrawn in the first half of 2026, against 2.3% a year earlier, mostly from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria.

In the year to June 2026, 827 Nepali study visa applications were refused and 17,150 granted: a refusal rate of 4.6%, or 5.8% counting the 231 withdrawn. The rate across all countries was 4.9%. These are Home Office figures, compiled by The PIE News.

The Home Office published the revocation of Bloomsbury Institute’s licence on 5 August 2026, and suspended Buckinghamshire New University’s on 30 September 2026. A suspension is not a revocation. The register of licensed sponsors is the complete, current record.

Ask for the request and its reasons in writing, check what happens to your deposit, and talk to a counsellor before you act. Universities sometimes ask after a credibility interview invitation, because a CAS withdrawn before the decision does not count in their refusal rate. HOA’s advice on this is free.

Yes. The refusal rate counts every refused Student visa application made with the university’s CAS, from any country. That is one reason universities check applicants carefully before issuing a CAS.

The Home Office’s guidance leaves completion out of the first rating. It counts from assessments made on or after 1 June 2027, when the threshold also rises to 90%. A completion rate below 85% still leads to compliance action now.

There is no red list to be on. A pathway college is rated through whichever licence issues its CAS: sometimes the university’s, sometimes the pathway provider’s own. That rating is no more public than any other.

No, and no consultancy does: ratings are sent privately to each university until the first list is published. HOA checks what is public, avoids any university with a suspended or revoked licence, and checks each student’s own application thoroughly.

Yes. It has 20 working days to make representations, for example if students were counted wrongly. A university with fewer than 100 students in a metric may also get a discretionary assessment, which can change a red to amber or green.

The UKVI Rating Guides

Each guide answers one question. Start with the explainer if the ratings are new to you.

Key Terms

RAG rating
The Red, Amber or Green rating UKVI gives each student sponsor at its Basic Compliance Assessment, in force since 1 June 2026.
Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA)
UKVI’s yearly check of a sponsor’s visa refusal, enrolment and completion rates.
Visa refusal rate
Refused Student visa applications made with a sponsor’s CAS, out of all the CAS it used in the 12 months before its assessment.
Action plan
A set of improvements UKVI requires of a sponsor. For a red rating it lasts at least 12 months.
Final warning
Follows a first red rating and lasts for the next five assessments. Another red in that time puts the licence at risk.
Teach-out
A limited period, set by the university, during which current students may continue after a licence is revoked.
CAS
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies: the reference a licensed sponsor issues so a student can apply for a visa.

Sources

Every rule and figure on this page was checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. If GOV.UK and this page ever disagree, GOV.UK is right.

  1. Home Office, Student sponsor compliance (updated 1 June 2026)
  2. Home Office, Student sponsor guidance: all documents
  3. Home Office, Register of licensed sponsors: students
  4. GOV.UK, Students: if your education provider loses its sponsor licence
  5. Home Office, Buckinghamshire New University: Student sponsor licence suspension
  6. Home Office, Bloomsbury Institute’s student sponsor licence revoked
  7. GOV.UK, Immigration Rules, Appendix Student (ST 14.4)
  8. Home Office, Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026
  9. The PIE News, In focus: how UK unis are staying under the 5% BCA threshold (5 October 2026)
  10. THISDAY, reporting a Financial Times analysis, UK universities withdraw admission offers over visa crackdown (11 October 2026)
  11. UKCISA, Tightened BCA metrics and new RAG rating now live
  12. Mills & Reeve, Tighter UKVI compliance requirements for HE providers

About This Guide

Who wrote it. House of Admissions (HOA), a UK-only education consultancy founded in 2016, with offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. All 20+ HOA counsellors hold the British Council’s UK counsellor certification, and HOA’s guidance is free to students.

What it is based on. The Home Office’s own guidance and announcements. HOA has no access to any university’s compliance data or rating, and this page does not guess at them.

Who checked it. Reviewed by Rahul Chhetri, Director. Every rule and figure was checked against the sources above on , and each one links to its source.

What it is not. Admissions guidance, not immigration advice. For advice on your own case, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Related Guides

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