The Home Office suspended Buckinghamshire New University’s Student sponsor licence on 30 September 2026. The decision took effect immediately, and the university was removed from the register of licensed Student sponsors. The Home Office says the action follows concerns about the university’s compliance with its sponsorship duties.
This is a suspension, not a revocation. The university has 20 working days to respond and show why its licence should be reinstated. The outcome has not yet been decided.
Can current students still attend classes?
Yes. Students already sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University can continue their studies while the suspension is in place, provided their permission to stay remains valid. The suspension does not affect domestic students or students whose immigration status does not depend on the university’s sponsorship.
Prospective students face a different situation. During a suspension the university may no longer be able to issue a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Some visa applications may be put on hold. Anyone waiting for a CAS or a visa decision should contact the university for advice specific to their application.
What if the licence is revoked?
If the university cannot satisfy the Home Office, its Student sponsor licence could be revoked. That would not automatically mean every current student must stop studying on the same day. Government guidance says some students may be able to continue for a limited period, known as a teach-out, depending on their circumstances.
Where a student’s visa is cancelled and they wish to continue studying in the UK, they would need to find another licensed sponsor, obtain a new CAS and apply for a new visa. The Home Office says the usual period after cancellation is 60 days, or the remaining visa time if shorter. Students should wait for individual instructions and seek regulated immigration advice if their permission is affected.
How many Nepali students are affected?
An estimate of around 250 Nepali students at the university has circulated, but UKMandu has not been able to confirm an official nationality breakdown. The precise number of students whose visas depend on the university’s licence has also not been publicly confirmed. We will update this report if reliable figures become available.
A wider change in UK student sponsorship
UK rules for education providers sponsoring international students became stricter from June 2026, including tighter measures for visa refusals and enrolment. The current minimum course completion rate is 85%; the higher 90% threshold applies to assessments from June 2027. The Home Office has not publicly stated which specific compliance concerns led to this university’s suspension.
Sponsored study visa applications from main applicants in the year ending July 2026 were 11% below the previous year, according to the Home Office. Its newer figures for the year ending August put the decline at 16%. These are national application figures and do not establish why the university’s licence was suspended.
What students should do now
Continue attending your course if you are already studying and your immigration permission remains valid. Check messages from the university and the Home Office, keep copies of your visa and enrolment documents, and do not assume your visa has been cancelled simply because the sponsor licence is suspended.
For the latest official instructions, read the Home Office’s university update and its guidance for students whose sponsor is suspended or loses its licence.