LONDON, Aug. 6 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
The Bloomsbury Institute, a higher education provider in central London,has had its licence to sponsor international students revoked afterfailing to meettheBasic Compliance Assessment.
TheBasic Compliance Assessmentis an annual check that all sponsors must pass, measuring visa refusal rates, courseenrolmentand completion.
At the time of the assessment, sponsorswere requiredto meet three thresholds: a visa refusal rate of less than 10%, an enrolment rate of atleast 90%, and a course completion rateof at least 85%.
The assessment was carried out underthresholds that applied before thecompliancestandards werestrengthened on 1June 2026.
The Bloomsbury Institute would also have failed to meet the new, stricter standards.
Failureto meet thesestandardsrepresents a serious breach ofitsduties as an international student sponsor, and as a result,itslicence was revoked onWednesday 5August.
Student sponsors mustmeet the standardsrequiredtoretaintheir licence. Where standards are not met, the Home Office willtake action to protectstudents andthe integrity of the immigration system.
The Bloomsbury Institute has been removed from the Register of Student Sponsors andcan no longer sponsor new international students under the Student Route.
Support forexisting students
The Home Office's priority is tominimise disruptionfor internationalstudents alreadyenrolled at the Bloomsbury Institute.
Existing studentswillnotbeaffectedimmediately, andthe Bloomsbury Institute will bepermittedto continueteachingits currentsponsoredstudents fora short period.
Asmall number of studentsare expected to be unable to complete their course within that windowand theywill be supported to transfer to another institution. Ifthey choose not to, they will need to apply for another visa route for which they areeligible orleavethe UK.
The Home Office will work with the institution, the Department for Education, the Office for Students, and relevant sector bodies throughout this process.
Students studying at the Bloomsbury Institute who are not on a Student Visa, including international students with other forms of permissionand domestic students, are not affected by the revocation.
Furtheradvice foraffected studentswill beavailable shortlyandstudentscan also speakto the Bloomsbury Institute directly.
About the Basic Compliance Assessment
All institutions licensed to sponsor international students on aStudentVisa must pass an annual Basic Compliance Assessment.
The assessment measures three metrics: the rate at which visa applications from sponsored students are refused, the proportion of sponsored students who enrol on their course, and the proportion who complete it.
Institutions that fail the BCA face enforcement action, up to and including revocation of their licence.
From 1 June 2026, the government further strengthened Student Visa compliance standards. Visa refusal rates must be below 5%; course enrolment ratemust beat least 95%, andcourse completion ratemust be at least 85%. For assessmentssubmittedfrom June 2027, the course completion threshold will rise to atleast 90%.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
