Is My UK University Safe? Check Its Sponsor Licence (2026)

You can check whether a UK university is allowed to sponsor your Student visa by searching for it on the official gov.uk Register of Student Sponsors. If it isn’t on the register, it can’t give you a valid CAS today, and you should not pay a deposit until you know why. Last checked: 12 October 2026.

This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal or immigration advice, and rules can change. If your own visa is at risk, speak to a regulated immigration adviser.

What happened

Date	What happened	Type of source
3 Mar 2026	Reported: The PIE News reported that Nepal’s Embassy in London was reviewing Coventry University’s NOC status after complaints. No official statement was cited, and the embassy and MoEST had not replied by the time of publication.	News report (The PIE News)
1 Jun 2026	Stricter Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) thresholds started for UK student sponsors.	Official (gov.uk)
5 Aug 2026	The Home Office revoked Bloomsbury Institute’s (London) student sponsor licence after it failed the BCA.	Official (gov.uk)
30 Sep 2026	Reported: Times Higher Education reported that Buckinghamshire New University’s licence was suspended and the university was removed from the register. It had 20 working days to respond.	News report (Times Higher Education)
6 Oct 2026	Reported: Onlinekhabar reported that about 250 Nepali students are enrolled at Bucks New University, many of them in nursing. This figure is an education agent’s estimate.	News report (Onlinekhabar)

What the BCA checks. Every licensed university has to pass the BCA every 12 months. For assessments applied for on or after 1 June 2026, the official guidance requires:

Measure	Minimum to pass
Visa refusal rate	under 5% (was under 10%)
Enrolment rate	at least 95% (was 90%)
Course completion rate	at least 85%, rising to 90% from 1 June 2027

Sponsors are now also given a Red, Amber or Green rating. A Red or Amber rating can lead to an action plan and fewer CAS. If a sponsor fails several measures, its licence can be revoked.

How to check your university’s licence in 2 minutes

Open the gov.uk page “Register of licensed sponsors: students”. Look at the “Last updated” date, because the list changes often.
Open the register file and search for the exact legal name on your offer letter. Search part of the name too (for example “Buckinghamshire”).
Check the town or campus as well. A London branch campus may be listed separately or under the main university.
Read the status. The official compliance guidance names the statuses below. Note: the exact wording or column names in the register file may differ from these terms. If you aren’t sure what an entry means, ask the university in writing.

What you may see	What it means
Student Sponsor – Track Record	A licensed sponsor with a history of compliance
Student Sponsor	A licensed sponsor
Probationary Sponsor	Licensed, with tighter limits
“Subject to an action plan” / Red or Amber BCA rating	Licensed, but UKVI is watching it closely
Not on the register	It can’t issue a new CAS right now. It may be suspended, revoked or never licensed.

About “A-rated” and “B-rated”: you will still see these words online. The current student compliance guidance does not use them for student sponsors. It uses the statuses above and Red/Amber/Green ratings.

Take a dated screenshot and do the check again before you pay anything and before you fly.

What happens to your visa: suspended vs revoked

This summary comes from the gov.uk page “Students: if your education provider loses its sponsor licence or has it suspended” (updated 30 September 2026).

Your situation	Suspended (temporary, under investigation)	Revoked (licence taken away)
Already studying in the UK	You can keep studying with your current provider.	Your sponsor must tell you whether you can keep studying for a limited time. Guidance for sponsors says this “teach-out” can last up to 6 months or until the end of the academic year, whichever is longer. If your course isn’t finished when teach-out ends, your visa is cancelled. You then have 60 days, or the time left on your visa if that is shorter, to find a new sponsor and apply for a new visa, or you must leave the UK. If you have less than 60 days left on your visa, its end date won’t change.
Waiting for a CAS	You may not get a CAS. Contact the university.	You can’t use a CAS from that sponsor.
Visa application in progress	It may be put on hold or refused. You can wait for the licence to be restored or withdraw your application.	Your application will be refused.
Visa granted, not yet travelled	Wait, and ask the university and UKVI before you travel. In an earlier suspension, gov.uk advised against travelling until it was resolved.	Your visa may be cancelled straight away. If you travel on a cancelled visa you will be refused entry. Visa fees and the healthcare surcharge are not refunded.
You were involved in the reasons the licence was lost	—	Your visa is cancelled immediately.

What to do now

(a) You haven’t paid or applied yet
– ☐ Check the register and save a dated screenshot.
– ☐ Ask the university in writing about its latest BCA result or rating.
– ☐ Get the deposit refund policy in writing. It should cover what happens if the licence is suspended or revoked.
– ☐ Keep a second-choice university that is on the register.

(b) You have a CAS but haven’t arrived
– ☐ Check the register again. If your university isn’t listed, don’t book travel yet.
– ☐ Email the international office and ask whether your CAS is still valid.
– ☐ Keep every email, receipt and CAS statement.
– ☐ Before you pay more fees, ask the university how a refund would work.

(c) You’re already in the UK
– ☐ During a suspension, keep attending and keep your attendance high. You can keep studying.
– ☐ Watch for any letter from UKVI. If your licence is revoked, the 60-day clock starts from the date set in that letter.
– ☐ Note your visa end date and your course end date.
– ☐ Use your Students’ Union advice service and UKCISA’s student advice line, or a regulated adviser.
– ☐ Start looking at other licensed universities early. Don’t wait for the revocation decision.

Before you pay a deposit: red flags

The name on the offer letter doesn’t match any entry on the register.
You’re pushed to pay “today” to “hold a seat”.
The agent can’t say which campus you’ll study at, or who actually awards the degree.
There is no written refund policy, or refunds are “at the university’s discretion” only.
You’re asked to pay a personal account rather than the university’s official account.
The university won’t tell you its BCA rating or current status.

Nepal-specific: NOC and paying fees from Nepal

The No Objection Certificate (NOC) comes from Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST). You apply through the official portal, noc.moest.gov.np. The PIE News reports that the NOC is mandatory for studying abroad and for sending money abroad for tuition. Confirm current requirements with MoEST and your bank.
If your university’s status changes, ask MoEST’s NOC branch whether your NOC can still be used or needs updating, before you send more money. MoEST lists its contacts as info@moest.gov.np and the NOC branch phone 01-6635419.
The PIE reported that MoEST issued a notice advising students to prefer institutions in major global rankings or those authorised by their country’s higher education authority.
In September 2026 (7 Asoj 2083), MoEST posted a new notice on submitting foreign study applications. Read it on moest.gov.np before you apply.

FAQs

My university was suspended. Do I have to leave the UK?
Not because of the suspension alone. Gov.uk says students already in the UK can keep studying with their current provider. Things only change if the licence is later revoked.

If the licence is revoked, do I get exactly 60 days?
You get 60 days, or less if your visa has less than 60 days left. This applies once your visa is cancelled after any teach-out period. If you were involved in the reasons for the revocation, your visa can be cancelled immediately.

Will I get my visa fee and IHS back if the licence is revoked before I travel?
Gov.uk says visa application fees and the healthcare surcharge will not be refunded. Ask the university directly about tuition deposits.

My agent says the university is “fine”. Is that enough?
No. Check the gov.uk register yourself and save the date you checked.

Can I transfer to another university?
Possibly, but you would need a new sponsor, a new CAS and a new visa application. No transfer is guaranteed.