International students applying to study in the UK have been facing difficulties proving they have enough money to support themselves, with the issue becoming a major driver of visa refusals, analysis suggests.
Immigration experts claim problems have arisen when the Home Office attempts to check with overseas banks in countries such as India and Nigeria, where rules state that students must prove they have sufficient funds.
Applicants are not subjected to such checks if they are British nationals overseas or from one of the 63 countries that have a “differentiation arrangement”, including English-speaking nations such as Australia and the US.
Analysis of student visa data shows that countries outside this list made up 53 per cent of study visa applications between 2020 and 2022, but 95 per cent of all refusals.
