A UK university¡¯s?licence to recruit and teach overseas students has been revoked because?two prospective students had their visa applications rejected by officials.

Birmingham-based Newman University?has lost its Tier 4 visa licence because the failed applications by a pair of non-European Union students pushed the institution past the 10 per cent refusal threshold set by the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Office.

Scott Davidson, the Catholic university¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that the decision left ¡°a suspicion that there¡¯s some kind of¡­drive to limit the number of institutions that are able to recruit and teach international students¡±.

Amber Rudd, the home secretary,?last year pledged?to introduce tougher rules?for overseas students coming to the UK to study ¡°low-quality¡± courses, instead prioritising the ¡°best¡± universities. However, a promised consultation on those plans is yet to emerge.

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The Newman decision means that the university cannot recruit any more non-EU students and that those currently enrolled will have to complete their courses by 31 August or move to new institutions.

London Metropolitan University had its Tier 4 licence revoked in 2012, although it later won it back, while other institutions have previously seen their licences suspended.

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For smaller institutions?recruiting relatively few overseas students, a tiny number of rejected visas can easily push them over the 10 per cent threshold, leaving them at risk of losing their?right to recruit non-EU students.

¡°The basis for the revocation was that we had exceeded the 10 per cent,¡± Professor Davidson told ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ. ¡°We¡¯d issued 18 CASs [Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies], and two had been refused.¡±

Newman currently has 16 non-EU students. Professor Davidson said that he was hopeful that the majority could be ¡°taught out¡±, with perhaps two having to complete their courses elsewhere.

His ¡°main concern¡± about the impact of the revocation decision, he said, was the ¡°profound effect on students who are already here¡±.?But he also added: ¡°There is the fear that there is reputational damage [for the university] associated with a decision like this.¡±

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Professor Davidson said:?¡°I recognise how politically difficult this area is, but I think we really have been the victim of a kind of inflexibility around the application of the rules. When it relies on percentages [of] very small numbers of students, then that really does have a disproportionate effect.¡±

john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com