Bloomsbury Institute's student sponsor licence revoked
The Bloomsbury Institute, a higher education provider in central London, has had its licence to sponsor international students revoked.
The Bloomsbury Institute, a higher education provider in central London, has had its licence to sponsor international students revoked after failing to meet the Basic Compliance Assessment.
The Basic Compliance Assessment is an annual check that all sponsors must pass, measuring visa refusal rates, course enrolment and completion.
At the time of the assessment, sponsors were required to meet three thresholds: a visa refusal rate of less than 10%, an enrolment rate of at least 90%, and a course completion rate of at least 85%.
The assessment was carried out under thresholds that applied before the compliance standards were strengthened on 1 June 2026.
The Bloomsbury Institute would also have failed to meet the new, stricter standards.
Failure to meet these standards represents a serious breach of its duties as an international student sponsor, and as a result, its licence was revoked on Wednesday 5 August.
Student sponsors must meet the standards required to retain their licence. Where standards are not met, the Home Office will take action to protect students and the integrity of the immigration system.
The Bloomsbury Institute has been removed from the Register of Student Sponsors and can no longer sponsor new international students under the Student Route.
Support for existing students
The Home Office’s priority is to minimise disruption for international students already enrolled at the Bloomsbury Institute.
Existing students will not be affected immediately, and the Bloomsbury Institute will be permitted to continue teaching its current sponsored students for a short period.
A small number of students are expected to be unable to complete their course within that window and they will be supported to transfer to another institution. If they choose not to, they will need to apply for another visa route for which they are eligible or leave the 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 permission and domestic students, are not affected by the revocation.
Further advice for affected students will be available shortly and students can also speak to the Bloomsbury Institute directly.
About the Basic Compliance Assessment
All institutions licensed to sponsor international students on a Student Visa 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 rate must be at least 95%, and course completion rate must be at least 85%. For assessments submitted from June 2027, the course completion threshold will rise to at least 90%.