The UK government has announced tougher rules for universities recruiting international students, warning that institutions with high levels of visa abuse could lose the right to sponsor overseas students altogether.The new measures, announced by the Home Office, are aimed at reducing misuse of the student visa system and preventing individuals from using study routes to claim asylum or enter illegal employment. Universities that fail to meet stricter compliance standards will face penalties, including restrictions on student recruitment and, in severe cases, a ban on enrolling international students.The government said asylum claims from people who entered the UK on work, study and visitor visas had more than tripled under the previous administration, accounting for 37% of all asylum claims. International students represented the largest group among those claims.According to the Home Office, asylum claims by students have fallen by 30% over the past year following actions taken jointly with the higher education sector. The government has also introduced what it described as a visa "brake" on study visa applications from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan after a rise in asylum claims.Stricter compliance standardsUnder the revised sponsorship rules, universities will have to meet higher benchmarks in the annual assessment used to monitor institutions sponsoring international students.The visa refusal rate threshold will be reduced from 10% to 5%. Universities must also achieve a course enrolment rate of at least 95%, up from 90%, and a course completion rate of at least 90%, compared with the previous 85%.The government said high dropout rates can indicate that students have entered the illegal labour market instead of pursuing their studies, while high visa refusal rates or low enrolment figures may suggest inadequate checks on applicants.From summer 2027, universities will also be assessed under a new traffic-light rating system. Institutions receiving a red rating will face limits on the number of international students they can recruit and will be required to finance a 12-month improvement plan.Universities that fail to improve could lose their international student recruitment rights.Government and university sector respondMigration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp said, "The UK will always welcome genuine international students, and our universities are rightly admired around the world.""But our visa system must not be used as a backdoor to asylum and illegal working.""Student asylum claims are down 30% in the last year. I thank the sector for their co-operation in achieving this, but we must go further.""Those seeking to game the system should know we are watching – and won't hesitate to act."The announcement was made during a visit to Manchester Metropolitan University and was supported by Universities UK.Professor Malcolm Press, President of Universities UK, said, "UK universities are one of our greatest success stories, and we should be proud that people from around the world aspire to study here. We are fully committed to protecting the integrity of the visa system and working in partnership with the Home Office.""International students bring significant economic and soft power benefits, contributing £37 billion in export earnings," he added.Press also said universities need policy stability, transparent visa decision-making and access to real-time data to address potential abuse while maintaining the UK's attractiveness as a study destination.The Home Office said it is exploring new ways to share data with education providers and has encouraged institutions to work together to identify and prevent abuse.Since last summer, the department has contacted 306,000 students whose visas were due to expire, warning that asylum claims without merit would be refused and that those without legal permission to remain in the UK must leave or face removal.The government said the measures form part of wider immigration reforms under which net migration has fallen by 74%.