Communications seen by The PIE News indicate that an incident in the city of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan “significantly escalated” in April 2026 when an unknown aggressor “presented a serious risk to personnel safety” by displaying a gun in an agent’s workplace.
A first information report was reportedly sent to the local police station and the university withholding the deposit was informed of the incident including main agent representatives.
The male had actually been trying to work out the return of his ₤ 4,000 tuition fee deposit paid as part of his application to a British university. The firm told The PIE it had actually supported the trainee to apply for a program starting in January 2026.
After the trainee stopped working a creditability interview with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), the agent was forced to tell the trainee that his deposit was non-refundable– in spite of the fact the university had actually deemed their application was certified and released a CAS number for visa application.
The university’s policy of not reimbursing tuition cost deposits following a failed research study visa application is openly readily available. Nevertheless, The PIE has spoken to several representatives who feel that such refund policies have not been communicated clearly, believing rather that cases declined on trustworthiness grounds would be considered on a specific basis.
The company, which wished to stay confidential over worries of more reprisals, stated that the trainee in concern is from a family with “political influence”. They further declared that university had stopped working to support the company in the matter in spite of them being a formally contracted representative in Pakistan.Speaking to The PIE,
the agent described the situation, stating:”We had to pay the trainee [ourselves] as they concerned the workplace in Peshawar with a weapon,” adding that the scenario stays “unpredictable”.
We had to pay the trainee [ourselves] as they concerned the office in Peshawar with a weapon
Anonymous education representative
The agent outlined 15 other students who have been supported by the exact same branch workplace who are also affected by visa rejections resulting in non-refunded deposits– all from the same university.The UK federal government official entry clearance data revealed more than a 600 %increase in visa rejections from Pakistan during October, November and December 2025 as students gotten courses starting in January 2026. Students will have been considered to be “non-genuine students”in UKVI communications, meaning the government department does not think they are genuinely seeking to pertain to the UK and study, and may rather be trying to find a backdoor way into the country. As visa refusals have actually increased for early consumptions in 2026, The PIE has been investigating the use
of non-refundable deposit policies and CAS issuance in high-risk markets. It comes as UK universities tighten their compliance protocols ahead of the introduction of stricter Fundamental Compliance
Evaluation( BCA )limits– that includes a brand-new requirement for institutions to keep research study visa rejections under 5%of the CAS numbers released to international trainees. Universities that stop working to adhere to the brand-new criteria danger having their capability to recruit global students removed. Have you been affected by the refusal to return a tuition fee deposit? Comment below or email us at [email protected]!.?.!