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 assailant “posed a serious threat to staff safety” by brandishing a gun in an agent’s office.
A first information report was reportedly submitted to the local police station and the university withholding the deposit was notified of the incident involving official agent representatives.
The man had been attempting to negotiate the return of his £4,000 tuition fee deposit paid as part of his application to a British university. The agency told The PIE it had supported the student to apply for a program starting in January 2026.
After the student failed a creditability interview with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), the agent was forced to tell the student that his deposit was non-refundable – despite the fact the university had deemed their application was compliant and issued a CAS number for visa application.
The university’s policy of not refunding tuition fee deposits following a failed study visa application is publicly available. However, The PIE has spoken to several agents who feel that such refund policies have not been communicated clearly, believing instead that cases rejected on credibility grounds would be considered on an individual basis.
The agency, which wished to remain anonymous over fears of further reprisals, said that the student in question is from a family with “political influence”. They further alleged that university had failed to support the agency in the matter despite them being an officially contracted representative in Pakistan.
Speaking to The PIE, the agent explained the situation, saying: “We had to pay the student [ourselves] as they came to the office in Peshawar with a gun,” adding that the situation remains “volatile”.
We had to pay the student [ourselves] as they came to the office in Peshawar with a gun
Anonymous education agent
The agent outlined 15 other students who have been supported by the same branch office who are also impacted by visa rejections leading to non-refunded deposits – all from the same university.
The UK government official entry clearance data revealed more than a 600% increase in visa rejections from Pakistan during October, November and December 2025 as students applied for courses starting in January 2026.
Students will have been deemed to be “non-genuine students” in UKVI communications, meaning the government division does not believe they are genuinely looking to come to the UK and study, and may instead be looking for a backdoor way into the country.
As visa refusals have increased for early intakes 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 Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) thresholds – which includes a new requirement for institutions to keep study visa rejections under 5% of the CAS numbers issued to international students.
Universities that fail to comply with the new criteria risk having their ability to recruit international students taken away.
Have you been impacted by the refusal to return a tuition fee deposit? Comment below or email us at editorial@thepienews.com
