A High Wycombe-based university has been banned from recruiting foreign students after having its licence suspended.

The decision means Bucks New University cannot curently recruit students and workers from outside the European Union.

The university’s Tier 4 status is currently suspended after failing to pass an annual government assessment.

The Queen Alexandra Road institution said its visa refusal rate for international students had exceeded the government’s threshold by 1.16 per cent – the equivalent to three students.

Students and staff currently at the university will not be affected, but no more candidates will be sponsored.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Universities which benefit from the immigration system must ensure they have robust compliance systems in place or risk losing their privilege to sponsor foreign students.

“All institutions holding a Tier 4 sponsor licence must pass an annual assessment in order to retain the ability to recruit international students.

“Buckinghamshire New University failed to pass this assessment so we have suspended its licence.”

Professor Rebecca Bunting, vice chancellor at the university, said they were informed last week that their application to renew their highly trusted sponsor status (HTS) had been rejected.

Professor Bunting added: “Our staff and students have learned of this issue from a government announcement released shortly after we were informed of the decision and our primary concern is their welfare and wellbeing.

“UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has confirmed that all our registered international students who have valid leave to remain are permitted to continue their studies as normal to completion.

“We are continually working, as are all other UK universities, to improve our systems and processes in order to meet a challenging set of sponsorship rules and our senior management team will be cooperating fully with UKVI.

“We have been granted time to check our data against UKVI’s information and that work is already underway.”