A Sri Lankan student faces being forced out of the UK and her degree dreams shattered after a tuition fee payment arrived at her university just one day late, triggering the abrupt termination of her visa under strict Home Office rules.
Navodya De Silva, 25, had successfully completed her first year studying International Hospitality and Tourism Management at Coventry University, a course costing £42,000 funded by her father’s life savings. Her goal was to return to Sri Lanka—a popular tourist destination with a growing hospitality sector—and secure a senior-level career, leveraging the prestige of a UK degree.
That plan now lies in ruins. The deadline for her second-year fee instalment of £8,000 was 6 October 2025. Ms De Silva initiated the bank transfer from Sri Lanka on 3 October, but the funds did not clear into the university’s account until 7 October, a delay she attributes to international payment processing.
This one-day lateness had catastrophic consequences. Coventry University, acting under its duties as a licensed Student sponsor for the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) department, reported the missed deadline to the Home Office. The university then withdrew its sponsorship, meaning Ms De Silva could not continue her studies. Her Student visa was subsequently curtailed.
The inflexible rules behind the crisis
The severe outcome stems from the stringent framework governing international students in the UK. Universities holding a Student sponsor licence have a legal duty to monitor their students and report specific changes in circumstances to UKVI within 10 working days. Failures to comply can result in the institution losing its licence to recruit overseas students entirely.
Key sponsor duties include ensuring students have the right to study and reporting on deferrals, withdrawals, or, as in this case, failures to complete enrolment by paying fees. When a sponsor withdraws its support, it typically triggers visa curtailment by the Home Office. A curtailed visa is usually shortened to just 60 days from the date of notice, forcing the individual to either leave the UK or secure alternative immigration permission within that narrow window.
Ms De Silva has applied for further leave to remain while awaiting a Home Office decision, but now faces deportation if her application is refused. “I did my part properly, paying my fees before the deadline. It was out of my control that there was a delay,” she said. “If I go back to Sri Lanka with no degree, having lost my father’s life savings, my life will be ruined.”
Her lawyer, Naga Kandiah, a senior solicitor known for work on complex immigration and human rights cases, said the university’s actions had triggered “severe and life-altering consequences” for his client.
In its defence, Coventry University states it provides a six-week window for payment and enrolment and issues clear reminders. A spokesperson said: “We are proud of our record in providing wide-ranging support for students but this is balanced with our responsibility to comply with UKVI rules regarding enrolment. We do not set those rules but we are required to enforce them.”
The university’s own guidance highlights the potential for such crises. Its terms advise that international payments can take up to seven days to arrive and urge students to pay well in advance to avoid impacts on their visa status. It recommends using specific online payment services over direct bank transfers to mitigate delays and requires a deposit of at least £8,000 from most international students before enrolment can be completed.
The case lays bare the precarious position of international students navigating a system where minor administrative delays, even outside their direct control, can have irreversible outcomes under immigration rules designed to be strictly policed by the universities themselves.
