Progress on sector data sharing as Home Office and DfE agree new workshops

24 July 2026

BUILA welcomes confirmation that the Home Office and Department for Education (DfE) have agreed to establish a series of workshops focused on strengthening risk and data-sharing arrangements across the sector.

The workshops follow sustained advocacy from BUILA and Universities UK International (UUKi) for improved information and data sharing from UKVI, particularly following the introduction of the new Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics.

Earlier this year, BUILA highlighted concerns raised by members about the impact of the new BCA thresholds and the need for institutions to have access to better and more timely data. BUILA called for clearer insight into visa refusal decisions, greater transparency around compliance metrics and improved intelligence on emerging market trends, enabling institutions to identify potential risks earlier and make informed decisions about their international recruitment strategies.

Read more about BUILA's BCA data asks

The new workshops will bring together representatives from the sector, the DfE, Home Office and UKVI to examine these issues and develop a shared programme of work to strengthen risk and data-sharing arrangements.

BUILA will have two lead representatives participating in the workshops, ensuring the experiences and priorities of BUILA members are represented directly in these discussions.

The establishment of the workshops represents positive progress following the collective advocacy of BUILA and UUKi and provides an important opportunity for the sector to work directly with government on practical improvements to data and intelligence sharing.

As institutions continue to respond to the new BCA requirements, access to timely and meaningful data will be critical to identifying emerging risks and supporting informed decision-making. BUILA will continue to work with UUKi and government partners through the workshops and will keep members updated as this work progresses.