Claim: The United Kingdom has banned five Pakistani banks from being used for submitting bank statements in student visa applications. These banks include UBL Bank, MCB Bank, National Bank of Pakistan, Faysal Bank, and Allied Bank.
Fact: The UK has not banned the aforementioned Pakistani banks from providing statements to support student visa applications.
On 23 February 2025, a Facebook post shared a screenshot of a blog published by Studywise on 4 June 2024. The article, attributed to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), claimed that the British government had banned UBL Bank, MCB Bank, National Bank of Pakistan, Faysal Bank, and Allied Bank. It further alleged that bank statements from these institutions could no longer be used for UK student visa applications.
The article cited also makes the following claims:
- A document released by the UK in April 2024 revealed that 10% of 100 fake bank statements used for student visa applications came from UBL.
- According to a document published by the UK embassy, MCB Bank was responsible for 7% of fake bank statements submitted in student visa applications.
- The same document stated that the National Bank of Pakistan accounted for 5% of counterfeit bank statements from Pakistani students.
- Faysal Bank was linked to 4% of fraudulent bank statements.
- Allied Bank was also mentioned in the document, allegedly accounting for 4% of counterfeit bank statements.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check thoroughly searched the News and Communications section of the UK Visas and Immigration website from 1 June 2024 to 26 February 2025 and found no evidence of any Pakistani banks being blacklisted.
We also spoke to Pawan Dhande, Communications Director at the British High Commission in Islamabad, who stated that the claim was “fake news” and should not be trusted.
A similar misinformation campaign went viral in June 2024, prompting the UK diplomatic mission in Pakistan to issue an official clarification on its Facebook page:
“We are aware of a fake document being shared, pretending to be from UK Visas and Immigration, claiming certain banks and English Language Tests are banned from UK student visa applications. If you receive it, please delete it, do not share it further, and let the person know it is a fake.”
This statement was issued on 28 May 2024, just days before the Studywise article was published. Moreover, Soch Fact Check has previously debunked the same fake document in an article published in June 2024.
Furthermore, our investigation into publications or documents released by the UK diplomatic mission in Pakistan in April 2024 found no mention of any Pakistani banks being blacklisted.
We also contacted The Next Study Abroad Consultants, a Karachi-based firm that assists Pakistani students with UK visa applications. Imran Khan, a representative from the firm, confirmed that Hull University and Ulster University have recently rejected bank statements from UBL and Meezan Bank in cases where financial documents appeared suspicious. However, he clarified that these rejections were made on a case-by-case basis and that there has been no official announcement from the UK High Commission banning any Pakistani banks since June 2024.
Virality
The screenshot of the Studywise article was also shared in over five WhatsApp groups, as indicated by the “Forwarded many times” label.
It was also found on Facebook in multiple posts, some of which can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The United Kingdom did not blacklist 5 Pakistani banks for study visa applications.
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Background image in cover photo: GOV.UK
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