Credit: Ivory.Ng
Nigerians and other foreign nationals on study visas to the UK will no longer be able to bring family members as of January 2024, unless students are in postgraduate programmes with a research focus or a PhD. This, according to the new policy rolled out by the British Government, is to curb the pressure of migration on the fabric of the British Society.
Recall that the UK Home Office, under the sacked interior secretary Suella Braverman, introduced the dependant visa ban policy that restricted Nigerians and other foreigners from bringing family members with them starting January 2024.
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With this new policy, students will not be permitted to switch to the Skilled Worker Route until they complete their programme.
The economic value of international students in the UK is significant, but there is rising alarm in some parts of the British population about the record pace of migration, and what it means for jobs, housing, and the fabric of British society.
Most universities in the United Kingdom now experience reduced admissions from international students, including Nigerians over the dependant visa ban policy, thus affecting their revenues significantly.
According to the Home Office, “almost half a million student visas were issued in 2022, while the number of dependants of overseas students has increased by 750% since 2019, to 136,000 people.” Dependants include children under the age of 18, spouses or civil partners, and elderly parents who need long-term care.
Most Nigerians explore the student dependants’ visa route to immigrate to the UK for better lives. Creating an enabling environment by the Nigerian Government for businesses to flourish would change this narrative.
With strategies put in place to deter “unscrupulous” agents from sending students to the UK, Nigerians are now looking at Canada and Germany as top destinations.
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