Nigerian nationals have emerged as the highest nationality transitioning from study-related visas to non-study visas inside three 12 months.
That is in accordance with the “Cause for worldwide migration, worldwide college students replace: November 2024” report by the UK Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS).
The info highlights a big pattern of Nigerian migrants leveraging the UK’s visa system for long-term residency or employment alternatives.
The UK Workplace of Nationwide Statistics (ONS) said in its publication that newest estimate of web migration to the UK for the 12 months to June 2024 had risen to a whopping 906,000.
The ONS report highlights that, among the many prime 5 nationalities getting into the UK on study-related visas, Nigerian nationals had been most definitely to transition to non-study visas inside three years.
Nonetheless, a 16-percentage level improve was noticed over the 2 intervals, indicating a normal upward pattern throughout nationalities in transitioning to non-study visas.
The report additionally highlights a pointy rise within the variety of Nigerians getting into the UK on study-dependant visas in recent times. By YE June 2023, dependants accounted for 55% of Nigerian study-related visas, surpassing college students, who represented 45%.
The info reveals that Nigerian college students have been a key driver of the expansion in UK worldwide scholar numbers.
The surge in visa transitions and worldwide scholar numbers comes amidst the UK authorities’s wrestle to deal with workforce gaps.
Talking on the problem, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged the challenges dealing with the nation’s labor market:
The Prime Minister additional emphasised a shift in technique, stating, “We are going to publish a White Paper imminently – which units out a plan to scale back immigration.”
The surge in transitions from research visas to non-study visas displays how migrants from sure nationalities, significantly Nigerians, are utilising the UK visa system as a gateway to longer-term alternatives.
The excessive proportion of Nigerians transitioning from research visas to non-study visas underscores their pivotal function in shaping the UK’s migration dynamics. Nonetheless, stricter visa guidelines might drastically scale back the variety of Nigerians acquiring UK visas overseas.
Moreover, for these already within the UK, the tightening of pathways to modify from scholar visas to work visas poses a critical problem. This might pressure many to return residence, disrupting aspirations for long-term residency or employment within the UK.
