Nigerian students in UK push for work visa amid deportation threat

A growing number of Nigerian students in the United Kingdom are scrambling to secure legal pathways to remain in the country as their student visas approach expiration, following new migration restrictions introduced by the British government.

The development comes after an emergency notice published on the UK government’s website revealed that nearly 10,000 international students had been instructed to leave once their visas run out. Officials explained that the decision was prompted by a surge in asylum applications lodged by holders of student, work, and visitor visas.

Data shows asylum claims from these categories have more than tripled compared to previous years, making up 37 per cent of overall applications in the year ending June 2025. International students accounted for the largest share at 40 per cent, followed by work visa holders (29 per cent) and tourists (24 per cent).

To curb the rise, the government launched a direct messaging campaign reminding students of the consequences of overstaying. One message to visa holders read: “If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused… If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”

READ ALSO:Leave when visa expires or face removal, UK govt warns international students

Figures from the UK House of Commons Library show that in the 2023/24 academic year, 732,285 overseas students — about 23 per cent of the total student population — were enrolled in UK institutions. Nigeria remained the third-largest source country with 34,500 students, despite a drop in overall international enrolment compared to the previous year.

Some Nigerian students affected by the new rules said they were exploring work visas or other options to remain legally in the UK.

A PhD candidate in Scotland, who requested anonymity, said: “Nigerian students are panicking because UK laws keep changing. I know some people on current student visas that received the text and email.”

He explained that while some had switched to skilled worker visas, others faced uncertainty. “Before, if you finish your Bachelor or Master’s degree, you can stay in the UK on a post-study work visa for two years, now it has been shortened to 18 months,” he said. “As a student, if you are unable to get a certificate of sponsorship from an employer… and your visa expires, you automatically become an illegal immigrant in the UK, which is a criminal offence.”

A postgraduate student at the University of Salford described the changes as unsettling. “It is absolutely devastating, because time and money have been spent,” he said. “With the new laws, fresh student visa holders cannot switch to the skilled worker visa on the shortage occupation list after July 22, 2025, while the post-study work visa has been cut to 18 months.”

Another Nigerian, a Cambridge graduate, disclosed that she had applied for a post-study visa immediately after her student visa expired in August. She noted: “For those that haven’t, we have yet to get any message from the UK government.”

However, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has urged citizens abroad not to overstay their visas. Its spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said: “The moment your visa expires, it becomes criminalised because it is illegal to stay there.”

Education consultants and academics have weighed in on the UK’s clampdown.Globalink Pathway College co-founder, Mr. Tolani Jaiyeola, said: “This move is consistent with the current UK government’s overarching goal to significantly reduce net migration… The graduate visa route, while attractive, has been under scrutiny over concerns it is being misused.”

But former Osun State University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Kola-Olusanya, criticised the approach. “That is almost becoming like 419 — take the money, give them a degree, and tell them to leave,” he said.

Others defended the policy. Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan stressed: “Every visa has a purpose and the visa itself is a contract… The UK has a right to demand that immigrants who exceed their lawful stay should return to their homeland.”

Prof. Bayo Oladipo, Dean of Education at the University of Lagos, added: “I think it’s part of the requirements for the admission and for the immigration process… That’s what integrity is all about, that’s what sincerity is all about, and that’s what national consciousness is all about.”

(PUNCH)