The UK government has announced that it will bar Nigerian students from bringing their families with them to the UK, starting in January 2024. The new rule is part of a broader effort by the UK government to reduce illegal immigration.
Under the new rule, only students from countries with low rates of illegal immigration will be allowed to bring their families with them to the UK. Nigeria is one of the countries that will be affected by the new rule.
The United Kingdom has put in place a new law that will stop Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing their family as dependents except “under specific circumstances.”
This is as the UK government aims to bring immigration into the country that stands at around one million down, Sky News reports.
Under the new rule, the UK will remove the permission for international students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before their studies have been completed to prevent misuse of the visa system.
Sky News also added that “there will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for Nigerian Students and dependents and a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents “who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”.
This change takes effect in January 2024 to allow students starting courses in the UK time to plan to adapt to the new rule.
The new rule has been met with mixed reactions from Nigerian students and their families. Some students say they are disappointed that they will not be able to bring their families with them to the UK. Others say they understand the UK government’s concerns about illegal immigration and they are willing to comply with the new rule.
