Photocredit:Google
Some Nigerians studying in the United Kingdom are scrambling for legal avenues to extend their stay as their student visas near expiration, Sunday PUNCH has learned.
The development follows recent UK government migration policy changes and a public warning targeting overstayers. In an emergency notice released on its website last Sunday, the government disclosed that roughly 10,000 international students had already been contacted and told to leave the country once their visas expired.
Officials explained that the decision was prompted by a sharp rise in asylum applications from individuals on temporary visas. Data showed that asylum claims from holders of student, work, and visitor visas more than tripled under the previous administration, making up 37 per cent (41,400) of all applications in the year ending June 2025. International students accounted for the largest share at 40 per cent, followed by workers (29 per cent) and visitors (24 per cent).
To curb the trend, the UK launched a direct messaging campaign reminding students of their visa expiry dates. The BBC reported that the messages warned: “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.”
Rising Anxiety Among Nigerian Students
According to a June 27, 2025, briefing by the UK House of Commons Library, there were about 732,285 overseas students in UK higher institutions during the 2023/24 academic year—roughly 23 per cent of the total student body. That figure included 428,200 new entrants, down 6.75 per cent from the previous year’s 459,200. Nigeria remained the third largest source of students, contributing 34,500.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that Nigerian students are among those most unsettled by the changes. A Nigerian PhD candidate in Scotland, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that many peers had received government notifications.
“Students are panicking because UK immigration laws keep changing,” he said. “Some have switched to skilled worker visas, but others are unsure about their future. Previously, graduates could stay for two years on a post-study visa. That has now been reduced to 18 months as part of the crackdown.”
He explained that without a certificate of sponsorship from an employer, which is required to secure a skilled worker visa, many risk slipping into illegal status once their student visas expire—an offence under UK law.
Another Nigerian postgraduate student at the University of Salford described the policy shift as devastating: “So much time and money have been invested. The new laws mean that from July 22, 2025, fresh student visa holders cannot switch to skilled worker visas under the shortage occupation list, while the post-study work visa is now only 18 months. Many are considering alternatives to the UK, which explains the recent decline in international enrolments.”
The student, who began his programme in March 2024, disclosed that he had opted out of the postgraduate route and secured a skilled worker visa valid until July 2028. Asked if he would consider returning to Nigeria, he responded: “Hell, no. Not with inflation, insecurity, and poor leadership. Once you experience a working system, you don’t look back.”
A Nigerian graduate of the University of Cambridge also said she had applied for a post-study visa after her student visa expired on August 30, 2025. She noted that most of her peers were either on post-study visas or transitioning to them. “For those who haven’t, we haven’t yet received any messages from the UK government,” she added. The Cambridge alumna stressed that she had always planned to remain in the UK for work and possibly a PhD.
Official Warnings
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) reminded citizens abroad that overstaying visas is illegal. Spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun cautioned: “Once your visa expires, remaining in the UK becomes criminalised. Nigerians should avoid overstaying, behave responsibly, and serve as good ambassadors.”
Expert Views
Education consultant and Co-founder of Globalink Pathway College, Lagos, Mr. Tolani Jaiyeola, noted that the UK’s warnings were not new laws but a firm reinforcement of existing immigration regulations.
Kindly Share This!!!
PunchNews
0 Comments