As the window allowing international students to bring relatives along with them to the United Kingdom closes gradually, the hopes of many Nigerian graduates planning to do their post-graduate programmes in the United Kingdom are fading slowly ahead of the 2024 deadline. IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI reports on the struggle and frustration of some of the applicants to beat the deadline.
These moves for greener pastures which many had termed Japa (loosely translated as to break away) have become attractive to Nigerian youths and middle-aged population for many years now. Many of those leaving the shores of Africa’s biggest economy hope to become permanent residents in their host countries in their search for a better standard of living.
Data from ICEF Monitor, a platform that focuses on international student mobility, shows that around 100,000 Nigerians travelled abroad to study in 2020. Many observers have projected that the figure was on the rise following an even deeper penetration of the intentions among young Nigerians. Statistics obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in October last year also show that a total of $609.5 million was spent on foreign education between January and August 2022.
The top destinations for most student travellers, in no particular order, are the United Kindom (UK), the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other European countries. In 2022, US visa issuances to Nigerian students went up by 20 per cent when compared with 2021 figures, according to ICEF Monitor. During the same period, enrolments in Canada went up by 60 per cent in 2022 just as the UK saw a 73 per cent year-on-year increase in the year ending June 2023. Data analysed by Dataphyte also show that 8,384 student visas were issued to Nigerians by the UK in 2019 while 9,066 (8.13 per cent), 20,427 (125.31 per cent) and 65,929 (222.75 per cent) visas were issued to Nigerian students in June 2020, June 2021 and June 2022.
However, after extensive debates spanning several months, the UK announced in May 2023 that foreign students would no longer be allowed to bring in family members as dependants to the UK starting from January 2024. This came after deliberations and arguments between divergent stakeholders who, on one side believe the ban would help cut overall net migration to the UK, which currently stands at one million and those who believe the move would negatively impact the UK economy.
As a result of this announcement, many Nigerians and nationals of other countries banked on the opportunity that the September 2023 admission cycle offered to move to the UK with relatives before January 2024 when the ban will be fully implemented. Though many Nigerians successfully moved to the UK in August and September, many others had their hopes dashed as they could not carry on with the much-coveted move.
One such applicant who falls into this bracket is Mrs Desire James, who resigned from her customer service job at a company located in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos State, in February this year in anticipation and preparation for two life-changing events she had in mind for the year –marriage and eventual travel to the UK with her spouse.
Though she got married to her life partner in March, the duo could not travel to the United Kingdom in August as planned.
She told Sunday Tribune she could not move forward with her admission to study International Financial Management at Swansea University because of the delay caused by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Form A portal and the astronomically high exchange rate, when it was time to seek alternative payment methods, among others.
“It was painful not to be able to travel eventually,” Mrs James lamented. “The process was tiring. I waited till after my wedding ceremony to get my passport so I could unify my name with that of my husband.”
She added: “Imagine waiting in a Form A queue for over two months to complete the payment of my deposit to Swansea, only for the application to be rejected for want of tax clearance around June.
“At that time, it was too late to initiate the payment through Form A again because of the waiting period and the general deadline set for August by Swansea for payment of the deposit was close. By June, the exchange rate was over N800/£ from the N570/£ I prepared my deposit with in March. And you know the visa fees and other associated payments we were expected to make are not cheap.”
Checks by Sunday Tribune show that the cost of visa application which presently stood at £363, will now be £490 for applicants outside the UK from October 4, 2023, according to a statement published by United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) on Friday, September 15th. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fee also paid by applicants applying for masters progarmmes stands at £705, considering the fact that the course ends in less than 13 months.
Though Mrs James has forfeited the plans to move this year, her sight and that of her husband have now been set on other countries.
Another applicant, Bolanle, who had secured an unconditional admission offer to study International Conflict and Cooperation at the University of Stirling, UK, is equally now looking at other countries such as Canada and Australia as viable options to further her studies.
If her plans had worked out, she would have moved with her family of three to the UK. Her choice of a UK school was because of International Conflict and Cooperation which she hopes to study is in sync with her undergraduate course.
The FCT resident lamented that though she initiated the payment of her tuition deposit on the Form A portal, the long queue for completion of the payment botched her plans.
“I was unable to continue the process because of some factors such as the long Form A queue, instability in the exchange rate, and most importantly the decision to stop international students from coming in with their dependants from January 2024.
“It was a bit disappointing but then, we can always look at other countries to further our education if need be. As I said earlier, we can always look to further our education in other countries and Canada or Australia will not be bad,” she explained.
When asked if the plans affected her other engagements in the country, including her job, Bolanle said: “No, it did not affect any job engagement as we did not put all our eggs in one basket.”
Bolanle, Mrs James and other applicants, designated as foreign students, who failed to complete their moves to the UK with their dependants in the admission cycle starting in September 2023, would henceforth find it difficult to do so because of the restriction placed on such by the UK government.
UK worried by unexpected rise in immigration numbers
In the May 2023 statement restricting international students from bringing dependants to the UK, the Home Office said it was necessary to stop foreign students from using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the kingdom.
The decision, arrived at after back-and-forth deliberations, was made on the backdrop of the overbearing high net migration to the UK which Home Minister, Suella Braverman, and other supporters believed was putting pressure on the UK economy.
The perks removed by the UK include stopping overseas students from switching from the student visa route to a work visa until their studies have been completed to prevent misuse as well as the review of required funds students must have to demonstrate they can look after themselves and their dependants.
It also said it would crack down on “unscrupulous” education agents who make use of “inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education.” Going by the new policy, only students on the postgraduate research route can be allowed to bring in their dependants to the UK.
A worrying factor for Braverman and other proponents of the ban was that a record number of 135,788 dependants accompanied the student visa holders to the United Kingdom in 2022 The figure represents almost nine times the number of dependants that entered the country in 2019, and more than the total for the previous six years combined.
It also meant that the proportion of dependants, which made up just four per cent of all sponsored study-related (student) visas granted in 2019, rose to 22 per cent in 2022.
“The UK is a top destination for the brightest students to learn at some of the world’s best universities. But we have seen an unprecedented rise in student dependants being brought into the country with visas,” Braverman was quoted to have said in May.
Statistics from the Home Office also show that 490,763 sponsored study visas –the highest since comparable records began in 2005– were granted to main (student) applicants in 2022.
Migration data provided on the UK government website read: “There were 139,539 sponsored study visa grants to Indian nationals in 2022, an increase of 105,278 (+307 per cent) compared to 2019 (34,261). Chinese nationals were the second most common nationality granted sponsored study visas in 2022, with 102,842 visa grants, 14 per cent fewer than the 119,231 in 2019. Chinese and Indian nationals together comprise half (50 per cent) of all sponsored study grants.
“Of the top five nationalities granted sponsored study visas, Bangladeshi nationals saw the largest percentage increase in grants, increasing from 1,745 to 15,277, closely followed by Nigerian nationals whose number increased from 6,798 to 59,053.”
The data also provided that with 60,923 people, Nigeria had the highest number of dependants of sponsored study visa holders in 2022. This represented a huge increase from the total number of 1,586 dependants recorded in 2019. Data provided by the UK government further shows that almost 120,000 dependant visas were granted to the top five nationalities (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) in 2022.
The data imply that visas issued to dependants from Nigeria were more than visas issued to Nigerian students during the same period. The overall figure of dependants from Nigeria represents about 45 per cent of the total 135,788 dependants of students granted leave to enter the UK in 2022.
Last-gasp chance to enter the UK
Despite the imminent implementation of the revised policy, many Nigerians and other foreign students leveraged the advantage of the September admission cycle to move to the UK. But many were not fortunate enough to see their plans materialise as planned.
A graduate student, identified as Jummy, who left Nigeria for the United Kingdom to resume school this month, told Sunday Tribune that the plans of many Nigerians who wanted to move to the UK through the student route with their dependants this September were negatively affected by the naira fluctuation and the high exchange rate.
Speaking extensively on the issue, Jummy said: “I moved with my husband and I have friends who moved with their husbands and children as well. The new policy on travelling with dependants really spurred many people to travel this time. Many who initially did not plan to go with their family members had to look for the money required because of the fast-approaching ban.
“A friend and her husband had initially left their child back at home because of the funds involved. She has now got the visa for the child and hopefully, the baby will join them next month.
“Many people with the intention of travelling with their dependants had to jettison the plan because of the funds involved. The naira fluctuation put them in a fix. Financial capability affected the plans of many people. One can only hope many people will still come in before December.”
She further noted that upon the implementation of the ban, Nigerians, who are ‘family-oriented’ would opt for other countries because they “only want a better life and opportunity to explore. They presently choose the UK because the process is not so difficult unlike in some other countries,” as well as the opportunity to bring their relatives.
Jummy, who did not use the Form A portal, disclosed that her relatives who depended on the portal got frustrated when the naira fluctuations started and the exchange rate skyrocketed. “Form A of three weeks turned into three months. The delay affected the preparations for their travels,” she said.
She added: “The application was smooth till it got to the financial aspect. You know there are payment difficulties. There were too many financial restraints. I was unable to use my dollar card to complete the payment of my tuition fee deposit. The exchange rate was too high at the time. I had to send my funds to a friend in the UK who helped with my payment. And it was through the black market rate.
Analysts, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, confirmed that there was a surge in the number of applications from Nigerians going to the UK in 2023. This, they also hinged this on the fast-approaching implementation of the revised UK policy on dependants. They also cited the negative impact of the economic situation on many people’s travel plans.
“There has been a noticeable increase in the number of visa applications to the UK in recent months, especially via the student visa route,” revealed Opeyemi Abatan, the Regional Marketing Manager, Nigeria for AHZ Associates, a partner with numerous UK universities.
He further explained: “Following the changes that took effect in July this year, student visa applicants who intend to study on a student visa but cannot afford to leave their family behind have had no choice but to take advantage of the open window which will close at the January 2024 intake.
“There has been no doubt that this surge was expected as those who cannot meet up with the September 2023 intake will not be able to do so any longer, unless the rules change in favour of the applicants.”
132,000 Nigerians issued UK visas in six months —Official
It did not come as a huge shock to many on September 3, 2023, when the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonny Baxter, announced that a total of 132,000 visas were issued by the UK to applicants from Nigeria in the first half of this year.
While Baxter attributed the increase in issued visas to the strong economic ties between the two countries and the growing number of Nigerians studying in the UK, the significant number may not be unconnected to the fact many Nigerian students still consider the UK as a viable option for studies and relocation in 2023 and ahead of the January 2024 ban to bring dependants.
“In the first half of the year, we granted approximately 132,000 visas, and those are all sorts of visas, which include visit, work and study visas. In the previous full year before that, we issued about 324,000. The UK, in that year, issued about three million visas, and of those three million visas, 324,000 were issued to Nigerians, which is about 10 per cent,” Baxter disclosed.
Abatan of AHZ Associates further buttressed Baxter’s position that many Nigerians still see the UK as a top destination, adding that there may not be a significant drop in the number of applications from Nigeria post-2023 when the ban would have taken effect.
“I honestly do not think the number of applications will necessarily drop. However, applicants may choose to look into other visa routes that are tailored best to their situations.
“To put this into perspective, there will be room for more qualified candidates to apply for postgraduate courses at UK universities if that sector is less saturated by applicants who do not have a genuine intention to study in the first place.
“I think Nigerians being highly motivated people will always find a way to ace up their career and plans regardless of what changes may come up,” he said.
While noting that the reasons applicants pull out from travel and study plans may be peculiar to their circumstances, Abatan, however, added: “It’s hypothetic but admissible that whatever challenges or outcome of any applicant’s aspiration at this time is largely dependant on the economic changes experienced recently which had caused the cost of these processes to skyrocket.”
‘UK may no longer be top choice among international students’
Meanwhile, another consultant and member of an education travel consulting group for thousands of Nigerian applicants on Telegram, who identified himself as Royal Rufai, disagreed with Baxter and Abatan, explaining that the UK would no longer be a top country of choice for Nigerian graduate students.
This, he said, is because “more countries are now beginning to open their borders to international students with even more juicy perks. Canada, Australia, Germany and the rest of Europe would most likely take over as top destinations for international students come 2024.”
He pointed out that the surge many expected would take place among Nigerian applicants towards the UK September admission cycle may not necessarily happen because the high “Forex rate deterred so many students, especially those without dependants from proceeding with their applications.”
He further declared that: “The volatility in forex had a significant impact in reducing the rush apart from the fact that the UK immigration department kept rolling out new policies from time to time which will make international students consider countries like Canada, Australia and the rest of Europe with more stable policies as their countries of destination. This would be evident more come 2024.”
Further speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria students going abroad, a human resources expert and travel consultant, Bolanle Ilesanmi, said the payment of tuition to foreign universities was made easy for many Nigerians through the deployment of the CBN Form A payment portal that allows them to pay tuition at the official exchange rate. But, according to him, all is no longer rosy.
“The major challenge at the moment is the daily inflation of the exchange rate and the continuous weakening of the naira against the currency involved. As of March, the interbank exchange rate was $1/N600 compared to what we have today – $1/N920-950,” he said.
Putting the challenges faced into perspective, Ilesanmi disclosed that a student paying a £3,000 deposit will expend N1.8 million as of February/March 2023, adding that “to make the same payment today, such student must have N2.8 million.”
While explaining how some of the applicants got by, he said: “Nigerians are very resilient people. The exchange rate actually affected some people to the extent that they had to abandon the relocation project along the line because of the ‘tiny budget’ and lack of access to loans.
“Many people were only able to complete their payment process through the black market operators, who made the payments through trusted parties domiciled in the UK or USA. When you pay in naira to them here, the rate is not very friendly.
“Some others asked their trusted relatives and friends in the UK to make payment from their Lemonade Exchange App, which will determine the naira/pounds rate of the day. Sometimes this payment is offered in the form of a loan which will be repaid when the student gets his/her visa and enters the UK. The exchange rate on the app is slightly cheaper than the black market rate.”
Explaining why there was a surge in the number of applicants based on his exchanges with students travelling to the UK, Ilesanmi also hinged the huge traffic on the new immigration law restricting dependants from travelling on the tier 4 route.
“Considering the age bracket of those that use the student route to the UK, it is understandable that most people in this age bracket will be in either marriages or civil relationships. Before the immigration policy changes in January, the route allows prospective students to travel with their partners and children.
“It is expected that the January immigration changes will affect the chance for your partner/children to travel with you. Most people had to re-strategise in order to travel with their loved ones. The hike or surge in the numbers is an expected response,” he said.
He also believed that the number of Nigerians going to the UK before the end of the year may be on the high side because the change in immigration law only affects those whose courses start in 2024.
He said: “We have more people (who will leave for the UK before the year-end). Some of the students with courses starting in January 2024 have abandoned the admission offers they got in order to apply to schools still offering late September 2023 admissions like the University of Sussex, Robert Gordon University and some others. The growing numbers are so high that the UK Application Partner in Nigeria (TLS) now opens on Saturdays for biometric and passport pick-ups.
“What makes the route very desirable to an average Nigerian is the perk of travelling with your loved ones. The perk is out of the way for those whose courses start in January 2024 and onward. The numbers are expected to reduce drastically, I believe it will.
“I think due to the language barrier that has always been a problem in non-English-speaking countries, some Nigerians will rather invest their money in the UK skilled worker visa route (Tier 2). At the moment, that route is generating bad publicity due to shady deals from external agencies involved in helping prospective applicants get Certificates of Sponsorship (COS). That might give those considering the route a rethink.
“I believe countries like Malta and Schengen countries will end up mopping up the numbers (of Nigerian applicants) in the coming years. Those countries have their associated problems, but I expect that many people may overlook the issues and still opt for their visas. Canada is still a very attractive option as well. And at the moment, the immigration laws are encouraging. It will top the list of to-go countries as well.”
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