The UK is renowned worldwide for having diverse job opportunities, a standardised educational system, a competitive business environment, and more. Additionally, the UK harbours a population of different cultures and perspectives making it a sought-after destination for foreign nationals including those holding the Family visa UK.
Recently, the UK government introduced new immigration rules to reduce net migration into the country. This action will disrupt travel plans for Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to move to the UK. As a Nigerian citizen, this article will examine the UK immigration new rules and help you take necessary measures while making your travel plans to enter the country.
The UK Conservative-led government through the UK Home Secretary James Cleverly, announced the new immigration rules on December 4, 2023. These new immigration rules, as described as a five-point plan, were birthed due to the recent influx of immigrants into the UK. Statistics show a net migration of about 745,000 people to the UK by the year ending December 2022. Also, in the year ending June 2023, about 672,000 individuals migrated to the country.
For this record-high immigration, the UK government introduced these new rules to tighten the borders and reduce net migration. After the prior announcement of the new immigration rules, further adjustments were made to them on December 21, 2023.
Also, this last announcement established the phased implementation approach for the new rules. Among other reasons, the new immigration rules UK 2024 were designed to attract higher-skilled workers into the UK to contribute to the country’s economy and drastically reduce the number of people who depend on public funds.
Sometimes countries around the globe change their immigration policies for various reasons, especially to target developing circumstances that may negatively impact the nations. That being said, Nigerian citizens seeking to enter the UK for purposes such as working as Care workers, joining a spouse, studying, and so on must comply with the new immigration rules.
For this reason, they must weigh their options to know if they meet the requirements for any visa type that will allow them to enter the country. The new immigration rules that have impacted the various UK visas Nigerian nationals seek may complicate their travel plans from Nigeria to the UK. They are highlighted below:
The UK Spouse visa (a subcategory of the Family visa) was impacted by the new immigration rules which took effect on April 11, 2024. For this reason, Nigerian applicants seeking to obtain this visa to join their partners in the UK must understand that the minimum income requirement for the visa is no longer £18,600.
To obtain this visa, their UK-based partner or sponsor must meet the new minimum income threshold for Family visas which is £29,000. The amount is set to increase in phases to £34,500 later in 2024 and to £38,700 by early 2025 which will be the last phase of the minimum income threshold implementation. However, Nigerian citizens who already hold the UK Spouse visa or other Family visa UK won’t need to meet the new minimum income requirement when applying for a visa extension.
As a Nigerian seeking a UK Skilled Worker visa, you must have been offered employment by a company in the UK. Due to the new immigration rules, your employer must now pay you £38,700 which is about a 48% increase from the previous amount paid which was £26,200. This minimum income requirement took effect on April 4, 2024. This new rule was designed so that the UK’s immigration system will focus more on bringing high-skilled individuals to help boost the economy.
Also, Skilled Worker visa holders, such as Social Care workers are no longer allowed to bring their dependents such as spouses and children on their visa. However, Nigerian nationals who already hold a Skilled Worker visa before the new rules were introduced will not fulfil the new minimum salary requirement when they apply for an extension of the visa, change employers or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Nigerian Universities typically have erratic academic calendars due to strikes, rising insecurity and economic degradation. These and more contribute to the reasons Nigerian students seek UK Student visas. As of 2022, about 59,053 Nigerian students were studying in the UK and as the number of students grew, so did the number of dependents.
Statistics show that as of 2023, the highest number of dependents from international students in the UK came from Nigerian students. With the introduction of the new Student visa rules on January 1, 2024, international students won’t be permitted to bring their dependents to the UK. However, students who apply for a research-based higher degree or PhD will be allowed to bring dependents into the UK.
As a Nigerian national, the cost of relocating to the UK depends on factors. Some of them are your purpose of entering the country, your accommodation, and more. Also, considering the new immigration rules raising the yearly immigration health surcharge from £624 to £1,035 on February 6, 2024, you must make adequate financial plans before relocating to the UK. However, the cost of relocating to UK from Nigeria may be about £15,000 or more depending on your lifestyle and situation.
Whether you’re moving to the United Kingdom on a Family visa UK, Student visa, or Skilled Worker visa, you must comply with the new immigration rules to avoid a refusal. The UK government designed these new rules to curb the influx of immigrants and their dependents who rely so much on public funds in one way or another.
These new rules may negatively impact the travel plans of foreign nationals, including Nigerians. However, it’s best to engage a professional immigration lawyer to assess your situation and help you navigate the application process for your visa to avoid breaking the immigration rules.
Description: Recently, the UK government introduced new immigration rules to reduce net migration into the country and this will disrupt travel plans for Nigerians.
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