More Nigerian Youths Leave Nigeria as United Kingdom Student Visas jumps by 415.3% in 2 Years

• More Nigerian youths in search of a better life are leaving the country, according to a new statistics
• United Kingdom government has announced that the number of Nigerian students entering the country jumped by 415% in 2 years
• Officially getting a UK student Visa could cost as much as 150 pounds per year. A short-term visa fee is 97 pounds for six months and 186 pounds for 11 months.

A record number of Nigerian youths in search of good education and hopefully a better life were welcome to the United Kingdom in the last two years.

This was disclosed in a report contained in The Times on Monday, titled, Huge rise in non-EU migrants to Britain

According to the report, Nigerian students recorded the highest student visa approval jump from 8384 in 2019 to 43,200 by 2022.

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This is a huge rise of 415.3% in 2 years.

The report stated that the main driver of the sharp increase in work-related immigration since 2019 came from migrants from outside the EU.

Part of the report reads:

“The number of foreign students also soared last year, hitting a record high of 416,000, up by more than a half compared with 2019.

“The implementation of a points-based immigration system has opened up half of all jobs in the UK to foreign workers, by lowering salary and skill thresholds for migrants.

“Previously, employers had to prove that a British worker could not be recruited to fill a vacancy before recruiting from abroad. The number of professions that qualify for skilled visas has been significantly expanded to include jobs such as chef, bricklayer, electrician, welder, health and care worker, while the government also removed caps on most visa routes.”

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The statistics

Nigeria recorded a 415.3% rise, from 2019 to 2021 in the number of approved sponsored study visas, in 2 years from 8,384 to 43,200.

Nigeria was followed by Pakistan and India in stark rises in approved UK Sponsored Visas according to the report, With Pakistan rising, 255.9% in 2021, to 17522 students from 4,927 and India rising, 164.1% in 2021 to 98,747 in 2021 from 37,396 in 2019.

Statistics for workers

For skilled Visas, Nigeria recorded the highest jump of 161% in 2 years from 3,918 to 10,245.

“Indian, Pakistani,Nigerian and Filipino workers accounted for most of the increase. Indians account for the largest number of skilled work visas, with 67,839 granted last year, 14% higher than 2019.

“Nigerians accounted for the sharpest increase of 161%, rising from 3,918 to 10,245 in the two-year period.

Workers from the Philippines rose by more than half, from 6,315 to 9,690 in the same period, while the number of Pakistanis granted skilled worker visas rose by almost two thirds from 2,702 to 4,387 Nairametrics added.

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Nigerian public universities shut

The news of an increased number of Nigerian students entering the UK is coming on the back of the total shut down of public universities across the country.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, which began on February 14, is currently in its ninth week and maybe stretched for a total of 16 weeks due to the Federal Government's failure to meet the union's demands.

Three Nigerians, Ikenna, Chidi, Oghenetega get N197.7m

Meanwhile, three young Nigerians recently won nearly half a million dollars from Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma.

Legit.ng reported that the funds were given to startups across Africa that set out to solve major problems within their countries.

Among the 10 finalists listed, Nigeria's Ikenna Nzewi came 2nd as Jack Ma foundation disclosed over 12,000 applications were submitted.

Source: Legit.ng