Nigerian Graduates Missing as UK Starts High-Potential Visa Application

Nigerian Graduates Missing as UK Starts High-Potential Visa Application

  • Nigerian graduates are missing from the list of countries where UK intends to poach talents through its high-potential visa
  • The UK's action is based on a number of factors including the global ranking of best universities which has no Nigerian varsity in the first 100
  • According to the United Kingdom, the visa is targeted at attracting high-skilled labour force to the country

Nigerian graduates have been excluded from a high-priority visa for graduates which allows first-degree holders, Masters and Doctorate degree holders to go to the country to work in sough-after fields by May 30, 3022.

The visa known as a high-potential visa, allows applicants to move to the United Kingdom without a prior job offer or sponsorship, according to reports by Vanguard.

UK Visa, Nigerian graduates
Nigerians excluded from UK visa programme for graduates Credit: Klaus Vedfelt
Source: Getty Images

However, the conditions needed exempted Nigerians who finished from Nigeria universities.

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Why Nigerian graduates were excluded

In addition, those seeking to travel must have been awarded a degree which an equivalent to or not less than a UK bachelor’s degree.

Findings show that the action by the UK government is premised on a global ranking of top universities which has no Nigerian university in the first 100.

The United Kingdom has been a destination of choice for several Nigerians who seek to relocate abroad for work and academic purposes.

Best graduates in tech, education, others needed

The country’s Minister of Safe and Legal Migration, Kevin Foster said concerning the visa that it is targeted at attracting high-skilled foreign university graduates who would be allowed to work and stay in the UK for up to three years.

Foster said:

“On the expiration of the visa, the holders could switch to permits under the skilled worker, start-up and innovator, exceptional talent, or scale-up route for continued stay in the UK.

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“The new High Potential Individual route will make it as simple as possible for internationally mobile individuals who demonstrate high potential to come to the UK.“
”It will enable those who have already demonstrated their potential through academic achievement to come to the UK without a prior job offer.
“If you’ve been resident in the UK for more than 12 months, you might not need to meet this requirement. Graduates with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree will be given a two-year visa. Ph.D. or other doctoral-level graduates will get visas valid for three years.
”This visa can only be granted once and will not be available to those who have already had a graduate visa.”

Nigerians form long queue at Lagos UK Visa Office after Legit story

Meanwhile, Legit.ng has reported that two days after Legit.ng published a story that the United Kingdom has resumed Priority Visa issuance to Nigerians, the UK visa office is overflowing with Nigerians seeking to obtain visas.

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Nigerians began to throng the UK visa office after it was announced that Nigeria has been removed from the UK red list following the drop in the spread of Omicron variant of COVID-19.

A crowd of applicants was seen milling outside the visa office in Lekki Phase I offices of TLSContact. Long queues were seen as people waited to be called in for the application.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Pascal Oparada avatar

Pascal Oparada (Business editor) For over a decade, Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy. He has worked in many media organizations such as Daily Independent, TheNiche newspaper, and the Nigerian Xpress. He is a 2018 PwC Media Excellence Award winner. Email:pascal.oparada@corp.legit.ng

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