UK issues strict policy stopping Nigerian, other international students from bringing dependents
By Sabiu Abdullahi
In its effort to curb the high rate of Japa, the United Kingdom’s Home Office has officially rolled out its rigorous policy restricting Nigerian students and other international counterparts from bringing dependents into the country via the study visa route.
This significant development, designed to tighten immigration controls, was announced on the Home Office’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), this Monday.
According to the updated regulations, only postgraduate research students and those with government-sponsored scholarships will be exempt from the prohibition on bringing family members.
This follows the implementation of a law in May 2023 that specifically targets the entry of dependents for Nigerian and other international students, reflecting the broader government objective of reducing immigration, which currently stands at approximately one million.
The Home Office reaffirmed its dedication to a substantial reduction in migration, declaring, “We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK. Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt.”
In addition to the ban on bringing dependents, the new regulations include the removal of the permission for international students to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, aiming to curtail any misuse of the visa system.
The UK government also announced a comprehensive review of the maintenance requirement for students and their dependents, coupled with a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents involved in improper applications that exploit immigration pathways rather than genuine educational pursuits.
A statement on the official site of the UK’s Home Office outlined the government’s objective to significantly reduce net migration by restricting the ability of international students to bring family members, with exceptions only for postgraduate research routes.
The move also seeks to prevent individuals from exploiting student visas as a backdoor route to work in the UK.