Di United Kingdom don introduce new rules wey fit make some universities no fit sponsor international students for study visa again. Dis one na part of di government effort to reduce visa abuse and asylum claims wey dey linked to student visa.
Di UK Home Office announce di changes on Thursday. Di new rules go start immediately, while a new rating system for universities go begin for summer 2027.
Di government say some people dey use student visa to enter di UK and then apply for asylum instead of studying. According to Home Office data, 10,835 people wey arrive on student visa later apply for asylum for di year wey end March 2026. Di UK grant 409,954 sponsored study visa for di same period. Dis one lower pass di peak of 498,626 visa wey dem issue for di year wey end June 2023.
Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp say di UK still dey open to genuine international students but want stronger safeguard against abuse. E say: “Di UK go always welcome genuine international students, but our visa system must not be used as a backdoor to asylum and illegal working.” E add say asylum claims from student visa holders don fall by 30% for di last year but more action dey needed.
Under di new rules, universities must meet tougher standards to continue sponsoring international students. Dem must ensure: at least 90% of international students complete dia courses (up from 85%); at least 95% of admitted international students enroll for dia programs (up from 90%). Starting for 2027, universities go dey assessed under a traffic-light rating system. Universities wey receive red rating fit face limits on di number of international students dem fit recruit. Dem go also get to fund a 12-month improvement plan. If dem fail to improve, dem fit lose di right to sponsor international students entirely.
Di policy come as di UK increase scrutiny of asylum claims wey people wey enter di country through legal visa routes make. Home Office data show say Pakistani nationals make di highest number of asylum claims for di year wey end March 2026. Eritreans, Iranians, and Afghans also dey among di top groups. Although Nigerians no dey among di leading nationalities for di latest figures, dem don make significant number of asylum applications over di years. Between 2010 and 2024, Nigerians submit 22,619 asylum applications for di UK, according to Home Office statistics. Di number rise sharply from 1,462 applications for 2023 to 2,841 for 2024.
Di new rules na part of broader immigration restrictions wey di UK government don introduce. Dem aim to ensure say student visa dey used for education purposes only and not as route to seek asylum or work illegally. For genuine international students, including Nigerians, studying for di UK still dey possible, but universities go face stricter monitoring and higher compliance standards.
