Nigerian, Other Foreign Students Can Now Stay and Work in UK

• Nigerian, Other Foreign Students Can Now Stay and Work in UK

The United Kingdom has made important changes to old immigration law that prohibits Nigerians and other foreign students from working in the country after graduation.

Boris Johnson, the newly elected prime minister, said there will be no limit to the number of students that can apply to stay and work in the UK after graduation as those with student visa will be able to switch to a skilled visa if they find a job.

“The measure goes further than the Home Office’s latest immigration white paper, which proposed extending the four-month limit to six months and the limit for those with doctorates to a year,” Guardian stated.

According to inews, the new immigration policy ends one of Theresa May’s most controversial immigration policies when she abolished the two-year post-graduation student visa.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, however, said the new policy will open Britain “to the brightest and best from across the globe.”

In a joint statement put out by Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, they said the UK government plans to increase the number of foreign students entering the UK by 30 percent by 2030.

“International students are vital for our country and provide some of the most crucial skills we need across our workforce,” they said.

“They boost our economy and are a testament to our openness to talent.”

Alistair Jarvis, the Chief Executive of Universities, UK, who obviously was in support of the new policy said: “Evidence shows that international students bring significant positive social outcomes to the UK as well as £26bn in economic contributions, but for too long, the lack of post-study work opportunities in the UK has put us at a competitive disadvantage in attracting those students.”

He further stated that “Not only will a wide range of employers now benefit from access to talented graduates from around the world, these students hold lifelong links with the UK with a recent study showing 77 per cent of graduates want to retain business links with us and 88 per cent would return for tourism.”

The United Kingdom admits about 460,000 foreign students yearly.