The United Kingdom, through its Home Office, has officially initiated the enforcement of its dependant visa ban, preventing Nigerian students and other foreign nationals from bringing their family members.
The UK’s Home Office reiterated this decision through an announcement on Monday, specifying that only foreign students engaged in postgraduate research or under government-sponsored scholarships would be eligible to bring their dependants through study visas.
“We are fully committed to a substantial reduction in migration. Starting today, new overseas students will no longer have the ability to bring family members to the UK. Exceptions will be made for postgraduate research or government-funded scholarship students,” stated the Home Office.
Earlier in May 2023, the Home Office, led by Suella Braverman, introduced this policy to restrict Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing family members as dependents, except in certain circumstances. British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, clarified that the policy aimed to address housing problems by controlling the influx of immigrants.
Under the new policy, the UK will eliminate the option for foreign students to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, aiming to prevent misuse of the visa system. Additionally, there will be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependents, along with efforts to curb the activities of “unscrupulous” education agents who exploit inappropriate applications for immigration purposes rather than genuine education. The Home Office emphasized that the dependant visa ban policy is part of its broader strategy to reduce migration.