The British government has reported earnings exceeding ₦40 billion (approximately $34 million) from visa fees paid by Nigerian nationals between June 2023 and June 2024.
This substantial revenue was generated from processing over 225,000 visa applications, highlighting a robust demand for travel to the United Kingdom despite increasingly stringent immigration policies.
Marc Owen, director of visa, status, and information services at UK Visas and Immigration, shared these figures during the inauguration of Africa’s largest UK Visa Application Centre in Lagos.
He stated, “In the year to June, we processed more than 225k UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories.
This new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient, and meet the needs of all applicants.”
However, the period also saw a notable rise in visa rejection rates for Nigerians, particularly affecting those applying for study visas.
Data indicates that in the latter half of 2023, approximately one in eight Nigerian study visa applications was rejected, a significant increase from the previous year's rate of one in 31.
This surge in rejections is attributed to the UK's tightened immigration policies, including restrictions on dependent visas and changes to the graduate route post-study work visa. Consequently, there was a 63% drop in study visa approvals for Nigerians in Q4 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
These developments have prompted many Nigerians to consider alternative destinations for education and migration, with the United States emerging as a popular choice. During the 2023/2024 academic year, Nigeria ranked as the seventh-largest source of international students globally and the highest in Africa, with 20,029 Nigerian students enrolled in U.S. institutions — marking a 13.5% increase from the previous year.
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