A steep decline in the figure of
study visas issued by the United Kingdom to Nigerians and other international
students for the January 2024 intake has raised concerns about how British
universities would grapple with declining admissions and revenues from foreign
students, following the implementation of the dependant visa ban policy.
The latest data from Enroly Data
Insights representing a cross-section of UK universities and based on 58,000
students, highlighted a substantial downturn in key metrics including deposit
payments, and confirmation of acceptance for studies, among others for the
January 2024 enrolment.
In contrast to January 2023
figures, deposit payments, a critical indicator, have plummeted ahead of the
January 2024 enrolment by 52 per cent, Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
(CAS) issuance by 64 per cent, and visa issuance has seen even more drastic
decline by 71 per cent.
The stark figures, the data said,
are driven by a collapse in the Nigerian market, witnessing drops of 74 per
cent in deposits and 76 per cent in CAS/visa issuance. The data also indicated
a significant decline in students from India, with deposits down by 52 per cent
and CAS/visa issued down by 66 per cent.
The report also said the decline
in enrolment to UK universities by Nigerians could also be linked to the sudden
devaluation of the Naira, a factor which dramatically limits student mobility
and access to foreign exchange.
n May 2023, international
students on UK taught master’s courses were banned from bringing family members
with them as dependants. Only students on postgraduate courses currently
designated as research programs, which includes PhD students, will be able to
bring dependants under new rules.
The UK Home Office, under the
recently dismissed Interior Secretary Suella Braverman, introduced this policy
to take effect from January 2024.
Figures released earlier this
year showed that the number of dependant visas granted to Nigerians had
increased significantly year-on-year, meaning that there are now more Nigerian
family members of students in the UK than students.
The number of main applicant
visas granted to Nigerian students in 2022 was eight times greater than in 2021
– while the number of dependant visas increased by 38 times over the same
period.
Enroly elaborates, “The falls are
partly driven by a collapse in the Nigerian market, where deposits and CAS/visa
issued are down by 74 per cent and 76 per cent respectively. There are
indications there will also be large falls in students from the UK’s largest
market, India, with deposits down 52 per cent and CAS/visa issued down by 66
per cent.”
Themorningstar.com.ng that many
Nigerian students are now increasingly opting for universities in Canada,
Germany and Australia, which are perceived as more migrant-friendly to
accommodate their dependants.
India and Nigeria have the second
and third largest numbers of students in UK universities with many of them
enrolling for the one-year master’s option. In 2021/22, almost three-quarters
(73 per cent) of Indian students in UK education were enrolled in one-year
master’s courses.
Overall, six in ten of all international students in postgraduate programmes in the UK are from non-EU countries. The proportion of non-EU students in undergraduate courses is also more than twice that of EU students.
Additional reports courtesy The Star
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