Recent changes in UK immigration policy have rendered over 100 jobs previously eligible for Certificates of Sponsorship off-limits, severely impacting thousands of Nigerian professionals working in the country. The UK government increased salary thresholds and raised skill level requirements effective July 22, 2025.
Jobs removed include those in agriculture, hospitality management, selective healthcare roles, protective services like policing, and a variety of arts and community positions. The general salary threshold now mandates £41,700 annually, up from previous figures around £24,000 to £26,000, while health and care roles retain a threshold of £25,600 but with stricter net pay conditions.
Phika Travels’ CEO Kayode Alabi explained the dilemma facing affected workers: “No Nigerians have been sacked because of the new regulations, but at the end of their current sponsorship, those whose jobs have been removed from CoS eligibility will not be able to find a new job in that category, and their visa will not be renewed.” He highlighted the risk of becoming illegal immigrants once sponsorship expires if employers cannot meet the updated salary requirements.
Affected Nigerians, including Banjo Fola, voice growing unease as their visa expiry dates approach without clear pathways to renewal. Others, such as caregivers whose roles no longer qualify, anticipate forced repatriation.
Education expert Sulaimon Okewole projected that the UK policy change could prompt over 10,000 Nigerians to return home or seek opportunities elsewhere due to employer constraints in meeting the raised salary bar.
Data from UK authorities indicate a peak in Nigerian Skilled Worker visa issuances in 2023 with a downturn beginning in 2024. This reflects the immediate consequences of the tightened criteria.
Personal accounts from families, like that of University of Ibadan student Eniola, underscore the human impact behind the statistics. “My mother has been there since 2023, but with her job delisted and sponsorship ending, she fears what comes next.”
This shift signals a stringent new era in UK immigration that may reshape the migration landscape for Nigerians and other skilled workers abroad.