UK two-tier graduate visa cuts post-study work for most Nigerians

Nigerian graduates of most United Kingdom universities will get an 18-month post-study work visa from 1 January 2027, down from two years.

Graduates of the qualifying “high compliance” universities will retain the two years, and doctoral graduates keep a three-year route. The government has not published the list of qualifying universities or the criteria they will be judged on.

The change partially reverses the earlier plan to cut the Graduate visa to 18 months for all bachelor’s and master’s degree holders. Students who graduate before the end of 2026 can still apply for the existing two-year visa.

The Graduate route allows graduates to work or look for work without employer sponsorship, but cannot be extended. Nigeria is the UK’s third-largest source of sponsored international students, with 26,060 study visas issued to Nigerian main applicants in the year to June 2026, and 20,604 Nigerian approvals under the Graduate route, the third-highest of any nationality.

Graduates who want to stay beyond the visa must switch to another eligible immigration category, such as the Skilled Worker visa. The Nation and BusinessDay both note that Nigerian graduates often rely on post-study work to gain professional experience and recover some of the cost of studying abroad.

Sources: The Nation; BusinessDay