The Step-by-Step Guide To Getting A UK Post-Graduate Student Visa Successfully From Nigeria

With the spate of insecurity in Nigeria and growing inflation, it has become pertinent to seek greener pastures abroad and a lot of Nigerian youths have resorted to using the Student Visa route to “japa”.

There are several countries you can relocate to; top of the list includes the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom which we will cover in depth in this article.

We will provide a detailed step-by-step guide to successfully applying for UK schools and getting a UK student visa without hassles.

Here’s a brief overview of requirements for some of the countries mentioned above before we give a detailed breakdown of the UK student visa route.

Requirements for studying in the United States, Canada & Germany

• To get a student visa to the United States, you don’t need proof of funds. Also the chances of getting a fully funded scholarship in the U.S is more compared to the UK. US schools usually require an application fee when applying to their schools.
• For Canada, you need to pay application fees, health insurance, have work experience and do your medicals.
• Germany is tuition free but you will require a maintenance fund that will be kept in a blocked account and a monthly amount will be deposited into your German account monthly for your upkeep. Therefore, the choice is yours to decide which country to focus on.

Requirements for UK Study/Post-Graduate Student Visa from Nigeria

One thing that makes the UK student visa route very attractive is that you can travel there with your dependents (spouse, common partner or kids) provided you can afford it. In the UK, you can also work part-time as a student while you study and your spouse or common partner can work full time.

To study in the UK as a Post-Graduate Student, you will require:

• Proof of funds(POF),
• Tuberculosis test
• Tuition deposit
• Health insurance payments.

The Step-by-Step Guide: How To Get A UK Post-Graduate Student Visa Successfully From Nigeria

1. Search for Schools: Now that you have chosen UK as the country you will like to relocate to for studies, you should search for schools using the following criteria: Your budget, desired course of study, tuition cost, future job opportunities in the field, city or town in the UK where your desired school is located and the school’s support service in Nigeria. Most schools require a deposit before further processing of your admission.

2. Apply to Schools: After making your choice based on the criteria above, apply to the shortlisted schools that tick all the boxes for you. Ensure you have your certificates, transcripts, international passport, statement of purpose and resume ready if need be. Follow through with the application process and get the conditional offer of admission.  We advise that you apply to several schools to increase your chances of gaining admission to study in the UK.

3. Deposit Payment: Most schools require a deposit payment before you can receive an unconditional offer of study. For most schools in the UK, resumption falls in January and September. If your resumption is in September, ensure you request for Form A from your bank by May/June to avoid the rush and delays that comes in July and August. For January intakes, ensure you pay by late September/October. This will allow you to get your unconditional offer on time so you can process your visa on time.

See also: Complete list of UK Health Worker ONS job codes

Note that any school that offers you admission must issue you a confirmation of acceptance for study or CAS certificate once your deposit has been made. If your school requires you have proof of funds before issuing you CAS, ensure you have slightly above the required sum running in your account before requesting for CAS.

4. Get your TB test Done: As stated earlier, another requirement for UK Visa is a tuberculosis test which must be done at the IOM centre in Lagos or Abuja. Ensure to register early for your T.B test as it can get really daunting getting an appointment date during peak seasons. The Lagos and Abuja centres are the only 2 IOM centres in Nigeria. If you’re finding it difficult to book a date for your T.B test via the IOM website, contact us for an easy way to get a date for your TB test.
5. Pay for IHS & Apply for Your Visa: Once you have your CAS, TB certificate and proof of fund up to 28 days, apply for your VISA on the UKVI site. Please note that you don’t really need an agent for this, no one knows your details better than you and can spot errors as fast as you. We will be giving detailed step-by-step processes for Visa application shortly, subscribe via email below and be on the lookout for this. You will need a dollar card to pay your IHS and Visa fees, you can either get someone to pay from abroad for you or source dollars locally to pay.
6. Do Biometrics at TLS: You will also be required to do your biometrics for the visa processing centre in Lagos (Victoria Island, or Ikeja) and Abuja. Getting an earlier date for your biometrics is also not an easy hurdle. If you need assistance with getting a closer date, we can also help with this; Please contact us here.

Once all these have been done, wait for your visa application decision from UKVI. Wishing you all the best in your ‘Japa’ chronicles.

N.B: We might be able to help with your UK visa application process.  If you need help, contact us here.

More resources:

• Now recruiting: Senior Assistant Care Worker with job sponsorship visa to the UK
• How to find a high-paying remote job in Nigeria
• How to Japa to Sweden for work with job seeker visa
• Japa to Germany for work
• Japa to Austria for work via the job seeker visa route