Thousands of Nigerian Workers at Risk of Deportation as UK Clamp Down on Sponsorship Visa for Over 100 Skilled Jobs

RYNI News : By Omotayo Stephen . O
26 July 2025

A quiet storm is sweeping through the United Kingdom’s immigrant workforce — and for thousands of Nigerians, it may soon mean an abrupt and painful return home.

Following a sweeping overhaul of the UK’s immigration policy, the British government has axed over 100 job roles from its Skilled Worker visa eligibility list, triggering widespread anxiety among Nigerian professionals who relied on these positions for legal residency and employment.

The new regulations, which officially came into effect on July 22, 2025, sharply redefine the landscape for foreign workers. The minimum salary threshold for most skilled roles has now surged to £41,700, up from previous figures hovering around £25,000. Only a limited set of roles on the newly minted Temporary Shortage Occupation List remain exempt from the hike — a list that leaves out many roles historically held by migrant workers.

For Nigerians, the implications are dire. Over the past three years, Nigerians have emerged as one of the largest groups securing employment through the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) system — particularly in health, social care, IT, customer service, logistics, and creative industries. But under the new framework, many of these roles — from pharmaceutical technicians to community support workers, interior designers to logistics supervisors — have been stripped of sponsorship eligibility.

What this means, in practical terms as gathered by Saturday PUNCH, is that current CoS holders may not be able to renew their visas when their current contracts expire. Without a valid visa, they could face deportation or be forced to leave voluntarily.

Speaking to The Global Sentinel, Kayode Alabi, a UK-based immigration consultant and CEO of Phika Travels, warned that “many affected Nigerians are already in panic mode.” He added, “If your job has been delisted, you won’t qualify for a new visa or sponsorship. That means your time in the UK is ticking.”

For those in health and care roles, the situation is slightly more nuanced. While the salary threshold remains at £25,600, employers must now prove this is the net amount employees will receive after deductions like accommodation and transport — a hurdle many small care homes may struggle to meet.

Expressing her concerns, one affected Nigerian caregiver, whose visa expires in August, confirmed to Saturday PUNCH , “My role has been delisted. I’ve applied to several companies, but none can meet the salary threshold. I may have to return home.”

Across online forums and diaspora networks, similar stories abound. Some employers have openly stated they cannot adjust salaries in line with the new regulations. Others have frozen recruitment altogether, awaiting clarity.

Sulaimon Okewole, CEO of Cardinal E-School and Edu Services, predicts that over 10,000 Nigerians may be impacted. “The emotional and economic toll is real. People sold properties, left families, and made long-term plans based on the previous system. Now, everything is up in the air.”

Data from the UK Home Office supports this sobering projection: after a spike to over 26,000 Nigerian Skilled Worker visa approvals in 2023, approvals have already begun to decline sharply in 2024.

As Britain tightens its borders in pursuit of lower net migration, thousands of Nigerian families now face a chilling question: Where do we go from here?

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