A new migration report has revealed that 78% of Nigerians who entered the United Kingdom on student visas in 2020 still maintained valid immigration status by the end of 2025. This proportion is the highest among all major nationalities reviewed, according to the briefing sourced by Vanguard.
Nigerian Students Lead Post-Study Retention
The report found that Nigerian graduates are far more likely to remain in Britain after completing their studies compared to students from other countries. For context, only 58% of Indian students from the same 2020 cohort still held valid visas five years later. Graduates from China and the United States showed even lower retention rates.
Across all nationalities, 41% of people who received their first UK student visa in 2020 still had valid immigration status by the end of 2025. Researchers attributed the high Nigerian retention rate to students switching from study visas to the Graduate Visa or other eligible work routes after graduation.
Visa Switching Patterns Among Graduates
Among those who remained in the UK, 26% had transitioned to work visas, while 6% were still studying under valid student visas. The remaining 59% no longer held valid visas, suggesting they had likely left the country after completing their education.
The report also noted a significant increase in post-study retention over time. Only 25% of students who first arrived in 2019 still held valid visas five years later, compared to 78% for the 2020 cohort. This indicates a growing trend of international graduates staying longer in the UK.
Pathway to Permanent Residency
Despite the high retention rates, the report cautioned that staying in the UK after graduation does not automatically count towards permanent residency. Time spent on a Student Visa or Graduate Visa does not contribute to the standard five-year residence requirement for indefinite leave to remain.
Instead, those years are counted under the UK's long residence route, which requires migrants to complete 10 years of continuous and lawful residence before becoming eligible to apply for settlement.
Potential Changes to Settlement Rules
The pathway to permanent residency may become even more challenging. In November 2025, the UK government proposed increasing the standard residency requirement for settlement from five years to 10 years. However, as of June 2026, details on how and when these changes would take effect remained unclear.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding future immigration reforms, Nigerian graduates continue to rank among the international students most likely to establish longer-term lives in the UK by moving into employment and other eligible visa categories after graduation.
