UK authorities have commenced enforcement of a ban blocking Nigerian and other international students from bringing in dependants. 

The UK Home Office, in a tweet on Monday, announced that the ban takes effect on the first day of the New Year. 

Posting a photo with the inscription, “Changes to Student Dependent Rules: Now in Force,” the UK Home Office said, “We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK.”

UK authorities added, “Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt.”

Retweeting the Home Office’s post on the enforcement of the ban, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote, “From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK. In 2024, we’re already delivering for the British people.”

This followed earlier stringent measures to make it difficult for Nigerians and other immigrants seeking to move into the UK to get a visa.

In December 2023, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the changes in visa rules in the House of Commons. 

The government said it would not set a minimum annual salary for foreign workers to be eligible for a skilled worker visa at £38,700 from £26,200. The figure is more than the current average salary of a full-time worker in Britain.

The policy will also restrict dependents’ ability to get a visa into the UK. Healthcare workers would no longer be able to bring their family members. 

Mr Sunak’s administration believe this would cut immigration into the UK by 300,000 per year.