debosky:

Even with all the horror stories of people dying while trying to reach Europe via the Sahara, people still embark on that life threatening journey, so the restrictions are unlikely to deter highly determined Nigerians from trying.

debosky:

@ kidonig

I think the point tensor and others are making is this:

- Not everyone will consider staying in the UK after their studies as a necessity

- Among those that make a choice to remain, a number will be exceptional individuals who will be given an opportunity to stay, be it a job offer or something else. It is this group of people that he believes should not be discouraged from coming, as the UK is specifically interested in attracting those people from Nigeria.

- Education is a lifelong asset that you can't measure simply by the ability to emigrate - even if it doesn't yield an immediate benefit, a UK education still has great value, especially when considered with the typical education you could receive in Nigeria.

- there are no easy alternatives - even people mentioning Canada are doing so so easily as they don't know or haven't experienced the issues involved in emigrating or starting off life there.

juzme:

@Kidonig you dont need to use all your energy trying to convince Tensor777. I think this posting is quite clear. Noone is telling anyone not to come to UK rather it is a kind of warning or advice on the majority who think UK is still a place you can make good money while living as a student. By the way, Noone also is saying that Education is not very important especially when you obtain it from the western countries.
And for someone to tell us here that it is easy to find a part time job these days in Uk, the person is not telling us the truth. I have friends for the past one year they dont have job and many of them have finished their Masters and some of them switch to other courses while some could not switch because of financial problem. I dont want to generalize but most people I have seen has this problem. Of course there are people doing well in UK and those people have established long time ago. I think we are talking about PROSPECTIVE STUDENTs who may have high expectation from UK. Sure, if you just want to acquire education and then think of what do next then you can always choose any country of your choice.
Again, nobody is comparing UK with Nigeria. Noone is saying that UK education is of low standard here. We are talking about economic gain during and after your study.
Neverthless, there are people who could be very lucky in life. So if you are the kind of person who believe in luck then you dont need to take any advice from here.

juzme:

@Kidonig you dont need to use all your energy trying to convince Tensor777. I think this posting is quite clear. Noone is telling anyone not to come to UK rather it is a kind of warning or advice on the majority who think UK is still a place you can make good money while living as a student. By the way, Noone also is saying that Education is not very important especially when you obtain it from the western countries. And for someone to tell us here that it is easy to find a part time job these days in Uk, the person is not telling us the truth. I have friends for the past one year they dont have job and many of them have finished their Masters and some of them switch to other courses while some could not switch because of financial problem. I dont want to generalize but most people I have seen has this problem. Of course there are people doing well in UK and those people have established long time ago. I think we are talking about PROSPECTIVE STUDENTs who may have high expectation from UK. Sure, if you just want to acquire education and then think of what do next then you can always choose any country of your choice.
Again, nobody is comparing UK with Nigeria. Noone is saying that UK education is of low standard here. We are talking about economic gain during and after your study.
Neverthless, there are people who could be very lucky in life. So if you are the kind of person who believe in luck then you dont need to take any advice from here.

debosky:

In the line of giving educating information, I'll give my take on the new 'restrictions'.

Based on my understanding of the policy document, you only need to earn £40,000 if you're making an 'initial' application for Tier 1 General separate from post study, or if you started your post study work after April 2010.

If you need to extend your leave and you started your post study before April 2010, you only need to have earned above £26,000 in the qualifying period.

Just to clarify - these figures are based on an individual completing a masters degree and being under 30.

Other alternatives such as gaining a phd exist, or taking an MBA.

Even with the 'stringent' requirements, I have heard of Nigerians claiming income from their bogus 'companies' in Nigeria, just to make up the £40,000 mark. Some claim to be directors of companies and so on and get someone to pay in money into accounts, either here in Nigeria or in the UK to give the appearance that the incomes are earned.

Needless to say, £40,000 isn't that much of a limiting constraint given Nigerians' ability to find innovative solutions.

Zuha:

My own advise is simple. If you are going to the UK solely just to study and you have a good financial base here in 9ja and you intend to go home ASAP when you graduate, then its not a bad idea. But if you by chance want to settle in the UK, you will remember this thread in a years time or so when you have committed resources only to realize that you have made a serious mistake. Shikena!!!!

tensor777:

Some may get job offers in Nigeria immediately after graduation some may be employed  here in the West, some may get scholarships for further trainng etc. Others may network and gain business connections thereby
IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Zuha:

Even if they don't stop the Tier 1 post study work visa in April (I am almost very certain that they will), the Tier 1 general visa has now been stopped PERMANENTLY, This simply means that even if you get a Post Study Work visa after your studies, you have 2 years to get your acts together and either go home or become an illegal immigrant. If you are dreaming of someone sponsoring you on a Tier 2 visa, think again as the laws on Tier 2 are now very tough and you need to be paid up to £40,000 to get a visa longer than a year in addition to the fact that they have cut down the number to 20,700. Ask yourself (or your guys in the UK), how many people in the UK who have finished their studies have been sponsored on a Tier 2 visa?

tensor777:

That is very very unlikely as it is directly against the interst of universities and businesses to have this kind of clampdown. The Liberal Democrats surely won't stand for it.

Vicjustice:

   No matter how bad the reccession seems, there are still people who got achievements in it.
   I will not discourage people from coming to Europe as long as they have legitimate reasons to come, and even if the gravity of the recession is 10 times more, the UK will still be better than Nigeria in every regard.

Mite wanna rephrase that dere buddy

tensor777:

You say things have changed right? Yes when it comes to Tier 2 students. But when we get down to brass tacks has anthing changed for [b]Tier 1 students?[/b]At the moment no, but we will all have to wait until April to see if the Government manitains the opportunity given to international newly graduated students to apply for a 2 year post work study visa. That really is the crux of the matter and the whole tipping point of this drawn-out debate.
My own gut instnct is that they will maintain the status quo. We just have to wait and see.

justwise:

Anything like that for students?

tensor777:

Yes. A post -study work category of the Tier 1 visa is a transitional route to allow the most talented non-EEA nationals graduating from UK universities to transfer to a work or study visa.

Zuha:

For all I know, there is nothing like Tier 1 student and Tier 2 student. Their is Tier 1 post study work and Tier 2 is an employer sponsored work permit which is like the American H1B visa which restricts you to working for only one employer.

Like I said before, how many 9ja graduates have been sponsored for the Tier 2 visa? What percentage do they constitute of all the 9ja grads from British schools?
Just to correct a wrong impression, the Tier 2 visa is not for exceptional talents as Tensor has been saying here. The exceptional talents is a Tier 1 category and you really have to be exceptional to apply for it (see my link above). The Tier 2 visa depends on the resident labour market test which means that the home office will only grant the visa if no one else in the UK or the EU is suitably qualified for the job.
I still maintain my stand.

justwise:

Where are u getting your info? Again, there is nothing like Tier 2 students.