The United Kingdom has put in place a new law that will see Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing their family as dependents except “under specific circumstances.”

This is as the UK government aims to bring immigration into the country that stands at around one million down, Sky News reports.

Under the new rule, the UK will remove the ability for international students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before their studies have been completed to prevent misuse of the visa system.

Sky News also added that “there will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependents and a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents “who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”.

This change takes effect in January 2024 to allow students starting courses in the UK time to plan to adapt to the new

In a written ministerial statement published on Tuesday and obtained by Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said recent immigration figures had shown an “unexpected rise” in the number of dependants coming to the UK alongside international students.