₦airaland Forum

Mcleo007:
There is a possibility that the ILR might not apply retrospectively and may only apply to individuals already on the routes when the rules are introduced.

Forcing people to work for the same employer for 10yrs is peak wickedness. Unless the visas are made to make job switching easy, otherwise, it's nothing but a modern-day slavery.

With all being said, this move might be the biggest revenue generator for the government since they came to office.


So after 8yrs in the country, one could have 60 days to leave the country should they lose their job. That's incredibly punitive.

Even with the job security my role had, I still felt being on a visa unduly restrictive.
Most of what I achieved in the UK financially was thanks to visa restrictions that were lifted during covid and the freedoms I had post-ILR.
The ultimate outcome here would be much reduced attainment (health, financial e.t.c) for immigrants which would likely spill unto their kids. Then same folks would point to that difference as an excuse to go further.

With this, top shooters and folks with options will likely use the UK as a stepping stone to other nations while many who'd remain would be for lack of alternatives. Of course, there'd always be folks seeking to come in.

Goodenoch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez1cn8d28_8

Niko Omilana at the ‘Unite the Right’ rally.

After 2 attempts, I did watch most of it. Not surprised. What's more telling is that though folks in this video look largely rundown, such narrative permeates thru most sectors in different shades. It usually usually only takes a scratch to bring it to the fore.

Also not surprising that the distinction is based on colour and religion not when ones progenitors arrived. It's a very thin line between true concern about immigration and these folks.

What I however find surprising is rising islamophobia. As someone who is a Christian, though I sadly don't go to church regularly, I was usually the most religious person in my cohort. I begin to wonder where all these Christians that want to save their country come from.

ReesheesuKnack:
They want to impose a 6% TAX on International Students so that they will use the money to fund grants for ‘Home’ students!!!!

The same international students that even after getting glossy paper UK degrees will wait a minimum of 10 years to get ILR?

I have a very strong feeling that the Labour Party rep that used to be on this thread, MissJekyll has Japa’ed a long time ago.

What I find most interesting about this announcement is how much little press coverage it got i.e the actual source of the grant. This is virtually the only place I see it mentioned. Its quite telling.
This sure goes against the constant narrative of migrants not contributing despite independent data showing they contribute far more than their local counterparts.

I remember saying during the last visa fee and IHS increase that the UK has seen migration as a low-hanging income source. They'd keep going at it until something breaks.
If not anything, this demonstrates once more my favourite guiding quote- one which many struggle to grasp in their early days here. we're not here because we're wanted. We are because we are needed. In simple terms, we're not being done a favour. It's the main reason why I have always been unapologetic in seeking the best for myself.

Hehe @missjekyll.. perhaps she felt she could do without emotional exchanges which she did seem to have many of

Raalsalghul:
What's the difference between increasing the time to get ILR retrospectively and reform deporting folks with ILR already?

On this, Labour has no moral ground like opined in this article since both policies are the same and will unsettle the people who are in this category.

Make them rest abeg.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/28/keir-starmer-says-farage-plan-racist-deport-people-settled-in-the-uk

She said her parents, who settled in Birmingham in the 1970s, didn’t “just come to work – they settled, they made a contribution to the local community, they were volunteers, they got involved in local politics. They did more than simply work and earn a salary.”

I have always wondered what goes on in the mind of certain second gen folks. It appears they truly believe their parents had widely different (i.e 'better') characteristics than those coming today. At what point does this thinking take hold?

Looking at the description of her parents, it's quite clear they were everyday hustlers however, she's made up this complex in her mind about them being high-riders. I'm sure if you ask Kemi, she'd say her mum who edged in her birth in was also a 'contributor'

I am truly curious as this is a narrative I'd look out for in my kids and challenge if present.

safex:
I'm an auto exporter but I help people buy cars at auction for use here just in case anyone is interested. Cheers

Do you have a contact that undertakes customs clearance in Nigeria?

Once considered buying and shipping but that was from the U.S

Always asked myself this and never got a sensible response. I stumbled upon it one day I decided to read the favourite anti-trouser passage myself and carried on a few verses on.
Most who want to die upon the matter of women wearing trousers don't even know this verse exists.

Funny thing is that most modern clothing have different fabric mixed in one. Check the label of a shirt and you'd see 70% cotton, 25%polyester e.t.c. Good thing is that they're both in thesame chapter and close together so I wonder how one can excuse a verse and die untop the other.

Jamesclooney:
Starmer truly wan use his own hand to topple his government. Digital ID to stop illegal immigrants working? WTF?! The guy is so tone deaf.
Abeg make I brace for the new govt, this guy can’t last another 12 months. Useless govt! Keir Starmer, I pour you pregnant woman spit 💦

Quite interesting he chooses to bring this on now knwoing fully well there'd be good opposition to it.
I'd discount most of of the backlash though which seem to stem from conspiracy theories that have blossomed of late.

Eitherway, no matter what, he should do himself good and not backdown on this as a retreat might very well be the end of his premiership.

lanresz:
However, over the 30 to 60 years, new communities are established and people tend to move to those communities leaving the older ones behind. Lot of these communities are in downtown full of undesirable characters. If you buy a 30 to 60 year old house, a lot could happen in 15 - 25 years when you might be looking to sell it. It depends on where the market is at that point. One thing I have found about Canada is that it is very underpopulated given the landmass......The point I'm trying to make is that with the land size, it is difficult to predict what would happen in 15 to 25 years when one might be looking to sell. Some of the old houses are knock down to build new ones. If the house is in a desirable area like River Valley in Edmonton and the lot size is big, a developer may pull the house down and build 2 to 4 houses on it. A lot goes into play. Given the increase in cost of heating and the temperature in Canada, people care a lot about how energy efficient a house is.

I hope I answer some of your questions.

Interesting and true.
The first thing I noticed in Canada is the ample space. For the most part, there's free room in most directions. When folks put down Canada's housing crises to lack of space, I smile... I tell them the issue is too much space. How can you have the equivalent of almost a dual carriage way in a resi area and as if that's not enough, add another road behind

It's something I'd keep in mind but a bit worrisome though especially coming from a system where I know for the most part, future builds would be father out and not as connected

Sonnobax15:

The real definition of who an African man is...

Our forefathers married multiple wives and they all lived long,but we the men of this generation who are forming civilized end up dying very young.

Crap.
It's high time we start building modern and functional societies rather than chasing frivolities. The world is leaving us behind. This is not 1300 where your number of wives is a bragging right.

NosyNursy:
If it’s weekly, and almost 45% is chopped in tax, does that not give a reason to vex?
The remaining change is what I’m expected to use for bills, rent, food, council tax, etc

Truly, it's tough but just imagine if you were paying 40% base rate (as against 20%) plus NI, student loans (perhaps) and losing out on certain benefits. Some peole get only 28 - 35% of increments after certain thresholds.

Just ran a quick querry thru GPT and this is the result for the 'death trap' between 100 and 125k. This is not even considering pensions which many ultimately have to use to reduce their taxable income

Goodenoch:
Pension is not a tax though, is it?

You can choose to cancel your contribution at any time (although of course that would be a massively foolish thing for anyone to do).

Anyway, this is definitely not the full story because you would pay 0 PAYE if that was truly your full earnings per month. NI contributions would also be negligible.

Overall, I’m a staunch believer that the UK is not overtaxed. Everything we benefit from (even though we cannot access benefits lol) needs to be paid for - infrastructure, security etc - and it’s very middle of the table compared with many other countries with similar systems: https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/06/27/uk-workers-tax-wedge-infographics/

Fair enough.
Low to mid earners in the UK pay relatively lower taxes when compared to other nations. Added to this is the fact that our minimum wage is one of the highest in the OECD and it's increased yearly. This is not counting the generous benefit system (for eligible folks) and free healthcare. Where the UK really trumps others are the tax free or tax efficient accounts. Combining pensions and ISAs, an individual could save 80k per year - a good chunk of which remains tax-free. Very few western nations (if at all any comes close)

Folks having it tough are immigrants still on a visa due to limited opportunities and higher earners who bear the brunt of the taxman without comparatively high incomes they could command in other countries. Overall, this reduces inequality in the UK but also leeds to flight of human capital.

Goke7:
Just schoolboy politics, leaving more serious things to focus on the most vulnerable population they can find, easy to suppress.

Maybe by the time they are done with people with ILR or permanent status, the next will be naturalised citizens. Who else will they blame next for their woes? Gradually they are getting there 😂

Students' dependents - cancelled, care workers overseas and dependents - cancelled, skilled workers with less than RFQ 6 - cancelled, medium-skilled workers' dependents - cancelled, ILR - to be cancelled, naturalised citizens -

Hehe... the citizenship treshold would cause alot of chaos moreso with Britain having roots thatrun wide.

A whisper mind tells me with time, they'd say dual citizens would not be eligible for state pension. That'd be an easier hurdle to navigate than reforming (i.e cutting) the state pension. Eitherway, I'd still continue to make voluntary contributions as a proper citizen looking to help the Treasury

Reform forcing Labour into the corner while out of government might be the very thing that'd lead to their demise. Labour would likely exhaust all options before Reform gets in (if they do). By then, all it'd take would be an inevitable cut in benefits or state pension for a good chunk of Farage's support to evaporate.

Ultimately, my British compatriots need to understand that this is not 1860 or the hay days of the empire. Britain is a dying empire and they need to adjust to the fact that things are not as they were in the past. Today, some of those migrants from previously colonised states are collecting rent from Brits in GB

Raalsalghul:
This is exactly what would happen.

The centre of gravity for UK politics has certainly shifted right.

Current Labour is centrist and spineless.

Too bad, a far left party such as Greens or Your party has struggled to gain traction. With Starmer not being a firm leader, he may invariably drift towards the right (as he's already doing) until he understands theres no vote to be won there

Igbamatigbi:
Hello, please is it possible to get mortage with less than 8 months on visa? My visa will be renewed in another 8 months but I want to start the process now for a old build house thanks

Depends on your role. Ive seen someone get in less time though he was set to go.

Goke7:
.... The UK PM was the one who actually played into these folks' hands with all those earlier economic policies of scrapping welfare here and there. If he were more focused and brave enough like his counterparts in France and Germany, Nigel and his gang wouldn't have grown this much in popularity. His political naivety is what has caused all this.

Hehe... I wouldn't be surprised if Starmer's response to this is to hasten up the 10yr ILR bill. He and Kemi need to understand they wouldn't beat Reform in right wing policies neither would they convince core right wing voters to choose for them over Reform.

My main concern with Nigel is that he has shown he can cause havoc out of government by driving policies even for governments that oppose him. If not for the folks that my suffer, I'd really want him to be PM. In a country like the UK with a promptly unforgiving political system (unlike the U.S), it'd be nice to see him run the economy.

Fred2020:
Anyone potentially affected should take a brace position and plan alternatives.

The UK is ultimately going to become more nationalist with minorities and vulnerable groups being scapegoated even by Labour as they are chasing the tailwind of reform. I expect Labour to roll out some very restrictive policies against legal migrants in the coming weeks to try to take the wind out of Reforms sail.

Ultimately, everyone other than the stereotypical white British will likely be hammered and blamed at some point in time as nationalists gain in the polls.

The UK's path to a turnaround is likely to be in the events that the US strong rightwards swings result in severe economic and social setbacks much like UK's experience with Brexit became a lesson for other right-wing parties in Europe to shelve the idea of leaving the EU.

Well said. The reality is that many will struggle with that given the general preparedness and current world climate.

It does seem the only thing stopping Reform at this stage would be a woeful performance of Trump or a huge scandal. A scandal is less likely given Nigel's supporters would turn a blind eye to anything he does at this stage.

lavida001:
So this Canada man still dey here 🤣 Thought you left for good. Love to the family 🤣

Not surprised. Guessing this is how you hope to build Nigeria.

lavida001:
What’s wrong with these Pakistani men and sex. They are always tied to sexual scandals. Disgusting 🤮

What if it was a white British man, what would you say?

justwise:
This is getting very interesting now for our Kemi

Yesterday Tory MP and shadow minister Danny Kruger defects to Reform

Today former Tory minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform

The way things are going before next GE Tory may be gone as a political party

Despite all the recent chaos in the UK, I almost forgot she was there. It seems the media has decided not to give her appropriate airtime and instead have christened Nigel as the de-facto opposition leader. Aside her statutory debate time in parliament/PM questions and scattered interviews, the media defaults to asking Farage to offer opposing views to govts policies as though they are the opposition

Weeks back when I heard her complaining about racism, it became clear that things have come full circle for her. Oddly, last week, there was a clip of her refusing to condemn Musk's call for violence on our streets.

Ultimately, I keep asking... why would the traditional Tory vote Kemi over Nigel

AlphaUno:
Annoyed, really?
I expected it sha, as analysts pointed in that direction. They just being cautious as per inflation is 3.8%. Next meeting in early November, I also foresee a cut to take into 2026

I'm due a remortgage late Nov. Hoping on another cut before then. The bond market chaos hasn't helped but with the Fed cutting rates, hopefully, BOE follows suit

ferfer:
1) Rental accommodation depends on the city and ...

Good stuff

For the rental, I ultimately used rentfaster with aim to get my place when the rental expires

It appears Facebook marketplace is quite popular in Canada as I've seen a few reference it. I'd keep that in mind in future. The waitlist for RAVs dey make me laugh. I know it's dependable but the car dey like taxi for Canada. With a vehicle, I just want peace of mind. As I was blowing money on Uber with my movement still being restricted, I ultimately went to a dealership and sorted out a lease.

Lol @nauseate. See me that my MTN line has been going strongly for over 7yrs away while only needing to use it at intervals. On my initial visit, I got a prepaid sim with Freedom but the jokers told me it's been deactivated when I wanted to return. Appears they deactivated it in abt 3months and worse still, there I was unable to retrieve the number. Subsequently got my second my sim at the airport. It costs 44 cad with 200mins fee international calls which includes the UK and 9ja and 100gb I think. The free international calls was the main clincher. Its saved me alot on roaming fees.

With the mortgage, I'm hoping to put down enough to avoid the insurance prenium. I heavily overpaid on my last mortgage and looking back, I might have handled it better i.e pay the minimum required sum and keep the overpay aside- mostly invested and when I come to remortgage, I can decide how much to add based on the LTV I'm targeting which would be dependent on the rates on offer. Ultimately, there is the subtle pressure that comes with having a large part of your home unpaid - I guess that's what the relevant insurance cover is there for.

Good enough, I'm not in BC or Ontario. My city has shown some resilience with modest growth and I wouldn't be surprised if that continues into the coming years as markets stabilise. Target is to start looking over winter but I know the market is slow then. I wonder what the common online aggregator for house sales is. I mean one where I can see over 90% of listings. I want to keep an eye on things.

My case is a bit nuanced in that I'm self-employed. So any employee/employer contribution ultimately comes from me. I'm still tryna wrap my head around the RRSP stuff and how tax efficient it can be in different scenarios. So far, I've found it needlessly cumbersome while not being very tax efficient or generous. It appears if one has too much there, it might be detrimental in retirement. Looking for an ELI-5 article on it all. My accountant wasn't so keen on it and says he tends to advise his older (middle-aged) clients to focus more on other investments such as property.. sounded kinda odd

Good performance on your investment. Is the e-series fvnd a global one? Do you know of a site that agrregates brokers and fvnds based on select criteria e.g fees they charge? I'm looking for the Canadian version of this: https://monevator.com/compare-uk-cheapest-online-brokers/
Also a place where I can see deals to be had with different brokers.

lanresz:
Well, we learn each day. I stayed in the house for 9 years. The way I looked at it then was that I would still have had to pay rent to live somewhere if I didn't buy the place then. Now I advise people to steer clear of condos and row townhouses. They tend not to hold value.

After living in 3 provinces, I have noticed this too. The premium is huge. Reasons giving are that new homes are better insulated and have modern features. By the time you renovate an old one to have more modern features, the difference in price will not be that much. A new house will be easier to insure and the house will still be under warranty. It will be had to market a 100 year old house in Canada. In many cases those houses will not be in a desired neighborhood. For me, I'm not after new ones. I live in a house built in 1990 at the moment. The same house would have cost nothing less than $100K more if the house is less than 5 year old. I had to get rid of the carpets in the house when I bought it since I hate the smell.

That's surprising. I wonder if it's because the car-centric nature of most North American cities and the fact they are relatively much newer and planned out that way.
One would expect that older houses would be in more established parts of the city with good infrastructure connections and known communities as against new builds which would be on the outskirts with an evolving population.

If one buys a 30-60 yr old house, what's likely to happen in 15-25 yrs when one might be looking to sell? Would the age then be a negative factor? If so, wouldn't it make sense to factor that from the outset? Also, what happens to older houses.. are they all knocked down to build new ones?

In Europe, most cities evolved naturally over centuries and there is more focus on pedestrianisation meaning older houses are well located. They may not be as energy efficient but folks hardly care. Maybe its cos temperatures are not as cold but then, energy costs are higher
In fact, some older house are 'listed' meaning they have a protected status and can only be renovated in line with how they were originally built e.g sach windows, tatched roofs e.t.c. Its a pain in the a** yet folks stil buy them. What's even more surprising is that most of these (esp in cities) are in rows of similar appearing and conjoined houses but still retain their value. In Canada, it still surprises me how in many afeas, every house looks distinct.

AlphaUno:
BoE set to maintain it's rate @ 4%, a trend that could go on till early 2026, according to analysts.
Never been this interested in interest rates.

A bit annoyed. Was hoping on a drop. Perhaps, the next

elengine:
Hello everyone. In the light of recent ILR brouhaha, I'm already considering canada and my PR should arrive in 8 months all things being equal. So we are considering selling our properties. The property has appreciated but it is a 5 year fixed and we are just 1 year into it. So we would be 2 years by the time the property is put up for sale. Early Repayment Charges is 8k. My question, is there no way to renegotiate the contract now? Im willing to pay a restructuring fees?

How about requesting a consent to let and renting out the property?

lanresz:
I know many people doing buy to let. It's just not for me. I was forced to be a landlord when I needed a bigger place and couldn't sell my condo townhouse. I was barely break even after accounting for the carrying cost. For this townhouse, condo fees have more than triple compared to when I bought the place 16 years ago. I bought after 2008 financial when I thought prices were at the lowest possible. The property is currently on a rent to own program, I will be making no property gain, I am actually selling it at a loss. The only consolation is that my loss is less than my neighbor's who bought 2 years before me.
....

Lol... pele.
This is not even considering that your loss in real terms (i.e accounting for inflation) would be much more. If that money was in the st0ck market all this time, returns would be gallant without the additional stress. I'd steer clear of condos...never been my thing. I just see property as a tested means of diversification and the access to leverage being the cherry.

One thing I noticed in Canada is the high prenium for new builds. Two brokers I spoke to advised to avoid older houses. When I asked the timeframe of what they consider 'old', their answer shocked me. I wonder if it's the timber framing rather than traditional brick used here. In the UK, we consider anything newer that 2000- 2005 as 'new build' and while freshly built houses may still have some prenium, it's not uncommon to see people swear they'd never touch one. Infact, it's common to see a house proudly marketed as a 'Georgian terrace' or 'Victorian detached' with 'period' features. We're talking 100 yrs and above. They're called period properties with 'character'. Truth be said, some of them have a distinct and unmistakable feel.

AirBay:
Congratulations why go for a lease? Better than finance? Kindly educate me. Are you a business owner?

Choice and numbers- with the lease, I have a residual with an option to buy if I want to.
With the finance, I'm obliged to.

OmichaelO:
thank you so much for this. I have messaged her.

If we decide to leave it we will be loosing ~£2600 over 5 years.

We have not exchanged nor completed.

For better context; the current offer will have us paying 941.17 per month and if we are able to go with the lower product fee. We will be paying ~899 monthly.

Thats enough to warrant a revisit. Its much easier with resi mortgages. For me, two weeks to the end of my conveyancing, I tinkered with flipping my rates but held back as the financial gains weren't worth it. Infact my MA advised that once all things are clear to agree on an exchange or completion date, I should let her know in time so she could recheck rates and see if there is anything better in the offing.


Lets know how it goes

OmichaelO:
thank you for dropping this link.


For the elders in the house please, I need clarification.

Our MA showed us when she was doing the scouting for lenders and we got 4.46% for 5 years, when I went to this link and did further digging, the deal is for 90% LTV and for 85% LTV it's 4.12% for 5 years. I feel we have been short changed because we already paid for product fee. Can we still go back to let her know ? I think this issue was caused because the LTV on page showed 85.01% so it probably pushed us to the 90% ladder. What you do all advise please ?

@lexusgs460 and other elders.

Why not start by having a chat with your MA.
I'd expect an MA to tell me if my deposit was close to the next treshold. If contracts have not been exchanged or you have not moved in, then there should be room to switch especially if you are looking to remain with same lender.

When I buy, my MA tells me what the next lower and higher LTV rates are should I need to touch-up my deposit. If there are fees on some products, as part of the comparison, they should also tell you what the total cost over the duration would be (including fees) so you can make a better decision.
On my resi, as there was some allowance above what I was borrowing that would still not push me into a higher ltv, my MA also mentioned taking out some cash at same rate and as part of my mortgage should I need to e.g to cover moving expenses.

Maria96:
the average condo owner in Toronto/GTA that bought 2 years ago is currently losing 1000-1200 a month, plus the condo value dropping as much as by 10-20%. The housing market is in a mess because everyone wanted to make crazy gains from the equity investment. Unfortunately like a ponzi once immigrants, jobs and foreign buyers dried up . It casted.

The condo market especially in the big cities has been a mess. In my province, property prices have retained some stability and are slightly up.
I've always not been keen on flats/condos because I see their supply as 'unlimited' and they are prone to certain issues and fees

I'd prefer family homes or a multi unit building (as its called).

All said, I wonder if the current slump might profer good value over the next 10 - 20 yrs just like we've witnessed in most markets e.g buying st0cks after the 2008 crash.

The contrarian thought would be if the last frenzy was a generational one e.g Japan boom that happened around 1990 that they are yet to surpass. I think this is less likely to be the case here.

AOI2016:
Hi Guys,
I was with a MA on Monday and we were able to get AIP with Halfiax for 4.62%.

I have lived in the Uk for 3years 6months and I have got 2 years and 2months left on my visa.

I visited some estate agents offices around yesterday and they promised to get me a cheaper rate than I got from the independent mortgage adviser.
My questions are as follows:
1. Can I trust the estate agents to act as a mortgage adviser for me or I hold on to my independent mortgage broker?
2. Can I visit more than one mortgage adviser as I don't want it to affect my credit score due to soft checks.
3. My rental contract expires in March 2026 but i plan to leave before that time. When is the earliest time for me to start searching for house.

Resi mortgage is more straightforward than it seems for most. This is the case if your history is clear i.e a regular job, no adverse rec on your credit report, decent duration in the country/visa...


Majority of lenders would have their rates published on their website and a MA is unlikely to get you a cheaper rate with same lender. From this page, you'd know lenders that offer products to folks on a visa e.g Barclays (https://www.barclays.co.uk/mortgages/fixed-rate-mortgage/). You could visit their website and see the rates for your corresponding ltv. That's what your MA would also relay if they use that lender. Once you visit a few lenders, you'd get a feel of the market and what the average rates are. Remember rates from major lenders track themselves as they need customers.
The MA helps streamline the process, look at lenders you may not be aware of and make sure the application process is less stressful for you.

To your questions
1. The EA is unlikely to double as an MA. They'd likely pass you to an MA they have contact with. You can always chat with multiple MAs as some seem to have ways especially if your history is complex.

2. As far as it's not a hard check, it shouldn't be an issue I believe.

3. If looking to move in March 26, this is about the right time. For most especially first time buyers, it takes sometime to get used to the market and what average prices are (except if you're going for new builds). Average conveyancing would take 2- 4 months or more. Listings tend to slow down in winter. You can also sensibly drag your completion by a month or two. Even if you complete a bit early, you'd need sometime to put your place in order