₦airaland Forum

ukay2:
New financial year begins today....

Have you maxed out your LISA for the 2025/2026 financial year?

I maxed out today.... entering USA stock market this week.....buy 1 and pick 5 free....

Hehe.. Kudos.

Largely 'stuck' in a GIA

Discounts across board- perhaps some more pain, perhaps the bottom, nobody knows. A run back to previous highs na circa 20% up be dat.

The differentiating feature of this drawdown is that it didn't come on the back of a blackswan. Hopefully, those driving it get back to their senses.

Babyodesco:
Please which pathway can I easily relocate to Canada, as a masters degree holder with working experience.

I'd give some pointers you could look into

Whats your work experience and primary qualification? You may be eligible for category based draws

Also, what's your age? - you might want to calculate your CRS score via the free online calculator (you can estimate an IELTS score)

Have you looked at the financial requirements esp reserve funds- could you muster it for self (and family if you have one)?

Also, if married, your spouse may boost your chances as the main applicant if they have a better express entry profile i.e age, degree e.t.c

Look at the category based draws and see if there are occupations there you have the relevant experience in or can pivot into while prepping other documents. Also, if you speak or are willing to learn basic French, it could be a huge advantage

Goke7:
😂 how will net migration go down if you force people to stay? No be juju be that

Rationale would be many that'd inevitably remain should be milked maximally before being granted longterm stay. Hehe.. people come- wahala. People go elsewhere- wahala. They should only go back to their home nations.

Truth be said, Kemi has struggled to find appropriate coverage in the media and most reportage about her of late has been about guesstimating when (not if) she'd leave/be removed. At least, we no dey hear about Nigeria from her mouth again.

She wrote, “Let me say this again, if the country of your dream is not easy to get into, try to JAPA to another country while you keep trying.

“This was what I did, I tried getting into Canada from Nigeria for sometime but it proved impossible until UK opened its borders for families and I and my family keyed into it without looking back.

“Guess what? When I kickstarted my Canadian JAPA process again, I and my family got our Canadian permanent residency under 6 months from the UK.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/04/how-i-was-able-to-secure-canadian-residency-in-six-months-nigerian-woman-shares/

Stumbled upon this on frontpage... freedom of movement.. Funny enough, it was reported by Vanguard (a national paper)
I wonder what Kemi thinks about this - perhaps she'd advocate 'no visa unless you promise to stay till her 10yr ILR period is due'

wallg123:
While the stock market is dancing awillo una dey here dey argue migrant this migrant that. Its getting boring now. Its friday night you guys should go and have fun or relax biko

Hehe.. markets yesterday were brutal.

I had planned to sell down my GIA and take advantage of the annual 3k CGT allowance before moving to an ISA.. only for me to log on these last few days and na red pro max. Over the last few weeks, was hoping for a bounce but Friday was something else. Just logged out and focused on other things. Now discovered that one can offest loss on certain investments from one tax year unto the other. However, providers dont trade on weekends so its still till the next tax year

For those seeking insurance... Hehe. Found their ad interesting

Used them once but pray you dont have issues as you'd be in an endless chat loop with no one to speak to

Zahra29:
I don't know what you mean here.

I've never said that the home office was blameless. There are many issues I've had with them over the years, and still have with them. But unlike you I'm fair and open minded enough to consider both sides instead of pointing fingers at only ONE party and absolving the other, also complicit party, of all accountability.

Lol.. I'm very happy we now agree the home office/British government were not 'unaware' of the numbers coming in or abuse many suffered. They acted irresponsibly in not being able to reign-in on rampant abuse quick enough in a system they introduced.

Well, it's good that despite challenges, an overwhelming majority of care workers have continued on their pathway to longterm stay.

lavida001:
If only we can channel all the desperations, energy, funds, knowledge towards challenging Nigeria's political class.

What do i know the struggle continues for Africans.

This is false equivalence. Doing that (as many have continued to do) does not stop those who decide to migrate from also speaking up against harms and issues they've encountered. There are over 200m Nigerians back home that continue to strive. You should always remember that when it comes to more recent migration, we as a group have hardly moved.

In same vein, you can also go back and ask the Windrush boat arrivals why they didn't put thesame effort in rebuilding their home nations and instead started kicking up a fuss when asked to return home.

Zahra29:
The bolded is not accurate.
The health and care visa route was extended to care workers in Feb 2022. Only 2 years later in March 2024, the government clamped down on the care route, revoking hundreds of licenses, banning care dependants and introducing new CQC regulations. So it's not true that stories of abuse were in the media for >3 years.

It has been accepted that the Home Office should have forecast better and should have had the proper resources and controls in place. Most of these failings have since been addressed and lessons learned.
...

I see you reverted your intro date from August to Feb. A quick search will show a lot if media reportage of abuse in 2022.

I see you now say 'the home office should have done better'. Thats some improvement.

RalphJean:
Hello Jedisco…
Healthcare express? Can k have some more info about that, please?
You can help me right here, or I can mention you on a dead thread. Or I can send you a Nairaland email message, please?

It's been on for over a year now. I gather it's now being flooded by many who came to the UK for masters, worked in care and pivoting over under 'Nursing aides, orderlies...' job code. Cutoff scores have expectedly risen with time. It's quite encompassing and covers a number of healthcare roles. The interesting thing is that someone who has masters and worked as a health care assistant would have thesame or even a higher baseline score (due to likely being of a younger age) that a medic with post-grad training... so it was fairly easy for many to get in.

Regarding requirements, the main ones are meeting the work experience criteria, certifying educational credentials, IELTS general and minimum funds.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations/category-based-selection.html#wb-auto-20

Usually, there are about 4 healthcare draws per year. There's been none this year. Would be interesting to see what the cutoff for the next is
https://www.nationwidevisas.com/canada-immigration/express-entry-next-draws-prediction/

In other news, Canada has recently announced a seperate Education category express entry draw. For those exploring options, worth looking in.
Know a teacher who came to the UK via the care, pivoted into teaching and now exploring this route.

I and many I know were beneficiaries of the relatively recent healthcare express entry draw.

Goke7:
😂 not forgetting living in the 20 largest world cities index

Hehe... as no UK city was part of the chosen 20, e don be for UK yoots be dat.

Chap reminds me of Chosen folks

lavida001:
Rachel Reeves think otherwise. PIP gone.

Simply put, you miss my point here.

Pojnt is, in Rachel Reeves shoe, I'd be far stricter than she is. As I'm not in her shoe, I'd do my job and leave her to do hers.

Goodenoch:
Good. Thanks. I have had a quick scan through and will read it fully later. It's absurd how incompetent the folks responsible are/were.

Doesn't matter how short-staffed they were - some of the errors in there should mean those in charge shouldn't have responsibility for anything other than maybe waiting tables at McDonald's ever again.

I still continue to wonder why the care visa changes took so long to muster. The media had been rife with stories of abuse for more than 3 yrs yet the pathway was purposely left open as we were continually being told the next review would change it. It's a scandal.

There are enough folks locally to fill the roles. Also, folks who come as students should have that as a fallback option

OgbeniOptional:
The best decision of mine today as the UK is concerned is accepting my new reality asap after graduation and using my PSW to gain experience in care before getting into NHS which later sponsored me. While in PSW, I applied for jobs but it was always “We are sorry” or “We do not offer sponsorship for this role” until I got tired of it.

You capture this succinctly.

1-2 years ago, when the PSW and student visa changes were made, it became clear that many would end up being shafted. Remember having that discussion here.

Imagine a masters student who arrived earlier with family- had to cough up > £20k as Uni and PSW fees now facing removal 3 yrs in. How would they handle it? Many are frantically seeking a care visa now.
Compare that to someone who arrived via Care at same time. That person has 2 years left to ILR and may have got a desired role in or outside care. It's these disparities that drive crazy desperation

Mynd44:
When you impose import levies on products you don't produce locally, you are simply increasing the prices of these items and taking money out of their pockets

This is a security levy imposed on their citizens. So they want to form a notary union and they are making their citizens okay for it.

Not necessarily. Producers might also be forced to take a profit cut to remain competitive. There is a reason why most countries who export to the U.S are very upset at Trumps sanctions. If it was actually a tax on Americans, why would they care?

The 0.5% by these states is more of a token though - they are just looking to send a message. Their economies are small and should benefit more if the take advantage of trade within the block.

orjohn24:
I dont speak to defend politicians but Tinubu profile is brilliant

You're comparing Tinubu to Carney who due to his performance during the globlal financial crises was head hunted by the UK (who he was not a citizen of) to lead their economy?

Like I told the chap above, I'd be keen to know examples of people you respect for their brilliance and achievement.

immortalcrown:
RIP.

1.
She was courageous enough for sex but not courageous to name her partner(s). If it was rape, she would have told at least her mother. A girl of that age will not hide rape experience from her mother, especially as the mother pressured her.

2.
How did she get Gammalin?

3.
The mother threatened her? Hmmm! Persuasion could have been better.

Can you listen to yourself? You sound debased. A 14yo is not old enough to consent to intercourse with an adult. That only happens in backward areas today.

In many if such instances, the perpetrator is usually someone close.

Western nations wouldn't see all these or warn us about loans from such agencies.
If its Chinese loans which have been very productive, they begin to parrot.

We should be careful of and scrutinise all loans (including Chinese ones) and preferably avoid or only take them for capotal projects. However, we should be more careful of western hypocrisy

Good one. Hope it includes modern bus stands, a way of paying instantly or via contactless, regular and timed bus arrivals and eliminating old rickety unsafe busses.

The drivers of theolder busses can be employed to drive new busses or move elsewhere

Zahra29:
..
However due to the ongoing fallout over the "Boris wave", I highly doubt the government would want to introduce a similar route that is potentially open to visa abuse and worker exploitation, not to mention the inevitable spike in net migration figures that they have pledged to reduce drastically. It would be political kryptonite for them.
....

Building is complex manytimes reliant on local regulations and inputs available in an area. I would expect a skilled tradesman new to the country to have teething issues and be better and more efficient 1 and 3 yrs in. Some of these might be related to the work, some wouldn't. As a matter of fact, when it comes to skills, the nation is better served by young, malleable workers who meet certain thresholds rather than the older but more experienced ones who are set in their ways.

The government would want migration to go to 'tens of thousands' if they could same as every one for the last 20yrs. However, if they want to build close to their projected 1.5 homes, we need to find more workers.
With economic growth flatlining, I expect migration to fall close to pre-pandemic levels (the new normal) before the government starts trying to spur growth in not too dissimilar methods their predecessors have used.

Zahra29:
The threshold is expected to increase periodically to keep up with salary requirements using the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data

Keyword: if

Goke7:
What can they attain after a family of five or six would have spent like 20k on ilr, this is what will even make so many settle to remain on benefits and the same system or govt will start grumbling again about people relying so much on welfare. You can take so much from people and not expect them not get so much back. The whole thing does not encourage productivity in the long run. It’s a mess.

We call a part social determinants of health. The difference in expectancy between the poorest and richest postcodes in the UK is about 10 years. This is not even considering quality of life.
At the end, someone would bring up data and start pointing towards the low economic attainment, home ownership e.t.c in certain migrants communities as some form of avenue to make them look inferior without factoring in how they were milked by the state in their productive years.

Someone (or family) working in Care on minimum wage with all the restrictions would pay all the associated visa and settlement cost, have no recourse to benefits and be expected to subsequently lead an enjoyable life. Whereas the average Brit on same level may have their rent subsidised (about 30% of privately rented households receive housing benefit). Many more don't even work and live off the state yet complain how difficult life is for them but expect the migrant to make ends meet.

lavida001:
Not when the nation is broke. If the money is there thats fine. desperate times desperate measures.

Have you seen the huge borrowing rate. The IMF projects a 9% increase in the UK’s debt-to-GDP figure by 2025.

dem go dey alright Africa is there to exploit.

That's the reason you pay your tax and vote so someone whose role it is can worry about that. The way I see it, I'm hardly paid enough for the job I do, why take on someone's role?

In same vein-
If you're a border officer and you encounter a stranded migrant boat at sea, you don't let them drown because the country is broke as you'd rightly go to jail. You rescue them do what you're paid for.
If you work at Tesco and see folks stealing- you don't go fight them cos you'd get sacked, you do your job.
If you work on a paediatric ward and see that young girl spending weeks on the ward cos she has refused to eat or being admitted multiple times cos she keeps taking paracetamol, you don't go scolding her, you do your job.
If you work as a paramedic and are dispatched to that persons house who have threatened to kill themselves for the umpteenth time, you dont cancel the case because you rightly know they are wasting money which we don't have. You follow relevant processes.
If you wirk in a school and see a child having temper tantrums, throwing sand your way, you don't go teaching him or her African discipline and get sacked, you do your job.
If you work as a social worker and decline people care 'because your council is broke', you'd get into serious issues and your council will sack you.

There was a case of late where someone who attended A&E with back pain and certain worrying features and didn't have a scan. Coincidentally, he heard someone mention that an MRI was expensive (wasn't the reason he didn't have one). Turned out the chap had a rare medical issue (which should have been picked on a scan) that is regarded as an emergency as it should be fixed in a few hours once detected. He went on to lose some control of his bladder and subsequently sued the hospital and got a payout of £1 million. I listened to the Trust's Director narrate this- one of the issues that came up in court was narration that someone mentioned the scan was expensive- guess how much the scan would cost the hospital? £350. That staff must have been repeating discussions they heard in house. p.s this doesn't mean everyone with back pain needs a scan- very few actually do.

When you talk about depression, you first need to understand the system you are in. Look at the care pathway many hustle for and give testimony after securing a visa. Put an average Brit through that and they'd return depressed and rightly so. Even I would.
When I issue sick (fit) notes, I make a conscious effort to ensure the prevailing media narrative has no influence on what I issue or not. I pay enough taxes for someone else to worry about that. It would interest you to know that a recent ocuurence has been the DWP calling people's doctors late in the day cos during an assessment, someone mentioned they had self-harm thoughts. You ask them why they are in a hurry to tell you, and they start mumbling. Of course, its to share the blame should something go wrong..

I can go on and on but can't stress this enough. Understand the country you're in and do your job.

Lexusgs430:
Anyone seen the list of properties, the UK government are about to inherit....... 57 Nigerian's with no known NOK, are about to lose their assets to the crown........ 😁😂👑👑👑

Saw it. Many bachelors abi single folks listed.

Got me re-thinking about a will and life insurance too

affoncad:
That double standard statement, but Mr. Carney may seem brilliant to you, but it may not reflect the facts of the matter. It’s probably your personal opinion, not the opinion of the majority

I'd be keen to know examples of people you respect for their brilliance and achievement.

Zahra29:
Not necessarily.

Unions are lobbying for a min 3.5% pay rise for 25/26. DHSC has said that its max budget is 2.5 - 2.8%.

An increase of 2.8% raises pay for entry level band 3 roles (i.e. experience<2 years) from £24,074 to approx £24,745
If the top rate of 3.5% is achieved, the new rate will be £24,914 which is still under the new salary threshold. So it remains to be seen.

Note - bands 2 and band 3 entry level will receive an advance pay in April to bring their salaries in line with the new minimum wage.
Band 3 entry level salaries will increase automatically by 2.3% in April to £24,625

Further salary threshold increases are expected with the immigration white paper due out shortly.

If the treshold remains thesame, then annual pay rises should with time push basic band 3's into it.

Keeky08:
Thank you very much for your response. We have now gotten the mortgage offer. So I can say that HSBC now considers visa holders but you need to have been resident in the UK for at least 1 year.

Good stuff

Goke7:
😂 I remember sometime at work just because I mentioned how I felt about someone raising their voice at me, omo na so dem tell me make I go on sick leave ( like two weeks), they even went to approve it without my asking, I had to beg them that I was fine and no need! So doc I understand where you’re coming from 😂 e get as e be!

Hehe.. that one don enter bullying, trauma and u fit even involve HR.. It's just like what many of us would call discipline but regarded outside as child maltreatment. How many have got into issues.

I have seen a colleague almost get into problems because she came to work while unwell (only a mild fever which had settled - granted during covid). Poor lady was relatively new and the team was struggling- she was only looking to help out. Already words brandied included 'irresponsible' and within hours, it had got to the clinical lead. I began to wonder. These days, I understand better. For e.g you have diarrhoea and vomiting and knowingly come to work or not give it the 48 hr after last episode to return, you might get into issues.

sirabbey:
Liz Truss is not qualified to comment on Mark Carney, As the shortest-serving UK Prime Minister who crashed the UK economy in weeks before Rishi Sunak came to steady the economic boat.

Well said. It was surprising seeing that quote. It's like Andy Carroll criticising C. Ronaldo.
I've noticed there is a telling lack of understanding of British politics here. They are the kings of double-speak aka British diplomacy. When a British politician says something, you dont jump at it. You first take a step back and rumminate over why they said that.

I dont speak to defend politicians but Carneys profile is brilliant. Whether he would make a good PM is to be seen.

Goke7:
It will even have more devastating effects cos it’s not even a smart thing to continue to increase ilr fees and same time then increase the timeline eligibility. Folks are getting wiser now, where elsewhere I can get permanent residence faster and even cheaper. But you know that arrogance of this is Britain and folks won’t mind waiting for 30 years to get ilr but by the time the reality of how they are losing highly skilled workers and revenue then that cycle of another wailing will start like we see in the case of international students. I won’t even mind them testing the waters sef make I check something!

The whole system is becoming commoditised and with a more interconnected world, falling birth rates and remote working, labour would increasingly become more transferable. This has its pros and cons. It's for each to understand they're not here on account of a diversity visa.


My main grouse with the fees is how it goes on to affect attainment in many migrant communities. It's tough enough surviving but then after having paid all these fees, its an uphill task to start living and building wealth for many. What's driving most of the Torygraph articles is first hate and then the realisation what the otherside might look like. Most of these outcomes are quite stark when you look at most health or wealth data. Only a small cohort of Asians have been able to break the jinx.

lavida001:
As a dr you should know better.

You are thesame people that issue out fit note like you are doing give away. Someone comes to clinic with unshaved beard and old clothes. Boom you guys just issue fit note and say they are depressed and they go on benefit.

However, put aside those gaming the system and going on benefit. There are many genuinely sick people in this country. Could it be that white folks are naturally not strong, could it be the cold or their genetics or maybe it’s a publicly funded health system.

No matter the incentives the government provides I know one thing for sure that it wont make them work. They see that benefit money as birthright.

Hehe.. I knew this would come up.

For starters, I can guess what you're thinking, no be 9ja be dis. The first thing you do when you come into the UK is understand the system you work in. First, what is your understanding of someone not being fit for work. Then secondly, what is your understanding of the benefit system?
As a medic, you soon learn your job is not to be a fit note police -been there, done that, na you go tire that is if you no enter wahala.

Look widely, there are children wards where not uncommonly upto 1 in 5 kids admitted on an average day are not there because they have a physical health issues but because of mental health related issues i.e they are not eating, took paracetamol overdose, self-harming e.t.c. What would you do if you encounter such kids who would ultimately grow to become adults? You support them. In this country, hospitals would pay 4 people to sit all day and only be brought into action if a child refuses to eat. Abi is it the one of a hospital building a house for someone so the person could get off the ward. Or those that have called out an ambulance visit them over 200 times in a few months cos they keep threatening to kill themselves. Outside health, what happens when you see folks looting a store- do you start boxing them? Even the grocery chains sack their staff who accost thieves. If you have not worked in public facing roles, then there's the part of British life that'd take a while to understand.


It has nothing to do with inate strength. Some of the things you see as work, others see as suffer. If you have the system you have here anywhere, it would get abused overtime. The govt knows what to do to make it sustainable but again, this is Britain.
A colleague of mine completed a work assessment for someone in Canada, chap had lost part of a limb in a freak work accident. Their DWP equivalent callen the chap in for an assessment and afterwards told him to go and be a motivational speaker - him self weak for the guy. Here, outcome would be different. If you want a free for all, you get a free for all. Benefits are there as an essential safetynet. It maintains human dignity in a society but everything has a cost.

Divine88:
The last few weeks I have notice the following essays on immigration for ILR on Telegraph: Something is brewing - an anti immigration rhetorics.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/17/boriswave-indefinite-leave-remain-time-bomb-immigration/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/25/taken-for-suckers-time-scrap-indefinite-leave-to-remain/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/10/immigration-boriswave-indefinite-leave-remain-crisis/

Hehe... don't let it bother you. It's the usual Torygraph speak. KS has been quick to put Kemi who should have been championing such narratives in a cupboard.
So far, it does not appear Labour is giving thought to any of that and the Cons can't shout too much eitherway. By the time the next election is due, most of the Boriswave crew would be Brits. Na so e dey be