UK Rakes in N68bn from Nigerian Visa Applicants

UK Earns N68bn from Nigerian Visa Fees

“As a result, the UK earned over $34 million from the 225,000 Nigerian applicants. When converted to naira at the current exchange rate, this...”

Discover why UK visa rejection rates are rising for Nigerian applicants, with a staggering 63% drop in approvals.

The British government generated a whopping N68 billion from processing visas for Nigerian applicants between June 2023 and June 2024. This staggering figure was revealed by Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status, and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration, during the launch of Africa's largest UK Visa Application Centre in Lagos.

According to Owen, over 225,000 visa applications from Nigeria were processed during this period. To put this into perspective, the standard six-month UK visitor visa costs $150, which translates to over $34 million (approximately N68 billion) in revenue for the UK government. It's worth noting that visa application fees are non-refundable, even if the application is unsuccessful.

“In the year to June 2024, we processed more than 225k UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories and this new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all applicants.

“I'm delighted to be here in person as we celebrate this important moment together with our customers and partners.

“Owen was quoted as saying by the British High Commission in Lagos. While the Director did not specify whether certain types of visas had more applicants, a standard UK visitor visa with a six-month duration costs $150 million.As a result, the UK earned over $34 million from the million.

“As a result, the UK earned over $34 million from the 225,000 Nigerian applicants. When converted to naira at the current exchange rate, this amounts to approximately N68 billion.It's worth noting that visa application fees are non-refundable, regardless of the $34 million from the 225,000 Nigerian applicants. When converted to naira at the current exchange rate, this amounts to approximately N68 billion.It's worth noting that visa application fees are non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the application process.

Data released by the British government earlier this year revealed that Nigeria was among the top five countries experiencing a surge in study visa rejection rates during the second half of 2023.

The data, as reflected in the Q4 2022 report, indicated that Nigerian applicants faced a relatively low rejection rate of 1 in 31. However, by Q2 2023, the rejection.

Countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia also experienced high UK visa rejection rates, although the numbers were significantly lower compared to Nigeria. Notably, India was the only country with a higher number of declined applications than Nigeria.

According to the data, there was a significant decline in visa approvals for Nigerians, with a 63% drop compared to the final quarter of 2022. This surge in rejections is largely attributed to the UK authorities' stricter visa policies aimed at tightening immigration controls.