Nigerian students are among the most likely international graduates to remain in the United Kingdom after completing their studies, despite the country’s tightening immigration policies and plans to make permanent settlement more difficult.
A new briefing on international student migration found that around 78% of Nigerians who first arrived on a UK student visa in 2020 still held a valid visa at the end of 2025, the highest proportion among the major nationalities analysed.
By comparison, 58% of Indian students from the same cohort still had valid visas five years later, while students from countries such as China and the United States were far less likely to remain in the UK.
The report said international students have become increasingly likely to stay in the UK after graduation, largely because many switch to the Graduate Visa or other visa categories that allow them to continue living and working in the country.
Among all migrants who were issued an initial UK study visa in 2020, 41% still had permission to stay in the country by the end of 2025. Of those, 26% had moved onto work visas, 6% remained on study visas, while 59% no longer held a valid visa, indicating they had most likely left the UK.
