UK Govt announces free visa, N10m offer to Nigerian graduates ready to relocate

The UK government has announced a £10,000 (about N10m) international relocation payment (IRP) to non-UK trainees and teachers to come work in England.

Nigerian graduates who can teach languages and physics courses are qualified to apply before October 31, 2023.

The payment is designed to help cover the costs of moving to England, such as visa fees, immigration health surcharge, and other relocation expenses.

A statement from the UK office reads:

"The IRP offers financial support to teachers and trainees from all over the world who wish to come to train and work in English schools.

"It will be paid around the end of the teacher’s or trainee’s first term. It will not need to be repaid.

"If eligible, trainee teachers can receive both the IRP and a bursary or scholarship."

How to apply for IRP

The UK government said that to be eligible, teachers or trainees must be willing to come and work in England for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Also, interested persons must first visit the UK Teaching website using this link to ensure their certificates match the requirements for teachers and trainees.

How the scheme will work The statement further noted that the scheme works differently for fee-paying trainees, salaried trainees, and teachers.

It added: "Trainees on fee-paying courses do not need to apply for the IRP. Training providers will pay the IRP directly to these trainees along with any bursaries they are entitled to.

"Teachers and trainees are encouraged to express an interest in the IRP by emailing IRP.ExpressInterest@education.gov.uk if they: Start their job or course after 31 October 2023, while successful applicants should receive the £10,000(about N10m) by 31 January 2024."

Interested applicants are advised to apply now.

However, for those who miss the October 2023 application deadline, the UK government has promised that another round will commence in January 2024.

What are the requirements to be eligible

Be a non-UK citizen Be coming to England to teach or train to teach languages or physics Have a degree Have recognised teacher-training qualifications

Have at least one year of teaching experience

Be able to speak English to an undergraduate level. The languages eligible for the payment are: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.

The physics courses eligible for the payment are: physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics.

It is important to note that at the embassy, interested applicants must apply for a skilled worker visa.