Nigerian Migrants Accused of Misusing UK’s Global Talent Visa Scheme

Hundreds of Nigerian nationals are being accused of exploiting the UK’s Global Talent visa route originally designed for authors, poets, and other creatives to gain entry into Britain.

According to a report shared, Nigerians have submitted more applications under the visa’s literature category than any other nationality. The scheme covers a wide range of creative disciplines, including oral storytelling, graphic novels, music, theatre, and dance. Applicants are required to prove outstanding talent or promise in their field.

However, Mail Online alleges that some Nigerian applicants may have gamed the system by exaggerating or falsifying their creative credentials. Successful applicants under this visa can stay in the UK for up to five years and bring dependents, making it an attractive route.

Despite the scrutiny, Nigerians have had notable success. In the past five years, they’ve submitted 125 applications under the literature category more than twice the number from the US (61) and significantly higher than submissions from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand combined. Of these, 54 Nigerian applications were endorsed by Arts Council England the UK government body responsible for evaluating Global Talent visa candidates.

But it’s not just literature. Between 2019 and 2024, Nigerian nationals submitted 729 applications across various creative categories including dance, fashion, music, film and TV, theatre, combined arts, and visual arts. That places Nigeria second only to the United States, which made 977 submissions in total.

Still, Nigeria’s endorsement rate lags. Only 59% of applications were approved, just ahead of Ghana. For comparison, Russia submitted 725 applications, China 492, Australia 233, and India 160.

The growth in Nigerian applications is staggering. In 2019, there were just 12. By 2024, that number had jumped to 279, a 2,225% increase, according to The Telegraph.

Across all nationalities, over 5,000 Global Talent visa applications have been made since 2019, with around 3,600 receiving endorsements from the Arts Council.

This comes at a time when UK immigration both legal and illegal is at record highs, putting pressure on the Labour government to tighten visa rules and reduce overall numbers.