ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Skilled Nigerians can now travel to the United Kingdom following a new visa pathway launched by the British government on Monday.
Voiceofnaija.ng gathered that the ‘Scale-up visa’ is open to skilled workers in professions such as engineering, architecture, and software development.
According to the details of the new development, applicants must be sponsored by a fast-growing company, and they can also be allowed to bring their wife and kids with them to the United Kingdom.
Home Secretary, Kevin Foster, informed that the essence of the visa is to give businesses more freedom to bring in skilled workers, even as labour shortages lead to complaints about post-Brexit restrictions.
He said: “By supporting our high-growth technologies, financial services and small businesses, we are ensuring the UK remains a global hub for emerging technologies and innovation.”
Also speaking on the new visa opening is Irene Graham, director of the ScaleUp Institute, a private sector not-for-profit which has lobbied for the introduction of the visa.
“The new visa should provide a much-needed expedited service to allow growing local businesses faster access to the talent they need,” she said.
Applicants don’t necessarily need to possess a degree before being eligible to apply, but they must have a job offer with a salary of at least £33,000 ($39,000).
Interested applicants can go through this link for how to apply.