Thousands of Nigerians employed in the United Kingdom under the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or Skilled Worker visa scheme have been thrown into panic following new immigration regulations introduced by the British government.
As part of its immigration control measures, the UK has eliminated over 100 job roles—including several classified as skilled—from eligibility under the CoS scheme. In addition, salary thresholds for many remaining roles have been raised by at least 30 percent.
The government also announced that lower-skilled jobs, previously classified under RQF Levels 3 to 5, will no longer qualify for CoS sponsorship—except for those listed under a newly introduced Temporary Shortage Occupation List.
Some of the delisted jobs include managers and proprietors in agriculture, forestry, hospitality, and logistics (SOC 1211–1258); health, community and welfare roles such as dispensing opticians, pharmaceutical technicians, youth and community workers, and counsellors (SOC 3211–3224); protective service roles like police officers (sergeant and below), fire service officers, and prison officers (SOC 3312–3314); as well as creative and performing arts professionals, including artists, authors, translators, actors, dancers, photographers, and interior or fashion designers (SOC 3411–3429), among others.
The regulations, which took effect on July 22, 2025, affect various visa routes, including the Skilled Worker and Health and Care visas, along with the requirements for sponsoring foreign workers.
The new regulations increased the general Skilled Worker salary threshold to £41,700 or higher depending on the role, while health and care roles remained at £25,600.
However, employers in health and care roles must show the salary after all deductions, including accommodation or transport, meaning that the £25,600 is the minimum amount to be received by any of their employees after all deductions.
According to reports,
many roles previously eligible for the CoS, such as entry-level IT and customer service, no longer qualify unless employers raise pay substantially in line with the new regulations.
The UK government has also increased the minimum skill level to Level 6 (Bachelor’s degree level), while the previously eligible Level 3–5 roles (some admin, technical support, care supervisors) may now be excluded.
Findings revealed that the new regulations have sent jitters down the spine of thousands of Nigerians who are clearly going to be affected by the new rules.
Explaining the new regulations, a UK-based travel agent, Kayode Alabi, said Nigerians and other nationals on CoS visas secured with the delisted jobs might be stranded at the end of the expiration of their agreement with their sponsors.
Alabi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Phika Travels and Tours, said the affected individuals would not be able to renew their visas upon completion of their current sponsorship, which he said usually lasts between one and five years.
He said, “No Nigerians have been sacked because of the new regulations, but their fate will hang in the balance because at the end of their current sponsorship, those whose jobs have been removed from CoS eligibility will not be able to find a new job in that category, and their visa will not be renewed. If you don’t have a valid visa, you become an illegal immigrant.
“Another challenge those whose jobs were retained under the new regulations will face is that their employers may not be able to pay the new salary threshold, which has risen to £41,700 from £24,000, £25,000 or £26,000 per annum.
“If you are not on any of the delisted job roles, you will still be earning the salary you were earning when you received sponsorship, which is usually between one and five years. By the time that sponsorship expires, will your company be able to pay the new salary threshold? That is the issue.”
He confirmed that many Nigerians were already panicking as a result of the new rules.
“We can say there is panic among our people. Yes, there is. People don’t know what will become their fate at the expiration of their sponsorship, especially when the eligibility criteria for other jobs have been increased. People are afraid,” he said.