“In 2019, I and my family of four packed our bags and came straight from Nigeria to the UK. I entered under the student visa route, which allowed me to study and work part-time as a care assistant. It wasn’t an easy journey, considering all my expenses as a student and a mom. Working only half the time meant I couldn’t earn enough money to sustain our daily expenses, let alone pay expensive tuition fees. The worst part: my years as a student doesn’t count towards my British citizenship.
On top of that, my student visa was expiring, so I had no option but to do another master’s degree or do post-study visa, which I found impractical. Why pay such expensive fees and without getting residence after?
I was on the verge of giving up until I found IANS and learned a faster and better pathway to UK settlement. IANS ended my never-ending student-visa-loop when. Because of them, I quickly got a UK sponsorship, which gave me the right to work full-time in the UK and, at the same time, work towards my citizenship.
Now, I am a skilled worker in the UK, paying no tuition fees and counting years towards my settlement. I will always be grateful to IANS for this opportunity.”
