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Study in the UK from Nigeria: Licensed Sponsor, CAS, Then the Visa

From Nigeria to a UK Student visa: licensed sponsor, CAS, TB test, funds, then Graduate Route timing. Confirm on GOV.UK. Zinjet is not an immigration lawyer.

Updated 2026-08-27 · 1,225 words · Zinjet editorial

Study in the UK from Nigeria: Licensed Sponsor, CAS, Then the Visa
Study in the UK from Nigeria: Licensed Sponsor, CAS, Then the Visa

Quick Summary Matrix (Nigeria → UK)

Step What Official source
1 Pick a programme UK catalog
2 Confirm licensed student sponsor GOV.UK register
3 Meet the school’s offer; get a CAS (last 6 months) School + Student visa
4 Funds: 14 consecutive days + tuition remainder Requirements guide
5 TB test at a UKVI-approved clinic TB test for a UK visa
6 Apply from outside the UK, up to 6 months before start GOV.UK Student visa
7 After the course: Graduate Route (separate visa) Graduate Route 2026

This is original Zinjet copy for people in Nigeria. Not a visa decision. Not a copy of another agency’s blog.

What Nigeria does not change — and what it does

Does not change: points (70), CAS rules, funds table, English levels, dependant ban for taught master’s, Graduate Route dates.

Does change in practice:

  • TB test — Nigeria is on the UKVI listed-country list for TB. Book only a UKVI-approved clinic. A private hospital stamp that is not on that list is a refusal trigger.
  • Funds scrutiny — GOV.UK accepts personal, parental (with consent + birth certificate), official sponsorship, and government-backed loans. Large unexplained deposits in the 14-day window are a classic problem. Plan the 14 days; do not “top up” on day 10.
  • Peak VAC load — GOV.UK standard time from outside the UK is about 3 weeks after biometrics. July–September is busy. Apply as soon as the CAS exists.

The order that actually works

  1. Shortlist programmes in the UK catalog. Tuition and intakes stay blank when the school did not list them.
  2. Register check — licensed student sponsor before a large deposit.
  3. School conditions — language tests, transcripts, deposits the school sets. Those are not UKVI rules.
  4. CAS from the licensed sponsor. Cross-check every field against your passport.
  5. Hold funds 14 consecutive days (August 2026 rule; was 28). Closing balance within 31 days of the visa application. Figures: £1,529/month London or £1,171 outside London, up to 9 months, plus remaining first-year tuition on the CAS. Full playbook: UK Student visa requirements 2026.
  6. TB certificate from a UKVI-approved clinic.
  7. English — CEFR B2 for degree level, B1 below degree, unless the CAS says the school assessed you under an exception GOV.UK allows.
  8. Apply on GOV.UK, pay £558 plus IHS £776/year (student rate, pro-rated). Create the UKVI account — BRP cards ended 1 June 2026 (digital eVisa).
  9. Biometrics at a visa application centre or UK Immigration: ID Check app if you are eligible.
  10. Travel up to 1 month before course start if applying from outside the UK.

Application fee and IHS are GOV.UK figures retrieved for the 2026 requirements guide. Re-check before you pay.

Money: do the arithmetic once

Item London Outside London
Monthly maintenance (max 9 months) £1,529 £1,171
Nine-month living total £13,761 £10,539
Holding period 14 consecutive days 14 consecutive days
Visa fee £558 £558
IHS (student rate) £776 / year £776 / year

Plus remaining first-year tuition as printed on the CAS. Prepaid sponsor-arranged accommodation can offset up to £1,529 of maintenance — not the full amount you paid.

Parental funds need a consent letter and proof of relationship. “Uncle will sort it” is not a document.

Dependants and work

  • Dependants: PhD / doctoral / postgraduate research (or government-sponsored courses over 6 months) only. Taught master’s from Nigeria cannot bring a spouse on the Student visa.
  • Work on the Student visa: most full-time degree-level students 20 hours/week in term, full-time in vacations, unless the CAS says otherwise.
  • Graduate Route: separate application from inside the UK. 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026; 18 months from 1 January 2027; PhD 3 years. Fee £937 + IHS typically £1,035/year. Details: Graduate Route.

Refusal patterns that show up from Nigeria

  1. TB from a non-approved clinic.
  2. Funds not held 14 consecutive days, or statement ending more than 31 days before apply.
  3. Unexplained large deposits.
  4. CAS name mismatch (Nigerian passport middle names vs school records).
  5. Paying a deposit to an unlicensed pathway brand.
  6. Taught master’s trying to add a spouse.
  7. Applying more than 6 months before start (too early) or after the course has begun.

GOV.UK is the decision maker. Zinjet cannot “expedite UKVI.”

Real-world scenarios

BSc, 3 years, London campus

Budget 9 × £1,529 living plus year-1 tuition remainder plus £558 plus IHS for the visa length GOV.UK quotes. Check the sponsor register twice. TB before you book the VAC.

MSc, 12 months, taught

No dependants. Graduate Route 2-year vs 18-month split still applies after you finish — chase the school’s completion report if you want to apply in 2026.

PhD

Dependant rules are different. Graduate Route is 3 years. ATAS may apply for sensitive STEM — GOV.UK Student visa page.

Checklists

Before you pay a school

  • Programme in a catalog country (UK)
  • Live GOV.UK sponsor row
  • Offer conditions you can actually meet (language, grades)

Before you click apply on GOV.UK

  • CAS < 6 months old, fields match passport
  • 14-day funds file + tuition remainder
  • TB from UKVI-approved clinic
  • English evidence at the right CEFR
  • Fees: £558 + IHS
  • Inside the 6-month-before-start window

VAC, eVisa, and travel from Lagos (or Abuja)

GOV.UK standard decision from outside the UK is about 3 weeks after biometrics. Inside the UK is about 8 weeks. You are outside.

Peak (July–September) can stretch. Priority and super-priority exist on GOV.UK (about £500 / £1,000 on the 2026 requirements guide) — confirm live prices before you buy speed.

From 1 June 2026 the UK uses digital eVisas. No BRP card, no vignette sticker. Create the UKVI account and keep the login. Existing BRP holders were told to migrate before end of 2026 on the requirements guide.

Travel: up to 1 month before course start if you applied from outside the UK. Booking a ticket the day after CAS, before a decision, is how people lose money.

TB clinics

Only UKVI-approved clinics. In Nigeria that list is short and changes. A neighbourhood hospital with a “TB stamp” is not enough. Keep the certificate with the 14-day bank statements in one folder.

English tests

Degree level: CEFR B2. Below degree: B1. IELTS UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, and other tests GOV.UK lists for Student visas. A general IELTS that is not on the Student-visa list can waste a month. Check GOV.UK, not the test centre’s poster.

Money worked example (London MSc, 9-month maintenance)

  • Living: £13,761
  • Tuition remainder on CAS: use your CAS (example only: if CAS says £18,000 unpaid, that is £18,000 — we are not quoting a school)
  • Visa: £558
  • IHS: £776 × years GOV.UK quotes for your course length
  • Offset if you prepaid sponsor-arranged housing: max £1,529

Hold the living + unpaid tuition for 14 consecutive days. Parental account needs consent + birth certificate.

How Zinjet fits

Browse programmes, then get started. Contact if you want a human to walk the catalog. Jobs after study: Handmework.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pay a school deposit before checking the sponsor register?

No. A CAS only counts if the school is a licensed student sponsor. Check the official GOV.UK register before you pay.

Is the Student visa the same as the Graduate Route?

No. The Student visa is for the course. The Graduate Route is a separate post-study visa. Bachelor’s and master’s applicants who apply by 31 December 2026 currently get 2 years; from 1 January 2027 that becomes 18 months on GOV.UK.

Do applicants in Nigeria need a TB test?

The UK Student visa guide on GOV.UK requires a TB test from a UKVI-approved clinic for listed countries, which includes Nigeria. Use only a UKVI-approved clinic. Confirm the live list on GOV.UK before you book.

Does Zinjet issue CAS or visas?

No. Licensed sponsors issue CAS. UK Visas and Immigration decides the visa. Zinjet lists programmes and explains official pages.

Where are the 2026 funds and fee figures?

On our UK Student visa requirements guide, which cites GOV.UK: maintenance £1,529/month London or £1,171 outside London (up to 9 months), 14 consecutive days, £558 application fee, IHS £776/year student rate. Always re-check gov.uk/student-visa.

Can taught master’s students from Nigeria bring dependants?

GOV.UK: only PhD, doctoral, and postgraduate research students (or government-sponsored students on courses over 6 months) can bring dependants. Taught master’s and undergraduate students cannot bring family members.

How early can I apply from Nigeria?

GOV.UK: if you apply from outside the UK, the earliest is 6 months before the course start. Standard decision is about 3 weeks from outside the UK. Peak July–September can run longer.

Not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Confirm every figure on the official government page before you submit. Official United Kingdom student visa guidance

Study in the UK from Nigeria: CAS and Sponsor | Zinjet