The United Kingdom granted 49,498 work visas to Nigerian citizens between 2021 and the first quarter of 2026, according to official Home Office occupation visa data.
The figures, obtained from two UK Home Office immigration datasets covering 2021 to Q1 2026, show that Nigerians received the second-highest number of UK work visas of any nationality during the period.
According to the data, Nigerians submitted 54,707 work visa applications, with 49,498 approved, representing a 90.5 per cent grant rate.
The data also revealed a sharp decline in visa approvals following the UK’s immigration policy changes introduced in 2024. Annual work visa grants for Nigerians dropped from 28,495 in 2023 to 2,851 throughout 2025, reflecting the impact of tighter migration rules.
Health and care professionals accounted for the overwhelming majority of successful applications.
The Health and Care Worker visa route recorded 42,893 approvals for Nigerians during the period, making it the dominant pathway for migration to the UK.
Among successful applicants, care workers and home carers received the highest number of visas at 22,376, followed by registered nurses (9,359), senior care workers (4,267), medical practitioners (3,377), nursing auxiliaries (1,323), medical radiographers (763) and physiotherapists (699).
