Key Points

• Nigerian student faces deportation for visa breach.

• She overworked after her father’s death to survive.

• UK authorities tighten visa rules amid rising money laundering fears.

A Nigerian student in the United Kingdom, Enyi Onyinye Grace, has been ordered to leave the country after reportedly breaching her student visa conditions by working more than the 20-hour limit allowed for international students.

Grace, who arrived in the UK in 2022 to further her studies, shared her ordeal in an emotional TikTok video, calling her time abroad “a hell of three years.”

“It’s been a hell of three years. I came in 2022, and in 2023, my dad passed away. I still had to work to pay my school fees despite everything I was going through,” she said tearfully.

Father’s death forced Nigerian student to breach visa limit

Grace said her father’s death — her main source of financial support — left her struggling to afford tuition and living costs. She took on extra work hours to stay afloat.

“It was so hard that I had to watch my father’s burial on video call,” she said.

“I needed to survive and pay my fees. I made a mistake and overworked unknowingly.”

Under UK immigration law, international students on Tier 4 or Student Visas can only work up to 20 hours a week during term time.

Immigration officers order immediate deportation

Grace said she was shocked when UK immigration officials told her to leave immediately for exceeding the work-hour limit.

“I thought everything was fine,” she said. “They didn’t listen to me. They just told me to leave the country with immediate effect. They didn’t even give me a chance to finish my studies.”

She said she asked her university to allow her to complete her program online from Nigeria, but her request was rejected.

“I begged them to let me finish online, but they said no,” she added.

Visa breach sparks money laundering and immigration concerns

UK authorities have tightened student visa policies in recent months due to growing concerns about immigration abuses and potential links between excessive student employment and money laundering activities.

Human rights advocates and student unions have urged the government to show compassion for students who breach visa rules due to financial hardship or personal tragedy.

“Students should not be punished for trying to survive difficult situations,” said one UK-based students’ rights advocate. “There should be empathy in immigration enforcement.”

Grace has now been instructed to leave the UK immediately, marking a painful end to her academic dreams abroad.