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Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules

Published

4 months ago

July 25, 2025

The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa route to include more than 70 mid-level occupations, opening the door for foreign professionals such as fashion designers, technicians, and IT specialists to work in the country with salaries starting from €29,000.

This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.

The update introduces a newly expanded Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which comes with significantly lower salary thresholds and streamlined visa processes for eligible roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, creative arts, and information technology.

The changes reflect a deliberate shift to address staffing gaps in industries critical to the UK economy.

Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard

thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorized as “new entrants,” PhD holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas prior to April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels.

For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.

This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages. It seeks to make the UK labor market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.

Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.

Although the government describes the updated list as temporary, no fixed end date has been announced.

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US Imposes Visa Restrictions On Nigerians Linked To Religious Freedom Violations

Published

28 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The United States government on Wednesday announced visa restrictions targeting individuals involved in violations of religious freedom in Nigeria. The measures may also extend to immediate family members of the affected persons.

In a statement titled “Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally”, the Department of State said the restrictions were being implemented in response to mass killings and attacks on Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and elsewhere.

The statement explained that under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the State Department would now have the authority to deny visas to those who have “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” with the policy potentially extending to their immediate family members.

It further cited former President Donald Trump’s remarks, noting that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.” The policy will apply to Nigeria and other governments or individuals implicated in violations of religious freedom.

The announcement follows growing international concern over attacks on religious communities in Nigeria, including targeted killings, abductions, and destruction of property attributed to armed groups.

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Putin Says Russia Ready For War, Blames Europe For Sabotaging Peace

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22 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys.

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy.

“We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine.

He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”.

Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed it as heeding to many of Russia’s maximalist demands.

The plan to end the war is championed by Trump, but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

Fearing further Russian aggression, Europe has repeatedly said an unfair peace should not be imposed on Ukraine.

The Trump envoys are now seeking to finalise the plan with the approval of Moscow and Kyiv.
AFP

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US Senator Proposes Bill To End Dual Citizenship

Published

22 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A United States lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for American nationals, a move that could affect thousands of Nigerians who hold both US and Nigerian passports.

Bernie Moreno, a Colombian-born US senator, announced the proposed legislation — titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 — arguing that the current system, which allows Americans to hold multiple nationalities, creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

“One of the greatest honours of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.

“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” Moreno said.

Moreno, who has since renounced his Colombian citizenship, maintains that exclusive allegiance is essential to national integrity.

If passed, the bill could have far-reaching implications for prominent figures such as US First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship. It would also significantly impact Nigerians with dual citizenship.

According to a July naturalisation flow report by the US Department of Homeland Security, 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised American citizens between 2021 and 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the highest number of new US citizens and was the only African nation in the top 20.

Nigerian law allows citizens by birth to hold dual nationality without relinquishing their Nigerian citizenship.

This development comes months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at denying automatic US citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the country.

The order was immediately challenged by 18 states and multiple rights groups, who argued it violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Ongoing legal battles have prevented the order from taking effect.