For software engineers, AI/ML researchers, founders and product leaders in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt who want to live and work in the UK without being tied to a sponsor.
Check Your Eligibility — 2 Minutes
Nigeria's tech sector has produced a generation of senior engineers, fintech operators and founders with measurable continental impact. The Global Talent route rewards exactly that pattern: real outcomes, leadership, and recognition from peers.
You do not need a UK job offer to apply. Once endorsed, you can join any UK company, freelance, consult or start your own venture — useful if you are weighing several offers or running a fast-growing business.
Depending on the route, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 or 5 years of continuous residence, with a clear path from arrival to settlement and on to British citizenship.
Your spouse and dependent children join you on linked visas with the same rights. Spouses can work freely in the UK from day one, which matters for dual-career Nigerian households.
Mid to senior engineers from product companies like Flutterwave, Paystack, Andela, Interswitch and Kuda, plus senior contributors at multinationals with Lagos engineering hubs. We help frame technical leadership beyond your job title.
Researchers and applied scientists with backgrounds from the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, OAU and Covenant University, with published work, citations or production ML systems behind them.
Founders of post-Seed and Series A companies, especially in fintech, payments and consumer apps such as Bamboo and PiggyVest, with traction, funding from notable investors, or measurable category impact.
Senior product managers and engineering managers who have shipped flagship products, scaled teams across Lagos and Abuja, or owned a P&L line. We position your scope and outcomes in the language assessors use.
A few steps in the application are unique to applicants based in Nigeria. The most important is to start document legalisation early — it is the longest single step.
Educational and professional documents are apostilled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. Plan for 4 to 6 weeks — this is the slowest single step and we start it in parallel with evidence work.
The PCC is issued by the Nigeria Police Force Central Criminal Registry. Typical turnaround is 2 to 4 weeks. We schedule it so it arrives before the visa application stage.
Most Nigerian degrees, transcripts and employer letters are issued in English and accepted as-is. Where a non-English document exists, we arrange certified translation before submission.
UK biometrics are captured at TLS Contact centres in Lagos and Abuja, usually within 1 to 3 weeks of booking. Lagos slots fill faster, so we book early.
Nigeria runs on WAT (UTC+1), the same time as the UK in winter and a 1-hour offset in summer. Calls are easy to schedule across the working day.
These are the official UK Home Office fees that every Global Talent Visa applicant pays directly to the government, in pounds sterling.
| Item | Home Office fee (£) |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application | £561 |
| Visa application (post-endorsement) | £766 |
| IHS surcharge (per year, per adult) | £1,035 |
| Priority service (optional) | £500 |
| Typical government total per adult, 5-year visa | £6,502 |
Each dependant (spouse, child) pays the same Home Office fees. The local-currency equivalent in NGN depends on the exchange rate at the time of payment and is reviewed in your free consultation, along with the scope and timing of agency support.
A realistic end-to-end timeline for a Nigerian applicant, from kickoff to UK arrival. Apostille adds time on the front end, so we plan for it.
Profile audit, route choice (Talent vs Promise), evidence gap analysis and immediate kickoff of MFA apostille. Typically 2 to 4 weeks.
Building the evidence bundle, narrative and references in parallel with apostille and PCC. Typically 8 to 12 weeks — slightly longer than other markets due to MFA timelines.
The endorsing body reviews your application. Typical wait is 5 to 8 weeks.
Online visa form, IHS payment, and biometrics at TLS Contact in Lagos or Abuja. Typically 3 to 4 weeks, faster with priority service.
Total time from kickoff to landing in the UK is usually 6 to 7 months for Nigerian applicants, with apostille as the main planning factor.
Take the free 2-minute eligibility quiz to see whether your profile is a fit for the Global Talent route from Nigeria.
Check Your Eligibility — 2 Minutes