Migration & Settlement

The Trump administration has announced the suspension of Microsoft, Adobe, and six major IT services companies from the Permanent Labor Certification programme, known as PERM. The decision, announced on Thursday, 8 October, restricts a process used by employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residence in the United States. According to ABC News⁠, Vice President JD

The Trump administration has proposed a substantial new fee for international students seeking work experience through the United States’ Optional Practical Training programme, known as OPT. The proposal, released on 7 October, would require approved educational institutions to pay $70,000 before recommending an eligible F-1 student for OPT under the new arrangements. It is a

Australian opposition leader Angus Taylor has set out a migration plan that would reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 people a year for its first two years in office. The figure would rise to 130,000 in the third year and 160,000 in the fourth. These are Coalition proposals, not changes to Australia’s current visa rules.

Nigerians applying for Canadian study permits and visitor visas now face longer estimated waiting periods following an update by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Figures published on 16 September 2026 show that the estimated processing time for study permit applications submitted from Nigeria has increased from nine weeks to 10 weeks. The visitor visa estimate

New Zealand will introduce a six-month graduate work visa and expand eligibility for its existing Post-Study Work Visa from 16 November 2026. The changes apply to eligible international students from all countries, including Ghana and other African nations. However, applicants must complete qualifying studies in New Zealand before they can apply. The policy does not

A United States federal Judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration rule that would have introduced fixed periods of stay for international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists. US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued the nationwide order in Massachusetts on September 14, one day before the rule was scheduled to take effect. The

Nigerians living in the United Kingdom will have access to special passport services in four cities this September as the Nigeria Immigration Service moves to bring processing closer to applicants. The temporary intervention will cover London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Cardiff between 7 and 26 September 2026. It is aimed at Nigerians seeking new passports, renewing