…‘ I overworked unknowingly’, says student
A Nigerian student in the United Kingdom has gone viral after breaking down in tears in a video shared on Instagram, revealing that her student visa was terminated for exceeding the strict 20-hour work limit.
She has been ordered to leave the country immediately, a devastating blow compounded by the loss of her father — her main sponsor — in 2023.
In the emotional clip posted by @sabiradio, the young woman recounted the struggles that led her to take on additional work.
“My dad passed away … I had to work to pay for my school, to make a living even if I was passing through all this. So I made a mistake … I overworked unknowingly,” she said, sobbing as she described receiving notice from the UK Home Office that her sponsorship had been withdrawn.
The 20-hour weekly cap is a longstanding condition of UK student visas, aimed at preventing exploitation and ensuring compliance with immigration laws.
The UK government has recently intensified enforcement, with cases of immediate deportation now more common. A May 2025 immigration white paper signaled a policy shift toward reducing migration by tightening settlement and study visa conditions.
Her story reflects the human toll of these crackdowns. After losing both her father and sister, she explained she had no choice but to work extra hours to survive, even watching her father’s funeral via video call because she could not return home.
“This is the country I’ve stayed in for three years … What am I going back to? I have no money to go back to. I have nothing to go back to,” she said in the viral video.
The incident has sparked conversations online about the vulnerability of international students, particularly from Nigeria, who make up one of the fastest-growing groups of foreign students in the UK.
According to government statistics, sponsored study visas for Nigerians surged by 73% in 2023 alone.
Critics argue that while the Home Office enforces compliance, it often fails to account for the personal and financial hardships students face.
For now, the young woman’s immediate future remains uncertain, with her appeals to complete her course remotely reportedly rejected.