Japa season is here again, with young and middle-aged Nigerians uprooting themselves from all they hold dear to start life afresh in the U.K. Some have had to pay through their noses for expensive master’s courses that, in all honesty, they don’t even need.
But do you know you can catch a flight to Papa Charles’ U.K. for free and still get coins for it? Here’s all you should know about a new japa pathway for those who love teaching.
What is it?
The U.K. government has announced the International Relocation Payment (IRP), a one-time payment of £10k to non-UK teachers of language-related subjects and physics. The payment covers visa fees, immigration health surcharge and other relocation expenses.
How does it work?
The scheme covers three categories of individuals: fee-paying trainees, salaried trainees and teachers.
Fee-paying trainees
This category caters to individuals who have secured a fee-paying place in a teacher training course in the U.K. The course must lead to a qualified teacher status for the 2323/2024 academic year. People in this category don’t need to apply for the IRP. The training provider will inform them if their chosen course qualifies for IRP and pay the IRP directly to their accounts.
Salaried trainees and teachers
This category of applicants have either started a teaching job in the U.K. or secured their place in a salaried teacher training course. These applicants can directly apply for the IRP from the Get Into Teaching website.
When to apply
Applications opened on September 4 and runs until October 31, 2023. After that, applications will reopen in January 2024.
When will the £10,000 be paid?
Eligible applicants will be credited by January 31, 2024.
What are the general criteria for applicants?
Teachers
To be eligible for the IRP, non-UK/international teachers must have secured employment in the U.K. from an English state secondary school. The teaching contract must be valid for at least one year from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024.
You must also be:
- a physics teacher
- a general or combined science teacher – you must teach the physics element of these subjects
- a language teacher – any language is eligible except English
Fee-paying and salaried trainees
Non-UK/international trainee teachers must’ve secured a place in a U.K. teacher training course from a trainer accredited by the U.K. government. Applicants must be training to teach the following subjects:
- Physics
- Any language(s) except English language. This includes courses combining language(s) with another subject, as long as language(s) make up at least 50% of the course content
- Any language(s), including courses combining language(s) with English language, as long as the non-English language(s) make up at least 50% of the course content.
What are the general visa types issued under the scheme?
- Skilled Worker visa
- Youth Mobility Scheme
- Family visa
- UK Ancestry visa
- British National (Overseas) visa
- High Potential Individual visa
For more information on application processes, check the official U.K. government website.
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