The UK Department for Education has announced that Ghana and Nigeria are no longer eligible for the direct Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) application route in England. This decision was made due to concerns that most applications from the two countries relied on personal email addresses instead of verified school domain references for employment history checks. As a result, teachers trained in Ghana and Nigeria can no longer apply directly for QTS in England.
The direct QTS application route allowed overseas-trained teachers to have their foreign qualifications recognised without completing a full UK teacher-training programme from scratch. However, with Ghana and Nigeria removed from the list, affected teachers will have to explore alternative pathways to obtain QTS. Qualified Teacher Status is the professional credential required to teach in the majority of schools across England.
According to the UK Department for Education, the decision to remove Ghana and Nigeria from the list was made on September 9, 2026. To stay on the list, a country needs a recognised national body that can vouch for a teacher's professional status and supply references the department can trust. The department cited concerns over the trustworthiness of the system, highlighting that over seven in ten submissions from Ghanaian and Nigerian teachers cited referees using ordinary email providers rather than addresses tied to an actual school.
In the 2024/25 academic year, Ghana and Nigeria together submitted 2,143 applications for QTS, with only about a quarter of those approved. The majority of these applications were from Ghana, with the numbers split almost evenly between the two countries. The UK's Department for Education pointed to a specific weak spot in how applicants backed up their work history, making it far harder for assessors to confirm the details were genuine.
Although losing the direct route is a significant setback, teachers from Ghana and Nigeria are not completely barred from working in England. Alternative pathways, such as the assessment-only QTS and international qualified teacher status, remain open to them. The assessment-only pathway lets experienced degree-holders earn QTS without repeating formal training, typically for a fee between roughly £1,500 and £4,000.
The UK's four-year rule still lets qualified overseas teachers take up classroom posts in England without QTS for up to four years before the credential becomes mandatory. Beyond that window, teachers can opt for the fully online international qualified teacher status (iQTS) programme run through partnerships with English training providers. This programme provides an opportunity for teachers to obtain QTS while working in England.
The UK government has also rolled out stricter Student visa checks affecting Ghanaians, targeting applicants with large or unexplained bank deposits and gaps in their academic history. Under the updated guidance, students who received money from family members or sponsors must now keep clear, traceable records showing exactly where those funds came from.
Key points
- The UK removed Ghana and Nigeria from the direct QTS application route due to concerns over email verification issues.
- Affected teachers can still apply for QTS through alternative pathways such as assessment-only QTS and international qualified teacher status.
- The UK government has also introduced stricter Student visa checks for Ghanaians and other applicants.
