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IRP: UK Entices Nigerian Teachers with £10,000 Relocation Payment

Sometimes last year, the government of the United Kingdom decided to open its doors to teachers from Nigeria and the rest of the world who are willing to relocate to the county to continue their career. In the information made available the the UK is looking to recruit about 500,000 teachers by 2024, but more than a year into the exercise there seems to be a low response and this has forced the British government to change tactics and that now included the introduction of International Relocation Payment (IRP), for international teachers willing to make the move.

The international relocation payment (IRP) is a single payment of £10,000 which is available to eligible non-UK trainees and teachers of languages and physics.

The payment is designed to cover:

the costs of visas
the immigration health surcharge
other relocation expenses

The IRP offers financial support to teachers and trainees from Nigeria and all over the world who wish to come to train and work in English schools. It will be paid around the end of the teacher’s or trainee’s first term. It will not need to be repaid.

If eligible, trainee teachers can receive both the IRP and a bursary or scholarship.

The IRP is being run as a pilot in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Eligibility

To be eligible, teachers or trainees must:

be coming to England to work or train in the 2023 to 2024 academic year
not be already living in the UK

The Get into Teaching website has full details of the eligibility requirements for teachers and trainees.

How the scheme works

The scheme works differently for fee-paying trainees, salaried trainees and teachers.

Trainees on fee-paying courses

Trainees on fee-paying courses do not need to apply for the IRP. Training providers will pay the IRP directly to these trainees along with any bursaries they are entitled to.

Fee-paying trainees should receive the IRP around the end of their first term.

Full details of how providers will receive this funding can be found in the ‘Initial teacher training (ITT) bursary: funding manual’.

Teachers and salaried trainees

Teachers and salaried trainees who have started their teaching job or salaried teacher training course should apply for the IRP from the Get into Teaching website.

Applications are open from 4 September to 31 October 2023.

Eligible applicants should receive the money by 31 January 2024.

Teachers and trainees who miss this deadline must apply at the next opportunity after the start of their job or course to remain eligible for the IRP.

Applications will re-open in January 2024.

Future applications

Teachers and trainees are encouraged to express an interest in the IRP by emailing IRP.ExpressInterest@education.gov.uk if they:

start their job or course after the 31 October 2023
miss the October 2023 deadline for applications

DfE will then email them when applications open in 2024.

Employment and immigration checks

Before any payments are released DfE will:

work with the Home Office to check all visa and immigration requirements
contact the employing school of teachers or salaried trainees who have applied to check their:
- employment status
- teaching subject