Following a scheduled review of its 2 year-old point-based immigration system, the UK Government has introduced new measures to fine-tune it to the needs of the UK economy.
Main changes: New points criteria for Tier 1 (General) applicants
Points awarded now for Bachelors degrees (before Masters degree the minimum)
More points awarded for high previous earnings, so that applicants with £150,000 or more could apply without requiring any post-school qualification.
The most significant changes apply to the Tier 1 (General) visa class, designed for highly-skilled workers. Applicants must still attain 95 points, including a mandatory 10 for English language proficiency and 10 for maintenance funds - however the criteria for the remaining 75 points will now be as follows;-
| Highest qualification (or equivalent) |
Points Awarded |
| Bachelor degree |
30 |
| Masters degree |
35 |
| PhD |
45 |
| Previous earnings |
Points Awarded |
| Under £25,000 |
0 |
| £25,000 - £29,999 |
5 |
| £30,000 - £34,999 |
15 |
| £35,000 - £39,999 |
20 |
| £40,000 - £49,999 |
25 |
| £50,000 - £54,999 |
30 |
| £55,000 - £64,999 |
35 |
| £65,000 - £74,999 |
40 |
| £75,000 - £149,999 |
45 |
| £150,000 or above |
75 |
Age
|
Points Awarded |
| Over 40 |
0 |
| 35 to 39 |
5 |
| 30 to 34 |
10 |
| 29 or under 0 |
20 |
| UK experience |
Points Awarded |
| Qualification obtained in the UK |
5 |
| £25,000 or higher previous earnings in the UK |
5 |
Applicants will initially be granted Leave To Remain under Tier 1 (General) for 2 years, rather than the current 3 years. This is so that the UK authorities can verify at an early stage that they are engaged in highly skilled work. After 2 years, Tier 1 (General) migrants will be able to apply to extend their leave for a further 3 years.
There are new transitional arrangements to deal with applicants who are already in the UK or whose application is in progress. There are also new points criteria for applicants under the Tier 2 (General) “Employer Sponsored” visa class.
The UK Government will soon announce a review of the “multipliers” it uses to assess levels of overseas earnings.
Source: UK Border Agency
For further details of these new changes - and for assistance in applying to move to the United Kingdom, please contact the Migration Bureau.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility to emigrate to the United Kingdom, please click here to take one of our short, easy "Quick Check" tests. |
