UK Points-Based Immigration System
How does the UK’s points-based immigration system work?
In the 21st century, any conversation about immigration policy in the UK in the public or political sphere will have seen a discussion about introducing a points-based immigration system. Loosely modelled on points-based systems in countries like Australia and Canada, this method of assessing visa applications has long been touted by its proponents as a way to increase the amount of control over the UK immigration system, while retaining enough flexibility to ensure that employers are still able to draw upon global talent in order to fill particular skill gaps which can not be filled by relying on the UK labour market alone.
The revisions to UK immigration rules introduced in 2008 were the first to be truly referred to as points-based by the government. More recently, changes to the UK immigration system as a result of Brexit have seen the points-based system reformed to coincide with the requirement for most European citizens without settlement or pre-settled status to acquire a visa to work in the UK.
Who needs to qualify under the UK points-based immigration system?
Despite much publicity from the British government about both the points-based system and the desire to “take back control” of the UK immigration system after Brexit saw the UK leave the EU, most UK visa applications do not require that the applicant meet any kind of minimum point total.
Individuals who want to apply for a visa to visit, study or do business in the UK will have to meet the eligibility criteria for the particular visa they are applying for, but will not also have to qualify for that visa on a points basis. Applications for nationality or family-related visas such as the Youth Mobility Scheme or Ancestry Visa do not have to meet any points requirements.
The majority of UK work visas do not require that the applicant accumulate a minimum number of points in order to qualify. For example, individuals looking to join the NHS using the Health and Care Worker Visa and those planning to work in UK farming for a limited period using a Seasonal Worker Visa are exempt from any points requirements and must only meet the specific eligibility criteria for those visas.
In fact, the points-based immigration system is currently only in use for one specific type of UK visa: the Skilled Worker Visa.
How does the UK points-based system work?
In theory, the UK points-based system for visa applications requires applicants to ‘earn’ a minimum of 70 points in order to be eligible to be granted a visa. Most of the 70 points are earned by meeting the mandatory criteria for the visa, with the rest of the total made up of the applicant’s choice from additional ‘tradeable’ criteria.
The only UK visa which utilises the new tradeable points-based system is the Skilled Worker Visa.
Applicants for the Skilled Worker Visa earn 50 points by meeting the following mandatory criteria:
- A job offer from an approved sponsor – 20 points
- A job offer of sufficient skill or seniority – 20 points
- English language ability of at least B1 level on the CEFR scale – 10 points
Applicants can then make up the remaining 20 points from the following characteristics:
- Salary of £23,580 – £26,199 or 90% of the job’s ‘going rate’ (whichever is higher) – 10 points
- Salary of £26,200 or higher or over 100% of the job’s ‘going rate’ (whichever is higher) – 20 points
- Job in a ‘shortage occupation’ – 20 points
- PhD in a subject relevant to the job – 10 points
- PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job – 20 points
Tailored advice for visas to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US
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