Following Brexit and now the pandemic, the United Kingdom has had to make changes to its immigration system to increase the population of skilled workers in the country. As a result, the state recently introduced a new points-based immigration system.
Every applicant looking to move to the UK needs to make a total of 70 points, which are awarded through a wide range of criteria. With the new points-based immigration system, employers can hire people from all over the world, except Ireland. Irish citizens cannot get entry into the UK based on immigration points, but the rest of the EU members can. Here is a detailed rundown of the UK’s new points-based system.
Visas
There are a few types of visas awarded under this setup
- Skilled worker- which is given to people with a certain level of expertise in their respective fields, such as professors, research associates, engineers, etc.
- Student – which is given to students who wish to study in the UK and achieve admission into a university
- Temporary work- which is given to people who have to stay in the UK for a specified period of time to fulfill a job obligation or receive training.
In each of these categories, applicants get points for different qualifications/achievements.
How to Score High In UK’s New Points-Based Immigration System?
Candidates who can speak English and acquire a job offer from a registered UK employer will get 50 points. This number can go up based on your occupation and the role acquired.
People in different fields can receive more points if they have higher qualifications. For example, if a person gets employed as an assistant professor, and happens to have a Ph.D. in their relevant field, they will receive 10 points for that as well.
Moreover, applicants associated with the profession of science and technology receive higher points if they have a post-graduate degree in their subject. If you are an engineer or mathematician with a Ph.D. (on top of an offer letter from a UK-based employer), you will receive 20 points.
One way of scoring 20 points in the UK’s new immigration system is landing a job that pays at least £25,600 a year. This means that despite the job you’ve acquired, you can still manage to bring your score up to 70 if you get employed at a salary of £25,600 a year.
Apart from the mentioned criteria for scoring higher immigration points, you can get a better score if you are hired for a job role in an occupation that has a shortage. For example, if you gain employment in the food sector (as it currently faces a lack of workers in the UK), you will win 20 points even if you don’t make £25,600 a year.
How to Apply For Immigration to the UK?
First, you should check if you meet the criteria to gain entry into the UK through your field, provided that you have already received an offer letter. Once that’s done, you can begin your application online or contact a visa application agent to help you with the process. (See also: 7 Reasons to work in the United Kingdom)
