What do you mean by point-based visa system?

In Feb 2020, the Government has disclosed their plans for immigration in a post-Brexit Britain, with a point-based system that will probably restrict low-skilled migrants from the UK. With the possible changes introducing a more intricate application, it could be more worthy than ever to seek specialized legal advice. This is where the best immigration solicitors in London can help you to make sense of where you stand.

The revised plan maintains the primary requirements of the previous rules, that foreign workers having to meet the specific level of spoken English and have an offer of a skilled job with an ‘approved sponsor’.

The system would work on a points-based system, with the conditions that immigrants would have to accumulate 70 points to be able to work in the UK. Points can be earned by:

·         Possessing a particular set of qualifications

·         The amount of salary

·         Working in a sector that is deemed to have shortages in the UK

This proposed system has been found with the objective of attracting the ‘brightest and best’ workers to the UK but by throwing out overseas workers who would be looking to fill the lower-wage jobs that are available.       

The proposed points system works as followed:

The mandatory requirements:

1.       Job offer from approved sponsor – 20 points

2.       Job at appropriate skill level – 20 points

3.       English at required level – 10 points

4.       The points earned for salary:

5.       £20,480 – £23,039 – 0 points

6.       £23,040 – £25,599 – 10 points

7.       £25,600 or above – 20 points

This new system would allow changes to the existing Tier 2 work visa. The variations include:

The ‘required skill level’ being reduced from level 6 (degree) to level 3 (A-level).

The minimum salary verge being decreased to £25,600. It will also not be the total minimum: some workers earning between £20,480 and £25,600 would still qualify for a visa if they are highly qualified or working in a shortage job.

As per the leading immigration solicitors in London, this means that the new system would be more dependent on gaining points than the current one. The system currently in place claims to be points-based, but it asks for fulfilling all of the specified requirements, irrespective of the number of points they are valuable. This new system would allow for more suppleness on how those points are accumulated, with the likelihood of making up points in another category if they are too low in another.

Those existing EU residences are being encouraged to ensure their right to stay in action through the EU Settlement Scheme, in the confidence that overseas workers who are already here will be able to fulfill the demand for lower-skilled jobs. Whilst the government has tinted their expansion of a pilot scheme for agricultural workers, the 10,000 places available through this will create an imbalance between industries, with other sectors potentially suffering a disastrous labor shortage.