Highlights
- All applicants will need to demonstrate that they have a job offer from an approved sponsor, that the job offer is at the required skill level, and that they speak English.
- General salary threshold lowered from £30,000 to £25,600.
- UK Government will publish further details regarding points tables, shortage occupations and qualifications in due course.
From January 2021, merely ten months from now, the United Kingdom’s new points-based migration system will come into force which will consider factors like applicant’s educational qualifications, language skills and a job offer.
In the published by UK’s Home Office, the government has proposed that to get the visa, applicants from anywhere in the world will need a job offer from an ‘approved sponsor’ at an ‘appropriate skill level’ and will need to know how to speak English.
These two factors alone will get an applicant 50 points.
In order to make it to 70 points to be eligible for a visa, the applicant will need to earn at least £25,600 per annum which equal another 20 points.
Those with extra qualifications (10 points for relevant PhD or 20 points for PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths) or a job offer in which the UK has a shortage (20 points), can also earn extra points for their application.
Source: The UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement
'Attracting the best and brightest around the world'
The post-Brexit new system will end free movement of people from the European Union into the UK.
“We’re ending free movement, taking back control of our borders and delivering on the people’s priorities by introducing a new UK points-based immigration system, which will bring overall migration numbers down,” UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel .
“We will attract the brightest and the best from around the globe, boosting the economy and our communities, and unleash this country’s full potential,” she said.
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Indian students (Representational image). Source: AAP
‘Indian students and skilled workers set to benefit’
Unlike Australia, that has capped permanent migration at 160,000, UK’s new system will have no cap on the number of people who can come on the skilled worker route to the country.
This is likely to impact skilled migration to Australia, says Melbourne-based registered migration agent Rohit Mohan.
“Indian skilled migrants have emerged on the top among the migrant groups in Australia for many years now but it is becoming tougher to migrate to Australia. It has become extremely competitive as the places are limited now. Skilled migrants will definitely look towards the UK now and that will likely have an impact on skilled migration to Australia,” Mr Mohan told SBS Hindi.
The change in the UK’s immigration policy will also benefit the Indian international students who often look to work after completing their studies.
“Many international students who are unable to get permanent residency in Australia are looking to other countries like Canada. With the UK welcoming skilled migrants, it is great news for Indian international students who will be able to live and work there if they have a job offer and meet other criteria,” Mr Mohan said.
According to an analysis of from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) released in January 2020, Indian student numbers in London grew by 34.7 per cent in 2018-19. Student numbers from India increased from 18,325 in 2014-15 to 26,685 in 2018-19.
Disclaimer: We’d like to point out that the information contained in this segment is general and is not specific advice. If you would like accurate information relevant to your situation, you should consult a registered migration agent.
