How will UK’s new points-based immigration system work?

After leaving the EU, UK is now in a transition period until Dec. 31 with some rules and regulations to be extended until July of 2021. The UK government has followed the Migration Advisory Committee’s report to roll out plans for a post-Brexit immigration system where EEA and non-EEA citizens will be treated equally.

The new points-based scheme will require that an applicant collect at least 70 points from a number of factors including a job offer by an approved sponsor, having a salary of at least £25,600, speaking English at a required level, securing a job in a shortage occupation or a PhD in a subject related to the job. Applicants with a PhD in the Engineering and Science fields get double points in this category.

Under the new scheme, prospective new applicants can achieve 50 points from the three factors of language, job offer and approved sponsor. The remaining 20 points can be gained from reaching an approved salary level, the job is in a shortage occupation or the applicants has earned a PhD. The new scheme seems similar to the discontinued old scheme “Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.”

The changes look likely to benefit applicants from New Zealand, Canada and Australia who will reach the 70 points threshold assuming they have a job offer by virtue of speaking English and earning over £25,600.

There is also talk of a broader route to allow a smaller number of the most highly skilled workers to come to the UK without a job offer.

The Government’s announcement makes no mention of the current Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme), which allows for living and working in the UK for two years, but one can surmise that if this remains in place, visa holders would be able to secure a role and transition to the new scheme to remain longer than two years.

There’s just enough uncertainty in the announcement to ensure there will be plenty of inconsistencies and unintended consequences, and while it’s hard to believe the implementation of regulation in the post-Brexit UK could be anything less than comprehensively thought-through, we live in interesting times.

The government’s announcement makes no mention of where the UK will find “low-skilled” workers in hospitality, transportation or agriculture, but for the time being prospects of remaining in the UK longer look a little brighter for new applications at least.

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