Free movement for Europeans in the UK will cease from January 1, 2021, as the country will no longer be restricted with Brexit rules. It will however lead to enormous changes for those who want to continue staying and working in the UK and new UK Immigration System. From next year onwards whether you are a European or non-European the rules will be the same for all immigrants and a score of 70 points will be must to qualify for a visa.
The government has come out with a 130-page document that is incredibly complicated but contains all the new sets of rules and crucial details regarding changes in the UK immigration system post-Brexit. As expected having an appointment letter from a UK-based employer, proficiency in English, and fulfilling the minimum threshold for salary will earn you points. On the sourer side, the government is planning to cut down low-skilled migrants.
Working Of New UK Immigration System
The system will work on points and applicants sponsored only by approved employers with a paycheck of more than £20,480 will be considered eligible. The routes for recent graduates, students, and dependent family members for entering the UK without a job offer will be different. Excluding the exception of having a job offer, rest rules will be mandatory to become eligible for the visa. The system will judge skilled workers based on certain factors.
Also Read- Working in UK on Dependent Work Visa
The division of points will be as follows:
- Job offer from licensed sponsor -20 points
- Proficiency in English up to acceptable standard-10 points
- Job offer skill level is RQF3 or higher-20 points
- You can earn extra needed 20 points which are also called the tradeable points by having a Ph.D., higher salary, or opting for work that has a shortage of labor.
Salary Threshold For Skilled Workers
The system has no criteria related to unskilled work. On the other hand, the minimum salary threshold for skilled work is £20,480 or more. But most of the applicants will have to earn more than this threshold so that they can earn those tradeable points. You can earn 10 points by earning a minimum of £23,040 or 20 points by earning a minimum of £25,600. Similarly, you can also earn 10 points through a 90% going rate for the job and 20 points through a 100% going rate for the job.
The going rate varies for each profession. For example for chief executives, it is £67,300 whereas for hotel managers it is only £21,800. Also, the minimum salary threshold applies to everyone irrespective of whether you are working part-time or full time.
Application Fees For Skilled workers
Application fee for skilled workers applying from outside of Great Britain is £610 or £1,220 if they want to extend their stay beyond 3 years. For a shortage of occupations, it is £464 or £928 for those wanting to stay beyond three years. They will also have to pay £624 every year which is the Immigration Health Surcharge for using the NHS. Apart from the employees, employers will have to shell out £1,000 per year per worker. Charities as well as Small and Medium Enterprises can apply on discounted rates of £364 per year.