Points-based system of the U.K promises better options for immigrants

The UK has been a favorite destination for immigrants from around the world. The country is preferred for the countless opportunities in terms of studies and professional work benefits. The country has a population of 68,810,775 as of Feb 7,2023 with a GDP per capita of 38,490.05 British pounds.

UK immigration system

The points-based immigration system of the UK was introduced in 2021 on the 1st of Jan. The key features of the immigration system include the following:

• Candidates from EU and non-EU countries will be given an equal treatment in terms of immigration.
• The points-based system applies to students, skilled workers, and highly skilled professionals.
• Skilled workers must have a job offer from a UK employer.
• Salary threshold is set at 27,756 pounds per year, previously at 26,000 pounds.
• Candidates who fall under the highly skilled worker category will need an endorsement form a UK-based company or organization without the needing a job offer.
• Students who wish to study in UK must also fulfil the points-based system and submit a proof of admission letter from an educational institute along with enough funds proof and an English proficiency test.
• The minimum score required for a UK visa is set at 70 points.

This new system has drastically increased the migration opportunities for skilled workers. The necessity for English language proficiency has made it easier for British employers to gain access to a larger pool of skilled workers.

The points-based system applies to all UK immigrants, whether from the EU or other countries, and its implementation has helped the government filter out candidates based on their skills and expertise.

The immigration program worked on eliminating low-skilled migrants from entering the country, contributing to the quality growth of the economy.

Permanent Residency

As a non-EU national, you can apply for a UK permanent residency, provided you have resided in the country for a given number of years. Given below is the list indicating the amount of time you have to spend on various visas in the UK to be able to apply for an indefinite leave to remain (ILR):

Categories	Time of stay
Marriage or unmarried partner to UK citizen	2 years
Lawful stay on any basis (long stay)	10 years
Unlawful stay	14 years
Tier 1 and Tier 2 work permit	5 years
Investor, sportsperson, business owner, arts	5 years
Ancestry	5 years

You might be an eligible candidate if you have served the specified length of time and your stay in the UK falls under each of the above categories.

Work in the UK

If your skills align with the job given in the skill shortage list, you can improve your chances of getting employed in the UK. You can refer to the UK Shortage Occupation List, which will give you a clear idea about each requirement.

The home office and the UK immigration authorities finalize the Occupation List. The UK Shortage Occupation List can be known as an official declaration of jobs facing a shortage of skilled professionals and staff. The jobs included in the Shortage Occupation List maintain minimum salary requirements along with lowered application fees.

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Professions like healthcare, engineering, Business & development, scientists, managers, etc., face a skills shortage. At the same time, employment growth is projected in professional services, transportation and storage, and wholesale and retail trade up to 2030.

Given below is a table that gives us an insight of the skilled occupation list.

Occupation code	Job types included on the shortage occupations list	Areas of the UK where there is a shortage	Annual salary (80% of going rate)
1181	Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £30,720 (£15.15 per hour)
1242	Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £21,360 (£10.53 per hour)
2111	Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry	Scotland only	80% of going rate: £21,360 (£10.53 per hour)
2112	Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £23,760 (£11.72 per hour)
2113	Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry:
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £29,200 (£14.40 per hour)
	Engineering geologist
	Hydro geologist
	Geophysicist
2113	Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry:	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £29,200 (£14.40 per hour)
	Geophysicist
	Geoscientist
	Geologist
	Geochemist
	Technical Services Manager in the decommissioning and Waste areas of the nuclear industry
	Senior resource geologist and staff geologist in the mining sector
2114	Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £20,720 (£10.22 per hour)
2121	Civil engineers – all jobs
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £28,000 (£13.81 per hour)
2122	Mechanical engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,720 (£13.18 per hour)
2123	Electrical Engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £29,600 (£14.60 per hour)
2124	Electronics Engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £27,760 (£13.69 per hour)
2126	Design and Development engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £27,280 (£13.45 per hour)
2127	Production and Process Engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,480 (£13.06 per hour)
2129	Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,160 (£12.90 per hour)
2135	IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £29,280 (£14.44 per hour)
2136	Programmers and Software Development Professionals – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,640 (£13.14 per hour)
2137	Web Design and Development professionals – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £20,800 (£10.26 per hour)
2139	Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialists	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £25,440 (£12.54 per hour)
2216	Veterinarians – all jobs
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2425	Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bio-informaticians and informaticians	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £26,240 (£12.94 per hour)
2431	Architects – all jobs
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £28,000 (£13.81 per hour)
2461	Quality Control and planning Engineers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £24,400 (£12.03 per hour)
3411	Artists – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £16,800 (£8.28 per hour)
3414	Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies.	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £23,840 (£11.76 per hour)
	The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales).
3415	Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras.	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £22,000 (£10.85 per hour)
	The orchestra must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by the Association of British Orchestras.
3416	Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £24,000 (£11.83 per hour)
3421	Graphic designers – all jobs	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £18,800 (£9.27 per hour)
5215	Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	80% of going rate: £18,240 (£8.99 per hour)
5434	Chefs – only skilled chefs where all of the following requirements are met:	England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	£29,570 – see description
	the pay for which points are awarded is at least £29,570 per year; and
	the job requires 5 or more years’ relevant experience in a role of at least equivalent status; and
	the job is not in either a fast food or standard fare outlet; and
	the job is in one of the following roles:
	executive chef – limited to 1 per establishment
	head chef – limited to 1 per establishment
	sous chef – limited to 1 for every 4 kitchen staff per establishment
	specialist chef – limited to 1 per speciality per establishment

 If you are looking to  Work in the UK? Talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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