Skilled Worker
As set out in the Policy Statement published on 19 February, anyone coming to the UK for work, including EU citizens, will need to demonstrate they meet a specific set of requirements for which they will score points. There is no overall cap on the number who can apply for this Skilled Worker route.
The applicant must meet the following mandatory criteria in addition to passing the relevant UK criminality checks:
- the applicant must have an offer of a job from a licensed sponsor;
- the job must be at or above the minimum skill level: RQF3 level or equivalent (A level or equivalent qualification). Workers will not need to hold a formal qualification. It is the skill level of the job they will be doing which is important.
- the applicant must speak English to an acceptable standard.
Tradeable points
Meeting the mandatory criteria above will earn the applicant 50 points; they must obtain a further 20 “tradeable” points through a combination of points for their salary, a job in a shortage occupation or a relevant PhD.
If the applicant is paid the higher of the general salary threshold of £25,600 or the “going rate” for their particular job, they will get an extra 20 points.
There is scope to earn the required extra tradeable points if the applicant is paid less than the general threshold or the going rate, provided they are paid at least £20,480. That being the case, the applicant may earn points if they have a job offer in a specific shortage occupation (as recommended by the MAC) or a PhD qualification relevant to the job.
There are also different minimum salary rules for workers in certain health or education jobs, and for “new entrants” at the start of their career. The salary requirement for new entrants will be 30% lower than the rate for experienced workers in any occupation. However, a minimum of £20,480 must always be met.
We will retain the ability to widen the number of attributes that will score tradeable points to enable us to meet the needs of the economy. However, the mandatory requirements will not be tradeable.
In the table below we show how someone who has at least 80% or 90% of the relevant salary for their occupation (whether that is the £25,600 threshold or the going rate), and therefore scores 0 or 10 points for salary, could make up the points elsewhere by scoring points for another attribute, for instance, working in a shortage occupation or having a relevant PhD.
Table 1: Tradeable points
Non-tradeable points (mandatory) – 50 required
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| The offer of a job by an approved sponsor | 20 |
| Job at an appropriate skill level | 20 |
| English language skills at level B1 (intermediate) | 10 |
Tradeable points (may only score from one entry from each of the two sections below) – 20 required
Salary
| General salary threshold | Going rate | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Salary of at least £20,480 | At least 80% of the going rate for the profession (70% if a new entrant) | 0 |
| Salary of at least £23,040 | At least 90% of the going rate for the profession. | 10 |
| Salary of at least £25,600 | At least the going rate for the profession. | 20 |
| Salary of at least £20,480 | Listed health/education job and meets the relevant national pay scale | 20 |
Other
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Education qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job | 10 |
| Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 20 |
| Job in a shortage occupation (as designated by the MAC) | 20 |
| The applicant is a new entrant to the labour market (as designated by the MAC) | 20 |
The following case studies further illustrate how tradeable points can be applied.
Case Study: General Salary Threshold is Applied
Freya wants to come to the UK to undertake skilled work and has been offered a job as a lab technician for a salary of £21,000. She meets all the mandatory criteria under the Points-Based System, scoring 50 points.
The going rate for lab technicians is £18,200 and Freya’s salary is more than this. However, she does not score 20 points for her salary as it is below the general threshold of £25,600. As Freya’s salary offer is £21,000, she does not score any points for her salary. It is still above the minimum of £20,480, so she can still score 20 tradeable points elsewhere to be eligible for a visa.
In this instance, Freya does get the 20 extra points by having a relevant STEM PhD in biochemistry.
The table below has been personalised to show how Freya has accumulated the requisite 70 points.
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Offer of a job by an approved sponsor | 20 |
| Mandatory Job at an appropriate skill level | 20 |
| Mandatory English language skills at level B1 (intermediate) | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Tradeable Salary of £20,480 – £23,039.99 | 0 |
| Tradeable Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 20 |
| Total | 20 |
Grand Total: 70
Case study: ‘Going rate’ salary threshold for the profession is applied
Richard wants to come to the UK to work and has been offered a job as a mechanical engineer for a salary of £26,750. He meets all the mandatory criteria under the PointsBased System, scoring 50 points.
Richard’s salary is higher than the £25,600 general salary threshold; however, it is below the £33,400 going rate for mechanical engineers, so he does not score 20 points for his salary. Richard’s salary is just above 80% of the going rate for his occupation, therefore while he scores no points from his salary, he is eligible to score 20 tradeable points elsewhere to be eligible for a visa. In this instance, Richard scores the 20 extra points by having a job offer in a shortage occupation.
The table below is personalised to show how Richard has accumulated the requisite 70 points.
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Offer of a job by an approved sponsor | 20 |
| Mandatory Job at an appropriate skill level | 20 |
| Mandatory English language skills at level B1 (intermediate) | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Tradeable Salary of at least 80% of the going rate | 0 |
| Tradeable Job in a shortage occupation (as designated by the MAC) | 20 |
| Total | 20 |
Grand Total: 70
Case study: National pay scale is applied
Louis wants to come to the UK to work and has been offered a job as a qualified primary school teacher in Wales for a salary of £24,906. He meets all the mandatory criteria under the Points-Based System, scoring 50 points.
Louis must now score a further 20 points to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route. His salary is below the general threshold of £25,600 but, as primary school teachers are a listed education job and Louis’ salary meets the national pay scale in Wales (and is above £20,480), he still scores 20 points for his salary, meeting the total requirement of 70 points.
The table below has been personalised to show how Louis has accumulated the requisite 70 points.
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Offer of a job by an approved sponsor | 20 |
| Mandatory Job at an appropriate skill level | 20 |
| Mandatory English language skills at level B1 (intermediate) | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Tradeable Listed health/education job and meets the relevant national pay scale | 20 |
| Total | 20 |
Grand Total: 70
Case study: New entrant discount is applied
Evie is 26 years old and is in the UK, having studied a veterinary science degree at a UK university and begun her career here under the Graduate route. She wants to carry on working in the UK and has been offered a job as a veterinarian with a starting salary of £22,900. She meets all the mandatory criteria under the Points-Based System, scoring 50 points.
Evie must now score a further 20 points to be eligible to switch into the Skilled Worker route. She does not score any points for her salary, but it is above the minimum of £20,480. As Evie is switching from the Graduate route, she scores 20 points as a new entrant to the labour market. Her salary is below the usual minimum of 80% of the £32,500 going rate for her chosen profession, but it is higher than the 70% of the going rate required for new entrants.
The table below has been personalised to show how Evie has accumulated the requisite 70 points.
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Offer of a job by an approved sponsor | 20 |
| Mandatory Job at an appropriate skill level | 20 |
| Mandatory English language skills at level B1 (intermediate) | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
| Characteristic | Points |
|---|---|
| Tradeable Salary of at least £20,480 and at least 70% of the going rate for the profession | 0 |
| Tradeable Applicant is a new entrant to the labour market | 20 |
| Total | 20 |
Grand Total: 70
Who can apply?
Individuals of all nationalities (except British and Irish) who have a confirmed job offer, and whose employment will be sponsored by a UK employer who is Home Office licensed, to work in specified occupations (at RQF3 or equivalent and above).
Table 2: Skilled Worker conditions and requirements
| Requirements | Conditions and restrictions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| English language | Yes | Capped | No |
| Application fee | Yes | Switching – routes (in-country) | Yes |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Yes | Route to settlement | Yes |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (subject to specific exemptions) | Yes | Dependants | Yes |
| Biometrics | Yes | Access to funds | No |
| Maintenance* | Yes | Supplementary work | Yes |
* Applicants are exempt from the requirement if they have a fully ‘A-rated’ sponsor who can provide the maintenance cost if they need it. Sponsors must confirm this on the Certificate of Sponsorship. An A-rating is awarded when employers are first granted a sponsor licence on the basis that they have systems in place to be able to meet their sponsor duties. Employers will not be granted a licence if they are not able to achieve an A-rating.
Additional
- Sponsorship – confirmed job offer with a licensed sponsor
- Salary thresholds – a salary at or above the general threshold £25,600 or the going rate, whichever is higher. May be reduced through tradeable points or being a new entrant to the labour market.
- Skills threshold (RQF 3 and equivalent and above
