It has been two months since the introduction of the new Skilled Worker visa route. There have been several relaxations, including relaxations of skill levels required.
In summary, 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 visa 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 (a UK employer with a sponsor licence). 20 points.
- 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. Some job examples could include:
Cake Decorators
Restaurant/Bar Managers
Chefs
Shopkeepers/Newsagents
Child Minders
Bricklayers
20 points. - The applicant must speak English to an acceptable standard. 10 points.
Tradable points
Meeting the mandatory criteria above will earn the applicant 50 points; they must obtain a further 20 “tradable” points through a combination of points for their salary, a job in a shortage occupation or a relevant PhD.
A total of 70 points is required.
If the applicant is paid higher than 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 tradable points if the applicant is paid less than the general threshold or the going rate, provided they are paid at least £20,480.
Relaxation on switching immigration routes
Under the Skilled Worker visa route, most migrants will be allowed to apply to switch from one immigration route to another without having to leave the UK. This will support employers in retaining the talented staff that they have invested in.
However, there will be no relaxation of the qualifying criteria for the route being switched into. A migrant will still have to meet the requirements for that route. They will also have to pay the same fees, relevant charges, and complete the same application.
There will be no right to switch in the UK for work or study for those on short-term routes, such as visitors and seasonal workers.
Suspending the cap
As a first step towards reducing the burden on employers and streamlining the sponsorship system, the Home Office have suspended the current cap on the current route for skilled workers, which will result in there being no limit on the numbers of skilled workers who can come to the UK.
This change alone is hoped to reduce the end-to-end process for sponsoring skilled workers by up to four weeks, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to simplifying the immigration system for employers.
Abolishing the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)
Under the new Skilled Worker visa route there will be no requirement for employers to undertake a RLMT. This reform will remove at least four weeks from the end-to-end process for sponsoring skilled workers.
However, sponsors must still be seeking to fill a genuine vacancy which meets the skill and salary thresholds of the new route. Roles cannot be created solely to facilitate immigration of a specific migrant to the UK.
If you need advice or assistance in relation to this new route, then please do get in touch, by emailing [email protected]
