The new Points-Based Immigration System is now in force and Britain is open for business! Skilled Workers need a job offer from a UK employer (Sponsor). UK businesses still need a Sponsor Licence. The process, however, has been simplified, mainly by abolishing the Resident Labour Market Test. The British employers don’t have to advertise a job to resident workers before hiring a foreigner. The whole work visa system has been made easier than ever!

How to find a Sponsor? This is a simplified summary, for details please book our advice session on this link. 

Option 1 – most popular: come to the UK on another visa, such as Student or Youth Mobility Scheme (“working holiday”), do some work, then secure a job offer from a company that is willing to sponsor you for the longer term. If they don’t have a Sponsor licence yet, we can help to apply for it. You can work part-time on a Student visa, full-time on YMS. 

NEW – Return of the Post-Study Work visa, now called a Graduate Route! International students are able to switch from Tier 4 / Student visa to the Graduate Route visa. You can stay in the UK and work for 2 years – without sponsorship! This visa doesn’t count or lead to settlement but it gives you an opportunity to secure a Sponsor and switch to a Skilled Worker visa. Or to use these 2 years to qualify for an Unmarried Partner visa, another very common step.

Help for UK employers: we have vast experience in helping small and medium-size employers to hire a migrant worker. We can work with you and your employer at the same time, from analysing a job (whether it qualifies) to Sponsor Licence application and all the way to the actual visa. Start from booking our advice session here, you can include your employer, we work over WhatsApp, Zoom, email etc. We help clients of all nationalities based anywhere in the world and employers anywhere in the UK.   

Option 2: You can apply for jobs from abroad in most in-demand occupations, such as IT workers, web-designers, graphic designers, engineers, architects, artists, almost all scientists,  teachers (especially maths, physics, computer science) and many others. The occupation list has been expanded greatly and it is the biggest change in the work visa system that so many jobs can now be offered in the UK. 

If you are a medical or social care professional, such as a doctor, nurse or a senior care worker, there is also Health and Care Worker Visa. If your Sponsor doesn’t have a licence yet, we can help to obtain it.

Book a consultation here over WhatsApp, Zoom or email to discuss your situation one-to-one with an Immigration Lawyer. 

We can help to obtain it! 1st 4Immigration is one of the most experienced companies in the UK Work visas law sector. We have a fantastic successful track record of helping small and medium-size employers to hire migrant workers, be it someone who worked for them previously (while on Tier 4, Student or Tier 5 visa) or someone they are inviting from overseas. We can work together with the migrant and their employer at the same time, from analysing a job (whether it qualifies) to a licence application and all the way to the actual Skilled Worker visa, Health and Care Worker visa and others. 

We also offer compliance services while a company is holding a Sponsor Licence. We know the rules well – we had our own Sponsor Licence for 8 years. We know at first hand what it feels like when a Government official turns up for an unannounced inspection! 

Start from booking our advice session here, whether you are a worker or an employer, or you can do a joint consultation together. We offer online consultations over WhataApp, Zoom, Skype, email. We help clients and employers of all nationalities in all locations. 

Under the new Points-Based Immigration System from December 2020, a British business can sponsor migrant workers to perform jobs at RQF Level 3 or above. Level 3 is the UK ‘A Level’, it is lower than pre-Brexit Level 6 (degree level). This is a level of job offered, duties a worker is performing, it is not a level of the worker’s qualifications.

This is a category for skilled workers in the medical profession and healthcare, such as doctors, nurses and many others. There is an exhaustive list of acceptable occupations and you still need a Sponsor, such as the UK National Health Service (the NHS) or another company providing health or care services. This work visa sub-category is faster and cheaper than the main Skilled Worker visa. 

Care Worker: for those wishing to work as a Senior Care Worker in a care home (nursing home or an old people’s home) or in a home for disabled people/children in the UK, providing social care to the people living there.  

Start from booking our advice session here, whether you are a worker or an employer, or you can do a joint consultation together. We offer online consultations over WhataApp, Zoom, Skype, email. We help clients and employers of all nationalities in all locations. 

The new blanket minimum is down from £30,000 to £25,600 per annum. It is still, however, subject to the ‘going rate’ for your occupation code, whichever is higher. Unless you are eligible for a lower, Entrant Salary, such as if you are switching from a Student visa. Or unless you can ‘trade’ the salary points for a job on shortage occupation list or for having a PhD relevant to the job. Or unless you can change the working hours. The new PBIS does offer a room for manoeuvre but you have to get the points on salary exactly right! 

There will be no separate salary threshold for settlement (Indefinite Leave). 

To discuss your situation, book an online consultation on this link, we work over WhatsApp, Zoom, email. 

Switching from Tier 4 / Student visa remains possible and beneficial. You would qualify for a New Entrant salary level, which appeals to UK employers when sponsoring you. If you have a UK company willing to sponsor you for a Skilled Worker visa, it is a good option because this category leads to settlement in the UK after 5 years. If you don’t have a Sponsor, a Graduate visa allows working in the UK for 2 years without sponsorship. It won’t count to settlement but will give you time to find a Sponsor.

To discuss your situation, please book a consultation with us here. 

This is one of the most common requests we have dealt with in the past 10 years! How do I switch from Tier 2 ICT to a visa that leads to settlement in the UK?

The new Points-Based Immigration System makes it possible. You can switch anytime as long as your Sponsor (current or future) is wiling to support such a move. They don’t have to advertise your job, or wait for 12 months cooling-off period, or wait for a restricted certificate. You/they can switch inside the UK and start counting ‘your’ 5 years towards settlement. 

To discuss your situation one-to-one with an Immigration Lawyer, book an online consultation here.  

Another welcome change in the new Points-Based System. You can now switch from Youth Mobility Scheme (working holiday) visa to a Skilled Worker visa – while remaining in the UK, continuing to work without interruption and without having to travel abroad to wait for a new visa. Subject to the points and the right salary.  

We made a list of the 10 most welcome changes in the current system here on our Blog.