Points Based System

The points-based system for assessing immigration applications for the UK was launched on 29 February 2008. It changes the way individuals from outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) can work, train or study in the UK.

The system has reduced over 80 different routes to employment and education in the UK to just five tiers:

• Tier 1: highly skilled individuals to contribute to growth and productivity (previously the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme).
• Tier 2: skilled workers with a job offer to fill gaps in the UK labour force (previously the work permit route).
• Tier 3: low skilled workers needed to fill specific temporary labour shortages. This tier is suspended indefinitely.
• Tier 4: students wanting to come to the UK to study.
• Tier 5: youth mobility and temporary workers – people allowed to work in the UK for a limited period of time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives such as exchange schemes or agreements. This tier replaces the working holidaymaker and Medical Training Initiative schemes.

A migrant needs to gain points to qualify for each specific tier before they can apply for permission to enter, or remain in, the UK. The number of points required and the way the points are awarded depend on the tier the migrant is applying under, but will reflect their qualifications, experience, age, previous earnings and language competence.

Individuals can check if they have enough points to qualify for a particular tier by carrying out a self assessment of their eligibility online on the UK Border Agency (UKBA) website.

Under the points-based system, the UKBA will decide who is admitted to, or allowed to stay in the UK. In order to assess this, the migrant will need to provide evidence of a sponsor in the UK who is licensed by the UKBA.