Visa application for UK’s new points-based immigration system starts

We have posted before about the new points-based immigration system of UK. Indians will be able to apply for the easier way to find work and study in UK from December 1.

With the new system, it is country’s biggest immigration change in last 50 years. Indian-origin Britain’s home secretary Priti Patel also brought back the post-study work visa last year, after Theresa May scrapped it in 2012. Although applications are now open, the UK Home Office stated that new Skilled Worker Visa applicants could work and live in UK from January 1 when Brexit transition period ends to bring European Union (EU) migrants in line with non-EU countries.

Key rules in the UK’s new points-based visa and immigration:

• Points will be awarded for a job offer at the appropriate skill level, knowledge of English and being paid a minimum salary. And, the visas will be awarded to those who gain enough points to qualify in the new points-based system
• People will normally need to have pay-scale of at least £25,600 per year unless the ‘going rate’ for that job is higher
• Applications are made online, and applicants will need to prove their identity and provide their documents
• Once someone outside the UK has applied after finishing all these steps, they will usually get a decision within 3 weeks; the visa lasts for up to 5 years before it needs to be extended
• You will also need to have enough money to pay the application fee ranging from £610 to £1,408, the healthcare surcharge which is usually £624 per year and be able to support them that is usually by having at least £1,270 available in their accounts.

In addition to the new skilled worker, UK has opened a number of other routes this month where applications can apply for visa as per their category and convenience. They are as follows:

• UK Global Talent visa: The Global Talent visa is for people who can show they have exceptional talent or exceptional promise in the fields of science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture.
• UK Innovator visa: The Innovator visa is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea.
• UK Start-up visa: The Start-up visa is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK for the first time.
• UK Intra-company Transfer visa: The Intra-company Transfer visa is for established workers who are being transferred by the business they work for to do a skilled role in the UK.

Also, the student route opened up on October 5 this year and replaced the old Tier 4 visa route.