UK Immigration Law and recommendations by MAC

As the UK has left the EEA, the UK government has decided to overhaul some of the UK immigration system with new policies, reforms and innovations specifically in connection with Skilled Migrant workers.  The UK government has decided to adopt some of the recommendations by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which is an independent government advisory body on UK immigration. And although the MAC’s recommendations cover a broad spectrum of UK Immigration Laws, this article focuses on Skilled Migrant workers, specifically on what is known as the Points-Based System (PBS).

What is the current UK Immigration System?

Under the current skilled migrant worker route, EU nationals are not required to have a visa either to travel or work in the UK because they benefit from "freedom of movement" and only need to comply with a set rule to work in the UK. However, for skilled migrant workers coming from outside the EU, there is a system in place which is based on points. The PBS has four main tiers and to be eligible for a visa an applicant would be assessed and awarded points in certain criteria, such as specific skills, salaries of professions. The following are the four main PBS visa routes: Tier 2 General Migrant (Skilled workers), Tier 4 Students, Tier 5 Migrant and Tier 1 Investor Migrants. Under the Tier 2 Skilled worker routes, points are awarded if the applicant is sponsored by an Employer with a Sponsor Licence, is being paid the appropriate Salary, meets the English language requirements and meets the Maintenance funds requirement. Applicants will therefore be granted visas if they gain enough points to take them above a certain threshold, and in view of some of the challenges applicants encounter regarding attaining the required threshold, the MAC  recommended some changes to certain criteria of the threshold.

The current route Tier 2 General Migrant (Skilled worker route)

Skilled workers making applications for Tier 2 General visa would be required to gain 70 points on the following criteria: 30 points would be awarded for having a sponsor, 20 points for being offered the appropriate salary (current minimum threshold £30000), 10 points for having a certain level of English language skills and 10 points for having enough funds to maintain yourself once you arrive in the UK. If an applicant fails to gain the required 70 points, there is no way the applicant will be given a visa under this route. In view of these stringent criteria, the MAC has recommended some changes to the current requirements in order to make it easier for skilled and talented migrants to relocate to the UK to assist in building the UK’s economy as a result of Brexit.

What are some of the recommendations from MAC?

The MAC recommended that as a result of the UK exiting the EEA, the UK must reform its immigration system to be skilled-focused in order to attract high skilled migrant to medium-skilled migrants to relocate the country. They also recommended the abolition of the Resident Labour Market Test and implement a simplified process as the current process can be challenging; and also recommended a new work route for entry to the UK without a job offer (current route: Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent).

The MAC recommends amending or replacing the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa to provide a more adequate route for skilled workers without a job offer. The UK government has already accepted this particular recommendation and the route will be open to new applicants for what is known as the Global Talent visa route. Under this route applicants would not need a job offer to come to the UK, but rather the potential talented applicants must first secure an endorsement from their respective endorsing bodies before making the application. Please refer to our recent article published on 12 February 2020 under the caption: The UK welcomes the Global Talent visa.

What are the changes with the Minimum salary threshold?

MAC further recommended that the government maintain the salary threshold requirement. However, the government should lower the current minimum salary of £30,000 threshold for the admittance of a skilled worker from anywhere in the world, including EEA nationals, should be £25,600 and £17,600 for new entrants (currently £20,800) based on specific calculations, unless the relevant SOC code stipulates a higher minimum. This is significant if the UK government goes ahead and implement these recommendations as it would enable a number of UK employers to recruit more high - medium skilled migrants to relocate to the UK.

Who can I contact for legal advice?

If you need a U.K. immigration lawyer and need assistance with any aspect of U.K. immigration law whether from inside the U.K. or from overseas, contact Aschfords Law in Harrow, London. We have experience in offering specialist advice in respect of all U.K. immigration matters and have insight to make the process as smooth as possible. We also provide legal advice and assistance in respect to Wills & Probate, Litigation, Landlord and Tenant.

Please contact us today on: +44 (0) 7582932830.