Tier 1 - Highly Skilled General Subcategory
The applicants are required to obtain at least 75 points within the following four categories:
- Qualifications
- bachelor’s degree – 30 points
- master’s degree – 35 points
- PhD – 50 points
- Earnings
- £16,000-£17,999 – 5 points
- £18,000-£19,999 – 10 points
- £20,000-£22,999 – 15 points
- £23,000-£25,999 – 20 points
- £26,000-£28,999 – 25 points
- £29,000-£31,999 – 30 points
- £32,000-£34,999 – 35 points
- £35,000-£39,999 – 40 points
- £40,000+ - 45 points
- UK experience
- for previous earnings or qualifications gained in the UK – 5 points
- Age
- under 28 – 20 points
- 28 or 29 – 10 points
- 30 or 31 – 5 points
In order to satisfy the maintenance requirement an applicant must obtain a pass mark of 10. The applicant must show that he has access to a certain level of funds to maintain and accommodate himself and any dependants while in the UK.
Each overseas applicant must show a minimum of £2,800 for himself and for the first dependant 2/3 of £2800 and each subsequent dependant would require 1/3 of £2800.
The applicant must obtain 10 points by demonstrating sufficient English language competency. This can be shown in one of the following four ways:
- come from a majority English speaking country (Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA) or
- have taken a degree taught in English (verified using National Academic Recognition Information Centre Data) or
- have passed an English language test equivalent to level C1 of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework for Language Learning (equivalent to grade C or above at GCSE).
Extension
People already in the UK under the old Highly Skilled Migrant Programme were able to extend their stay under the current / old arrangements for the HSMP until 29 February 2008 when the new arrangements of the general criteria (Tier 1) of the PBS came into force for applicants applying from within the UK.
The extension test uses the same criteria as those for initial entry, except that:
- Points for age awarded on entry are carried forward under the extension test. Separate provision will be made to accommodate those who are applying under the extension test from pre-points system categories and who have not previously been awarded points for age under the Highly Skilled General sub-category and
- The migrant has to demonstrate earnings in UK since their arrival in order to be awarded points for UK Experience.
There is no need to provide further evidence of the English requirement if the applicant has already proved once before that they had the required level for the sub-category.
There is no need to provide further evidence of maintenance if the applicant is extending their stay in the category in which their current leave is expiring.
Migrants who have had leave to remain in the UK under the old HSMP had the time spent in this category counted towards settlement if they subsequently switched into Tier 2 – work permits or Tier 1 the highly skilled general sub-category.
