The UK has now revised its system for visas for skilled migration, with the main intention of keeping their economy globally competitive. The HSMP was introduced in 2002, and on June 20 of that year their new system comprising of a 5 tier point based migration system, which includes the General Tier 1 UK visa Points Based System replaced the HSMP.
In this 1st tier visa, highly skilled individuals who manage to score 75 points or higher can migrate to the UK without getting any sponsorship from potential employers. These highly skilled individuals include doctors, scientists, engineers, MBA’s and other educated workers.
The visa aims at attracting the best, brightest and most talented migrants who would prove to be economically beneficial to the UK. This is unlike the tier 2 visas that also cater to people migrating to the UK for long term business and employment purposes.
The tier 1 UK Visa (for the General Migrant’s) is a visa that does not require an employment offer for its sanctioning. This is why this visa is effective in choosing the most highly skilled applicant for the UK.
If you are a person who can speak English, has a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and can prove that you can earn and support yourself in the UK, then the tier 1 General Migrant UK visa is the right visa for you.
Basically, the tier 1 UK visa is similar to the HSMP; the only difference is that the MBA provision where those with MBAs from specific universities automatically get 75 points, has been removed. In addition to this, the requirements for a person to speak English is even more stringent. Thirdly, you no longer require two application forms – one for your Approval letter and the other for visa.
How to apply for a UK Visa Tier 1 (General)
To get an extension and a tier 1 UK visa, you have to score 75 points with the point system used during your extension request. These 75 Points are awarded for “Attributes”, that comprise Age, Qualifications, Previous earnings and UK experience.
Separate points are given for English language ability and the availability of funds for maintenance. There is a possibility of the requirements for English language proficiency getting waived and extra points being allotted for work experience in the UK. However to qualify for the visa, you have to earn a minimum of 16,000 GBP during the 12 months of your earning assessment period. You must demonstrate that you have the level of English prescribed in the Immigration Rules and produce evidence of the required funds of 2800 pounds in addition to points obtained through the Attributes.
Visit the BIA Points Calculator page to check if you have scored enough points to be eligible for the Visa.
If your eligible and decide to go ahead for the visa application, you should complete application form VAF9 with your personal details. You will also need to complete Appendix 1 using the points Information obtained from the Points Calculator.
Categories in the Tier-1 UK visa
The UK tier 1 visa is issued in four categories; General, Entrepreneur, Investors and Post study work scheme.
General- this category targets highly skilled candidates looking to enter the UK to look for and undertake employment.
Entrepreneurs- this category has applicants investing in the UK economy to start or take control of a business. They have to be involved in the everyday running of the concerned business.
Investors- this category targets individuals who will be making sizeable investments in the UK.
Post-study work- this category caters to those looking for a bridge to those seeking employment in the UK, after completing a course of study in the UK. Unlike other categories, this stream of the visa lasts only for two years and is not considered towards permanent settlement in the UK. So people falling into this category who wish to remain in the UK have to switch their status to some other category of the points system as soon as possible to remain in the country. This is because General, Entrepreneur and Investor category applicants will be given visas for three years, which they can extend for an additional two years if they meet the requirements of the respective categories.
Points Based System Tier 1 UK visa
This is an idea of how it is possible to get the necessary 75 points to get the Tier 1 UK visa from the Attributes(Age, Qualifications, Previous earnings and UK experience) and the separate points for the English language ability and the maintenance of funds.
Age: like the HSMP visa, the younger you are, the more advantageous it is for you.
| Age | Points |
| Under 28 years | 20 |
| Between 28 – 29 years | 10 |
| Between 30 -31 years | 5 |
| 32 Years and Above | 0 |
Qualifications: You may have a qualification of an undergraduate bachelor’s degree (equivalent to British Bachelors), a postgraduate / Masters Qualification or a PhD (as validated by the UK NARIC database).
The respective Points are awarded only if your qualifications are equivalent to British Bachelors, Masters or PhD (as validated by the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) database). Points can be scored for vocational and professional qualifications if they are at least equivalent to one of the academic levels shown, but only if they can be verified.
The points awarded for the qualification is based on the following table below;
| Qualification | Points |
| Bachelor’s degree | 30 |
| Master’s degree | 35 |
| PhD | 50 |
| MBA | 75 |
Previous earnings: If you had worked in a developing country, you get fewer points and if your earnings are from outside the UK, calculate the amount by converting your 12 months (out of the 15 months preceding your application) consecutive earnings to points, by using the points table as shown below;
Earnings in a foreign currency will be converted to pound sterling (£) using the closing spot exchange rate that appears on www.oanda.com
To reflect differences in income levels across the Globe, countries are divided into 5 income bands and local incomes adjusted to the levels shown in the salary ranges below.
Your Salaried Earnings will be multiplied by the multiplier shown in the table below for the corresponding country, the money was earned in;
For example, if your money was earned in India, which is in Band D, you need to multiply your sterling equivalent salary by 5.3.
| Country or territory in which money was earned | Multiplier |
| Andorra; Aruba; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bermuda; Canada; Cayman Islands; Channel Islands; Denmark; Finland; France; French Polynesia; Germany; Gibraltar; Guam; Hong Kong (Province of China); Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Kuwait; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Monaco; Netherlands; Norway; Qatar; San Marino; Singapore; Sweden; Switzerland; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America; Vatican. | 1 |
| American Samoa; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Bahamas; Bahrain; Barbados; Botswana; Brunei Darussalam; Chile; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Greece; Greenland; Grenada; Hungary; Israel; Korea (South); Latvia; Lebanon; Libya; Macao (Province of China); Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Netherlands Antilles; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Northern Mariana Islands; Oman; Palau; Panama; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; Taiwan (Republic of China); Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; Uruguay; Venezuela; Virgin Islands (British and US). | 2.3 |
| Albania; Algeria; Belarus; Belize; Bolivia; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Brazil; Bulgaria; Cape Verde; China (People’s Republic of); Colombia; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Fiji; Gabon; Guatemala; Honduras; Iran; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Lithuania; Macedonia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Morocco; Namibia; Nauru; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Romania; Russian Federation; Samoa; South Africa; St Vincent & The Grenadines; Suriname; Swaziland; Syrian Arab Republic; Thailand; Tonga; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Vanuatu; West Bank and Gaza. | 3.2 |
| Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Benin; Bhutan; Burma; Cameroon; Comoros; Congo (Republic of); Cuba; Djibouti; Equatorial Guinea; Gambia; Georgia; Guinea; Guyana; Haiti; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire); Kenya; Kiribati; Lesotho; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Senegal; Serbia; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Sudan; aTimor L’Este (East Timor); Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe. | 5.3 |
| Afghanistan; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Congo, (Democratic Republic of); Chad; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Korea (North); Kygyz Republic; Laos; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mayotte; Mozambique; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sao Tome and Principe; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda. | 11.4 |
Previous Earnings Points Calculator
| Previous earnings | Points |
| £16,000-£17,999 | 5 |
| £18,000-£19,999 | 10 |
| £20,000-£22,999 | 15 |
| £23,000-£25,999 | 20 |
| £26,000-£28,999 | 25 |
| £29,000-£31,999 | 30 |
| £32,000-£34,999 | 35 |
| £35,000-£39,999 | 40 |
| £40,000 or more | 45 |
UK experience: you get 5 points if your previous earnings are from the UK (employment in UK) or if your qualifications were gained while you were in the UK. By your Qualification, it means you studied at Bachelor degree level or above in full-time higher education in the UK; or at an overseas campus of a UK-based educational institution for at least one full academic year or three consecutive academic terms during the last five years.
The level of your qualification must confirm on the UK NARIC database for claiming points under this Attribute.
English Language Skills: you can get 10 points if you meet the stringent requirements of this factor. You have to have;
The ability to meet the required English standard is a mandatory requirement. If you cannot meet this level, your application will be refused regardless of any points you may have scored in the Attributes section. 10 points are awarded in this section if you meet the required standard and 0 if you do not.
There are three ways in which you can meet this requirement. You can:
- English language test certificate from an English language test provider: A grade ‘C’ or better at GCSE, or an overall score of 6.5 in IELTS
- or, Comes from a country where most people speak English. (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, USA)
- or Have completed a degree taught in English. If the degree is not from the UK, it has to be verified with UK NARIC Database to ensure that its English levels are consistent with the requirements of tier-1 UK visa.
- or is a national of a majority English speaking country amongst the following list : (Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA)
Fund Maintenance (Mandatory): you can get 10 points if you can prove that you can support yourself and dependents. If you are from within the UK, you need to have original bank statements showing £800 for three months before your visa application. If you are applying from outside the UK, you have to have original bank statements showing £2800 for three months before the application. And if you intend to bring dependents to the UK, you have to show a balance of $1600 per dependent. The Fund balance should not fall below the required minimum at any time during the 3 month period.
PBS Tier 1: Evidence of Maintenance Funds – change in requirements (08/12/2008)
With immediate effect PBS Tier 1 applicants may submit evidence of personal savings to meet the maintenance requirement that is dated no more than one calendar month prior to the date application. Applications that have in the past been refused solely on the grounds that the accompanying evidence of maintenance funds was more than seven days old on the date of application will be reviewed. Results of reviews will be notified to relevant applicants in due course.
Besides all these requirements:
Applicants should be proficient in the English language as the PBS places special emphasis on competence of English language in tier 1.
All applicants for UK tier 1visa should be able to support both themselves and other dependent family members. This includes their spouse, unmarried partner, civil partner and children.
How to frame your UK Visa Covering Letter
The application for the tier 1 UK visa is similar to the application for a HSMP, where it is better to make the application with a covering letter. If you are not well versed with writing the covering letter, the internet offers many samples which you can copy while making necessary changes, to make your application.
There is no need of paying for a consultant when applying for the UK tier 1 as you can prepare your own letter. Just make sure that the application you make is assigned to a caseworker for verification and processing purposes.
When applying under the new points based scheme, ensure that you make things as easy as possible for the case worker to understand. This will make it easier for the caseworker to process your application. Giving a clear picture of your circumstances in your covering letter helps in making your application getting approved quickly, with minimum hassles.
Make sure your letter mentions the categories you use for claming points for the application, the points you have scored in each category and at the end of the letter, add up the points in the categories to show a total of a minimum of 75 points. In addition to all this, include any relevant information that you feel you should convey to the caseworker, when applying for the visa.
What to do if your Tier 1 UK visa is rejected
If you have applied for a UK tier 1 visa and been refused, you can submit an appeal within 28 days of the issue of the refusal notice. If your application is from the UK, you have a right for appealing and your appeal will be accepted. In fact, details for your right of appeal and the form for completing and sending to the UK Border Agency will be provided with the refusal notice.
If your application was for an extension of your stay in the UK, you can appeal and contest the reason for the rejection of your application. You will then be provided with answers to this, and an idea of what action you have to take next.
However if you are applying for the tier 1 UK visa from outside the UK and have been denied it, you can appeal saying that the decision was unlawful and due to discrimination or that the decision was incompatible with the appellants Convention rights. Besides having the rights to contest the results of the application, you can apply for an Administrative Review. This is free of cost, and can be requested once for every refused tier 1 UK visa application.
Also, Check out the Following Useful Links Below
UK Tier 1 Visa Documents Required
Covering Letter Formats Needed for Tier 1
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Hi,
my application for an extension of leave to remain under the Tier 1 (Post Study Work)Migrants category was refused because I had less than £800 in my account!!!
I scored maximum points in all the other categories save for the maintenance one.
Is there any way in which I can appeal against this? I have lived in the UK since 2001.
Please advise.
PBS Tier 1: evidence of maintenance funds – change in requirements (08/12/2008)
With immediate effect PBS Tier 1 applicants may submit evidence of personal savings to meet the maintenance requirement that is dated no more than one calendar month prior to the date application. Applications that have in the past been refused solely on the grounds that the accompanying evidence of maintenance funds was more than seven days old on the date of application will be reviewed. Results of reviews will be notified to relevant applicants in due course.
[...] Before you read this, Please go through Tier 1 UK Visa – Points Based System [...]
I’ve sent in my visa application Tier 1 (graduate) form a fews days late (after the expiration of my student visa)and it was refused.
How long do I have to leave the country?
Please guide me how to apply for myself and my family. One option is to apply for just myself (remember the funds in my current account is more than 2800 GBP for last 3 months)and upon success of my case I than apply for my family (wife plus 1 son) so that risk of money loss could be avoided. I expect to obtain 80 points minimum.
OR I apply for all at the same time.
Another problem is that my wife is expecting in the month of May so in the case of applying for all 3 (myself, wife and son) do I need to again apply for my next baby and wait for another couple of months or can we carry the child with another form of visa. Please guide
Can any one help me on the Transitional rules that are set for HSMP visa holders who want to sponser theier dependents (wife, kids..)
Can someone help me out !!
I reside outside the UK and I am considering applying for a Tier 1 VISA.
I went to the Home Office website and downloaded what I thought was the correct form for a Tier 1 application. However the form is entitiled ‘Application For An Initial Grant of Leave (Switching) Or An Extension Of Leave Under Tier 1 (General), Main Applicant’ I understand this to mean that this form should be used by people already in the UK who were either under HSMP or who wish to extend their Tier 1 VISAs. A read of the instructions/guidance notes at the back of the form only add to support. The instructions/guidance notes under the heading ‘Who should apply using this form ?’ has a listing of the applicants who should apply using this form and all these are listed as applicants who are ‘currently in the UK…’
Thus my question; is there a specific form which should be used for Tier 1 applications from outside the UK and more importantly where can I find ?
I want to know is there any different between adminstrative review and appeal when one tier1 application is rejected and how long does each takes before reply is send.
my application for an extension of leave to remain under the Tier 1 (Post Study Work)Migrants category was refused because I had less than £800 in my account!!!
I scored maximum points in all the other categories save for the maintenance one.
Is there any way in which I can appeal against this? I have lived in the UK since 2005.
Please advise.
Please check out the new New UK visa Restrictions on Indian professionals @ http://www.iwebie.com/new-uk-work-visa-restrictions
hi sir i m umair fropm pakistan studing in fsc will be completed in 2009 plz give me new visa policy
umair
seemadar@yahoo.com
00923316586389
Hi , I have done my graduvation in BCOM from S.K Univeeristy -Anantapur -A.P ( durtaion is three years ),Should i Apply for UK Tier general visa? Is my qualification suffise to gain 30 points.Thx
can one do business under post study work and then use the business account and documents to switch to tier 1 general?
please i need and answer.
can one do business uder post study work and use the business document and account to switch to tier 1 general ?
my email address is joebobo75@hotmail.com
please i need an answer.
cheers
Hv been in UK for 2 years under student visa and changed to post study work visa 2 months ago. How much did i need to show to bring my wife to UK as my dependant.
i did submit my application by 2nd of march 2009 when should i be expecting my approval according to your calcalation
I travelled to the Republic of Ireland to extend my Post study visa for another year since I am a resident in Ireland and couldn’t get a walk in date in the UK.I applied on the 19th of Feb and it is due past the 15 working days now. I am due to travel to Africa to get married by the 25th of March and I haven’t heard anything from the embassy yet. I contacted the customer service but they couldn’t do much. Please what do you suggest I do? Thanks
I have a HSMP issued to me in Nov 2007. I am due for renewal this year.
I qualified using 75 points system.
Am I already under tier-1 or do I need to convert to Tier-1.
Please help.
Thanks
Jack
Hi,
Can I start my own business under Tier 1 UK Visa – Points Based System (Post Study). What are the requirements to do business here in UK.
Cheers,
GP.
Hi, i am a US Citizen applying for Tier 1 in UK. I am trying to find out how to apply for my husband who is currently in Karachi, Pakistan. I know that he has to fill out POINTS BASED SYSTEM FORM (VAF10 NOV 2008) DEPENDANT form but i am not sure how to submit it.
I would like to file our applications together, both my form and his forms are complete, i have all the relevant documents ready, and my biometric appoint is on the 4th of April. Should i hand in my application in USA and have my husband go to the UK embassy in Pakistan and hand in his application there as well as get the biometrics done? does he need an appointment for that?
Thank you so much for your time and consideration, any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Raheela
Hello,
I applied under the tier 1 :post study work and my application was refused because I had less than £800 in my account not as at the time that I applied but in the bank statement submitted.
I was given an opportunity to appeal.
Please could you help me with this.
hi i have apply to dependent visa from my husband tier 1 and my student visa expired in jan 2010. My dependent visa has been refused because they said i can’t switch i have to go back to my country and make a fresh application from mauritius itself. So i wanted to know how much of fund we should have in our account to aplly from there and what document we will be needing? please help me
Thanks for the article. This sure helps. But, I think a few things are different, maybe changes since this were written? there is one other blog where it says that master’s degree is a minimum requirement.
http://www.applysimple.com/view_comments.php?bid=79&type=home
i graduated from the University of lOndon as a external student from the london commonwealth college of law and business studies which is ASIC accrediated but not tier 4 register college. i applied for post study work and they refused the application because the institution is not publised tier 4 institution. what can i do in this situation?
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I want to apply for Tier 1 General (skilled worker)visa category in first week of August 09.
Please provide guidance for the below query:
1. I have a query regarding Dear Sir/ Madam,
I want to apply for Tier 1 General (skilled worker)visa category in first week of August 09.
Please provide guidance for the below query:
1. I have a query regarding English language requirement.
My degree is recognized in the NARIC database but 10 points of English is not showing in the point based assessment form. In this case can I submit a letter from my university stating that the medium of instructions was in English.
Warm Regards
HI
I am living in uk under tier 1 last year my child born in uk i would like to apply for dependent visa. I needed covering letter formet.
Thank You
Study Visas, Work Permits,HSMP Best Consultants
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Contact Neo Overseas on 09849035551 there are best for Tier 1[HSMP] & Tier 4 Student. I got my visa through Neo. Good Luck — Suresh.
Thanks to Patrick LeBœuf for the book analogy. ,
Or not even supporters in the first place. ,
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