Tier 1 - Highly Skilled Immigration

What is the highly skilled worker category?

The highly skilled worker category is designed to allow highly skilled people to come to the United Kingdom to look for work or self-employment opportunities.

Who can apply as a highly skilled worker?

You do not need a job offer to apply under the highly skilled worker category. When you apply, you are awarded points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, United Kingdom experience, age, English language skills and available maintenance (money).
You can apply under the highly skilled worker category now if you are:

• already in the United Kingdom with permission to stay (known as 'leave to remain') in an immigration category that allows you to switch into the highly skilled worker category;
• already in the United Kingdom as a highly skilled worker and you want to extend your permission to stay within your existing category; 
• already in the United Kingdom under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), you want to extend your permission to stay and you are eligible to switch into the highly skilled worker category; or
• outside the United Kingdom and you are eligible to apply for permission to enter (known as 'entry clearance') under the highly skilled worker category.

Please ask our immigration consultants to find out more about this.

Tier 1 – Post Study Visa

The Tier 1 - Post-Study Work category is designed as a transitional route to allow the talented non-EEA nationals graduating from UK universities to transfer into a work or business visa.

The Post-Study Work visa replaces the previous International Graduates Scheme (IGS) and the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme, allowing successful applicants to transfer into any other tier 1 visa category under the Points Based System, if they can meet the specific requirements of that category.

Eligibility

The Post-Work Study category issues visas for only two years and does not allow candidates to extend their time in the UK under this subdivision.

This category is not extendable and the two-year duration does not count toward the residency requirements for gaining settled status in the UK.

General Requirements

The Post-Study work category places both the general requirements of tier 1 immigration as well as category specific criteria upon applicants. Candidates will be required to achieve a minimum qualification mark of 75 points.

English Language Requirements

Due to the nature of the Post-Study Work program, which is based upon candidates successfully completing a qualifying course at a UK educational institution, the English language requirement will be deemed to have been satisfied if the candidate successfully meets the specific requirements of this category.

Specific Requirements

The Post-Study Work visa requires a qualification mark of 75, and these are divided into four specific requirements each with a points value, all of these areas must be satisfied in order to qualify.

Requirement 1 – Education from UK: 20 points

Requirement 2 – Educational Institute: 20 points

Requirement 3 – Current Visa Status: 20 points

Requirement 4 – Application Duration: 15 points

Extending a Tier 1 Visa

It is important to note that uniquely among the tier 1 categories, the Post-Study work visa cannot be extended beyond its two-year duration.

This UK visa service is issued as a bridging category and successful applicants will be obliged to transfer into another category, having met the appropriate requirements, within two years.

Switching to a Tier 1 Visa

Whilst it is not permissible to switch into the Post-Study Work visa category from anther tier 1 category, candidates may switch from an existing UK study visa, or from a tier 4 student visa only.

In these circumstances, the requirements are the same as a new application with the exception of the maintenance criteria.

Switching out of the Post-Study Work category into another tier 1 category is essential within the two-year duration and will depend upon meeting the specific requirements for the chosen category.

Tier 4 Visa - Adult Student Immigration

The tier 4 of the new points based UK immigration service focuses upon overseas students who wish to gain entry clearance to study in the UK. Tier 4 visas replace the UK student visa service and place more emphasis upon the responsibility of the educational body in question for the applicants they permit to study. The aim of this tier immigration service is to provide a more user-friendly, transparent route to studying in the UK.

Tier 4 visas for the new system will require a certificate of sponsorship from the educational institution offering a place which a student has accepted. Each sponsoring institution will be required to vouch for the ability of students.
Our immigration consultants can guide you at every stage of obtaining a visa for the UK. As a specialist UK immigration consultancy, we can offer immigration advice on your initial application and can help you adjust to living and working in the UK through a range of on arrival services.

Duration:

Students will be granted leave to enter the UK for the purposes of completing their course at a specified institution. The grant will also take into account the time needed to conclude affairs and attend graduation. Changing from one course to another at the same establishment will not require a new visa application; however, changing a sponsor or obtaining a UK tier visa extension will require a further application to be lodged.
This level of the new system is not designed as a route to settled status in Britain and does not provide the opportunity to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) or permanent residency. A Tier 4 visa is a temporary immigration service designed with a specific purpose in mind and will not lead to British naturalization as a UK citizen.

Student Categories:

Candidate students are divided into three categories for applying a UK visa in this Tier. Each category requires the separate criteria to satisfy as set out below.

Public Funded School:

Students studying in Britain at or above degree level in a publicly funded institution, or engaging in more than 15 hours of study per week. In this category, work is permitted for 20 hours each week rising to full time hours during holiday periods. Dependents are permitted to join students in this category.

Independent School:

Students in full time study at an independent school up to the age of 18. Working hours are the same as the general student category but dependents are not permitted.

Study through work:

These are the students on courses of work experience or placements. Working hours will be the same as the other two categories and dependents will be permitted in instances where the principal applicant will be in the country in excess of 12 months.

Educational institution obligations:

Educational institutions offering study places to overseas students will need to attain the status of approved sponsors by demonstrating that they are bona fide establishments, rather than non-accredited or purely commercial operations.
Certificates of sponsorship act as verification from a college or university that students making UK visa applications will abide by the rules and requirements of their course. Educational institutions will also be obliged to report non-enrolment and non-attendance.

Applicant Dependents:

Dependents of students making a successful UK visa application will be permitted to enter the country. Unlike tier 1 and tier 2 visas, spouse immigration and dependent immigration in these circumstances will be temporary and will reflect the grant of leave awarded to the principle applicant.

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