name='verify-v1'/>"> IMMIGRATION NEWS: How changes to UK immigration system affect your application to work here

Friday, January 30, 2009

How changes to UK immigration system affect your application to work here

How changes to our immigration system affect your application to work here

This page explains what tier and category of the points-based system you should apply under to come to work in the United Kingdom. It tells you all the categories that have closed and which category of the points-based system you may be able to apply to instead. Some categories are still under review or will not be replaced by the points-based system. You can find information in the other categories section.

On this page

* Highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs or post-study workers (Tier 1)
* Sponsored skilled workers with a job offer (Tier 2)
* Sponsored temporary workers (Tier 5 Temporary workers)
* Arrangements for young people (Tier 5 Youth mobility)
* European Economic Area and Swiss nationals
* Other categories

Highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs or post-study workers (Tier 1)


Category of worker Former category for applying to work in the United Kingdom Appropriate new category of the points-based system When can I apply
to the new category?
Highly skilled workers Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) Highly skilled worker (Tier 1 General) 30 June 2008
Self-employed lawyers Highly skilled worker (Tier 1 General) 30 June 2008
Writers, composers and artists Highly skilled worker (Tier 1 General) 30 June 2008
Investors Investors Tier 1 Investor 30 June 2008
Entrepreneurs Business persons Tier 1 Entrepreneur 30 June 2008
Innovators Tier 1 Entrepreneur 30 June 2008
Post-study workers (graduates of United Kingdom universities) Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme Tier 1 Post-study work 30 June 2008
International Graduates Scheme Tier 1 Post-study work 30 June 2008


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Sponsored skilled workers with a job offer (Tier 2)


Category of worker Former category for applying to work in the United Kingdom Appropriate new category
of the points-based system When can I apply to
the new category?

Sponsored skilled worker


Most work permits including entertainers

but not:

* training and work experience schemes (see temporary workers below);
* General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS - see temporary workers below).

Skilled worker (Tier 2 General) 27 November 2008
Overseas qualified nurses and midwives (with a job offer) Skilled worker (Tier 2 General) 27 November 2008
Representatives of overseas media organisations Skilled worker (Tier 2 General) 27 November 2008
airline ground crew Skilled worker (Tier 2 General) 27 November 2008
some seafarers including those working on vessels on one-port voyages Skilled worker (Tier 2 General) 27 November 2008
Ministers of religion Ministers of religion, missionaries, members of religious orders, religious workers in non-pastoral roles, visiting religious workers (if you are coming to the United Kingdom for more than two years)

Sponsored worker (Tier 2 Ministers
of religion) - for pastoral role
that includes preaching to a congregation
27 November 2008
Sports people Work permits - elite sports people or coaches at the highest level, but for some sportspeople for 12 months or less (see temporary workers below) Sponsored worker (Tier 2 Sports people) 27 November 2008


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Sponsored temporary workers (Tier 5 Temporary workers)


Category of worker Former category for applying to work in the United Kingdom Appropriate new category of the points-based system When can I apply to the new category?

Temporary workers


Work permits - sports people or entertainers for some jobs of less than 12 months

but not:

* athletes for the Olympics; or
* those who now come permit-free (see other categories below)

Creative and sporting workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008
Training and work experience scheme Government authorised exchange workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) - but only if you have a sponsoring United Kingdom government department 27 November 2008
China graduate work experience scheme Government authorised exchange workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) - sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Overseas government employees International agreement workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) International agreement workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008




Private servants in diplomatic households

but not: domestic workers in private households (see other categories below)
International agreement workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008
Ministers of religion, missionaries, members of religious orders, religious workers in non-pastoral roles, visiting religious workers (if you are coming to the United Kingdom for two years or less Religious workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008
Voluntary workers Charity workers (Tier 5 Temporary worker) 27 November 2008


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Arrangements for young people (Tier 5 Youth mobility)
Category of worker Former category for applying to work in the United Kingdom Appropriate new category of the points-based system When can I apply to the new category?
Youth mobility scheme Working holidaymaker scheme Youth mobility scheme (Tier 5) - but only if your country participates in it 27 November 2008
Au pairs Youth mobility scheme (Tier 5) - but only if your country participates in it 27 November 2008
Gap year Youth mobility scheme (Tier 5) - but only if your country participates in it 27 November 2008
Japan: youth exchange scheme Youth mobility scheme (Tier 5) - if Japan participates in it 27 November 2008

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European Economic Area and Swiss nationals

European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals do not need to apply under the points-based systems. You can find more information in the section on European citizens.

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Other categories

The following categories are still open but are under review:

* sole representatives of overseas firms - may change in the future;
* domestic workers (private household) - may change in the future;
* film crew on location - will come into new visitor category in due course;
* some sports people coming for a specific event - now come into a new visitor category;
* some entertainers coming to perform at a specific event - now come into a new visitor category;
* overseas qualified doctors taking the professional and linguistic assessments board (PLAB) test - will come into new visitor category in due course; and
* clinical attachments and dental observer posts - will come into new visitor category in due course.

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