Sohan Sidhu, of Ellisons Solicitors, explains why points mean visas for skilled workers coming to the UK

Under the Government’s Points Based System (PBS), those coming to the UK for work and study purposes must meet a number of requirements for which they will score points.

Visas are then awarded to those migrants who gain enough points.

The PBS is therefore the framework used in the UK for some of the work and student immigration applications. Essentially, there are two groups of PBS visas and some visas are personal for the applicant, where they will need to have specific qualifications and experience to reach the required number of points, whereas other visas will require the sponsorship of a UK entity which is in possession of a Home Office Sponsor Licence.

The main personal Points Based System visas currently on offer by the Home Office include the Global Talent and Graduate Visas, along with the Start-Up and Innovator Visas. The main sponsored PBS visas are the Skilled Worker Visa category, along with the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa category which enables an applicant to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at their employer’s UK branch. Another main PBS visa is the Student Visa where sponsorship is required from a licenced student sponsor such as a University which holds a Home Office Sponsor Licence.

Subject to the visa category which is being applied for, some of the required points are mandatory, whereas other points can be traded. In the Skilled Worker category for example, having a job offer at the appropriate skill level and the ability of the applicant to speak English at the required B1 English criteria are mandatory categories, whereas points can be traded for such items as the appropriate salary which is to be paid and where there is a recognised shortage of qualified candidates for the particular job in the UK.

For a Skilled Worker Visa, a total of 70 points is required and in addition to the points scoring, visa applicants will also need to demonstrate they will be filling a genuine vacancy in the UK and full disclosure needs to be made of any criminal convictions and Civil Judgements.

For advice on this or any other aspect of the UK's immigration system, Sohan Sidhu can be contacted by email at Sohan.Sidhu@Ellisonssolicitors.com or by telephone on 01284 763333