London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

UK visas: How does the points-based immigration system work?

UK visas: How does the points-based immigration system work?

Immigration is needed to solve worker shortages and boost economic growth, says the head of the CBI - the UK's biggest business group.

With UK job vacancies near record levels, Tony Danker says "we don't have the people we need".


What are the visa rules for skilled workers?


Access to most UK visas is via the points-based system adopted after the UK left the European Union.

To secure a skilled worker visa, people need 70 points.

Having an offer of a skilled job from an approved employer and being able to speak English will give 50 points.

The applicant can achieve the remaining 20 points if they will be paid at least £25,600 a year.

They can also gain extra points for having better qualifications. There are 10 points for a relevant PhD, or 20 points for a PhD in science, technology, engineering or maths.

An offer of a job in which the UK has a shortage is worth 20 points, even if it doesn't pay as much money.

Certain jobs in health or education still merit 20 points even if the salary is less than £25,600. The applicant must be paid at least £20,480, and in line with set amounts for particular jobs in the UK's four nations.

The exception to this is Irish citizens, who are still able to live and work in the UK as part of the Common Travel Area.


How much does it cost to apply?


The application fee depends on how many years the job seeker plans to work in the UK, and whether their job is on a list of skills that the UK has shortages of - for instance, vets and web designers.

If their skills are not on that list then the standard fee is between £625 and £1,423.

Jobseekers also have to pay the health surcharge, which is £624 per year when they apply. That money is refunded if they don't get a visa.

They also need to show they can support themselves in the UK, which usually involves having a total of at least £1,270 available.


How does the graduate system work?


The High Potential Individual scheme is open to people who graduated from top non-UK universities in the past five years.

The government has published lists of which universities are eligible.

Successful applicants will be given a work visa lasting two years if they hold a bachelor's or master's degree, and three years if they hold a PhD.

They will then be able to switch to other long-term employment visas if they meet certain requirements.

The visa costs £715 plus the immigration health surcharge.

Graduates will be able to bring their families, although they must also have maintenance funds of at least £1,270.


What about healthcare workers?


Health and Care Worker Visas are available for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Those eligible pay reduced fees and can be supported through the application process.

Successful applicants will be exempt from the immigration health surcharge.

Applicants via this route still have to meet salary thresholds depending on the type of work they do.

Many care workers will not be covered by the scheme though, because applicants need to be paid at least £10.10 per hour.


Can people come to the UK to study?


There is no limit on the number of international students who can study in the UK.

The student visa application system allows them to apply six months before they are due to start a course if they are applying from outside the UK.

The government has also launched a graduate visa to allow students who have completed a degree to stay in the UK for two years. This will rise to three years for those who have done a PhD.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×