TIER 1 HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS

ELIGIBILITY

The highly skilled migrant programme, renamed as being Tier 1 General, is designed to allow skilled people to come or remain in the United Kingdom to work or do self employment. There is no requirement of you to have an employer. Under Tier 1 Highly skilled workers, applicant must fulfil the following conditions;

POINTS FOR YOUR ATTRIBUTES

The attributes for which points are awarded for is Age, Qualifications, your last 12 months earnings and your UK Experience. If you are applying from inside the UK and your last granted leave was in Tier 1 (General), Highly Skilled Migrant, Writer, Composer or Artist or Self Employed Lawyer then the points required is 75. If you are applying from outside the UK or applying from inside the UK to switch from any other category (including Tier 1 PSW) you are required to have 80 points for your attributes.

Age

For initial applications

Under 30 years	20
30 to 34 years	10
35 to 39 years	5
40 years or over	0

For extension applications

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted before 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

Under 31 years	20
31 or 32 years	10
33 or 34 years	5
35 years or over	0

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted on or after 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

Under 32 years	20
32 or 36 years	10
37 or 41 years	5
42 years or over	0

The table below shows the points awarded if you are already in the UK as a Writer, composer or artist, or as a Self-employed lawyer.

Under 31 years	20
31 or 32 years	10
33 or 34 years	5
35 years or over	0

Those who are already in the United Kingdom under highly skilled migrant programme and applying for extension under highly skilled worker category

Under 30 years old	20
30 or 31 years old	10
32 or 33 years old	5

Qualification

For Initial applications

Bachelor's degree	30
Master's degree	35
PhD	45

Extension applications

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted before 31 March 2009, the points awarded are:

Bachelor's degree	30
Master's degree	35
PhD	50

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted between 31 March 2009 and 5 April 2010, the points awarded are:

Master's degree	35
PhD	50

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted between on or after 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

Bachelor's degree	30
Master's degree	35
PhD	45

The table below shows the points awarded if you are already in the UK as a Writer, composer or artist, as a Self-employed lawyer, or under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

Bachelor's degree	30
Master's degree	35
PhD	50

Previous Earnings

The points awarded for salaried employment or self-employed earnings are as follows

£25,000 - £29,999	5
£30,000 - £34,999	15
£35,000 - £39,999	20
£40,000 - £49,999	25
£50,000 - £54,999	30
£55,000 - £64,999	35
£65,000 - £74,999	40
£75,000 - £149,999	45
£150,000 or more	80

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted before 31 March 2009, the points awarded are:

£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

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted between 31 March 2009 and 5 April 2010, the points awarded are:

£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

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted between on or after 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

£25,000 - £29,999	5
£30,000 - £34,999	15
£35,000 - £39,999	20
£40,000 - £49,999	25
£50,000 - £54,999	30
£55,000 - £64,999	35
£65,000 - £74,999	40
£75,000 - £149,999	45
£150,000 or more	80

The table below shows the points awarded if you are already in the UK as a Writer, composer or artist, as a Self-employed lawyer, or under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

£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

You can include previous your earnings from:

	salaried employment; or
	self-employed activities.

Your overall total earnings can include those from several sources of work, including salaried employment and self-employed activities. Earnings do not need to have been with a single employer, and can be considered from full-time, part-time, temporary and short-term work.

Earnings may include, among other things:

	salaries (including full-time, part-time, and bonuses);
	earnings from self-employment;
	earnings from business activities;
	statutory maternity pay and contractual maternity pay;
	allowances (such as accommodation, schooling or car allowances) that form part of your remuneration package;
	dividends paid by a company, where it is a company in which you are active in the day-to-day management, or where you receive the dividend as part or all of your remuneration package;
	income from property rental, where this forms part of your business; and
	payment in lieu of notice (a payment made instead of requiring an employee to work the normal period of notice when leaving a job).

If you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'leave to remain') as a highly skilled migrant or worker, the period over which your earnings are to be assessed must:

	be no more than 12 consecutive months; and
	fall within the 15 months immediately before your application.

UK Experience

You can claim 5 points for previous UK experience as follows;

You are successfully scoring points for your previous earnings, and £25,000 or more of those earnings were made in the UK	5
You have been in full-time study in the United Kingdom for at least one full academic year, and have been awarded a qualification at bachelor's degree level or above within the past five years	5

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted before 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

You are successfully scoring points for your previous earnings, and £16,000 or more of those earnings were made in the UK

5

If your current permission to enter or stay was granted on or after 6 April 2010, the points awarded are:

You are successfully scoring points for your previous earnings, and £25,000 or more of those earnings were made in the UK

5

If you are already in the UK as a Writer, composer or artist, as a Self-employed lawyer, or under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

You are successfully scoring points for your previous earnings, and £16,000 or more of those earnings were made in the UK

5

10 points for English Language

There are three ways that you can score points for English language. You can:

	be a national of a majority English speaking country; or
	pass an English language test on our list of approved
	hold a degree assessed by UK NARIC as being taught in English and is equivalent to a United Kingdom bachelor's degree or above.

10 points for Maintenance funds

You must score 10 points for maintenance (funds). These will be awarded if you are applying for permission to stay in the United Kingdom (known as 'leave to remain') and have £800 in available funds.

	cash savings in your account that have been in your account for at least three months before your application;
	cash savings in a joint account that have been in your joint account for at least three months before your application;
	cash savings in a account overseas, that have been in your account for at least three months before your application.

MBA Transitional Arrangements

Applicants who have enrolled on an eligible MBA programme before 29 June 2008 and have completed the MBA within the 12 months prior to making his/her application may claim 80 points for "Attributes". Applicants enrolling on an MBA course after this date will not be eligible to claim points under the MBA transitional arrangements, but may be able to claim points for the qualification under the "attributes" required for Tier 1 (General) migrants.

APPLYING

While each of these tiers is meant to define clearly those who may benefit, the UK Border Agency has been applying rules relating to the provision of supporting evidence very strictly so extreme care must be exercised in making applications. There are also specific rules relating to the money you must have available to maintain yourself when you first arrive in the United Kingdom. Large numbers of applications in these categories which on their face ought to succeed are being refused because of the failure by applicants to provide all of the information and documentation requested or because of a failure to meet the maintenance requirements. It is therefore beneficial for you to apply through a legal professional who has expertise in UK immigration Law.

WE at IDICULLA SOLICITORS undertake both postal applications and Home Office Same Day premium service.Our fees only cover the cost of preparing and making the initial application. If an appeal or challenge is necessary subsequent to the submission of your application or if a separate application is subsequently required, we will agree separate fees with you. Our fee is as follows and excludes VAT and Home Office Fee;

Postal Applications	£550.00
Same day Premium Service	£650.00

Home Office Fees

Applying by post

1.£ 408.00, If you have an HSMP valid approval letter

2.£840.00 for all other applications

Dependant application for spouse/partner or children under 18 will cost £ 129.00 per dependant, if applied with main applicant. Dependant application for children above 18, or any dependant application made separately will cost £475.00. Dependant application for spouse/partner or children under 18 of an applicant having HSMP valid approval letter will cost £ 85 per dependant, if applied with main applicant.

Applying in person

1.£ 663.00, If you have an HSMP valid approval letter

2.£1,095 for all other applications

Dependant application for spouse/partner or children under 18 will cost £154.00 per dependant, if applied with main applicant. Dependant application for children above 18, or any dependant application made separately will cost £730.00. Dependant application for spouse/partner or children under 18 of an applicant having HSMP valid approval letter will cost £ 111.00 per dependant, if applied with main applicant.

If you meet the above criteria please call us on 02380 630 905 or you may contact us online by clicking the button below: