UK Point Based Immigration System - Summarised

The following …
“We are taking the control back of our borders while introducing a new UK Point Based Immigration System based on the people’s priorities we are ending the free movement, which in turn will reduce the migration number in the country” - was announced by the UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The moment this was announced the whole world’s ears were alert as this particular move would affect all those who are planning to travel to UK or are already in UK irrespective of employees, student or just for the sake of visiting. This new plan of a new immigration system which will amend the existing points-based immigration system will be implemented from 1st January 2021.

The U.K. government seems to be more keen now than ever to draw students and workers from overseas, contemplating the ongoing ease of lockdown and with international borders opening with UK student visa, travel visa, dependent visa being issued.

We have summarised the changes in the UK Point Based Immigration System below.

As per the new system, those seeking entry to the UK to work will only be granted visas once they can demonstrate that they have accumulated enough points to enter. The assigning of points is for the following categories.
•    Specific Skills
•    Qualifications
•    Salaries
•    Shortage Occupations
 

Let us now understand how the Point Based UK Immigration System has affected the international students. Read on to know the way in which points are assigned to the students.
As per the document released by the UK Government, it states very clearly that like before, too seek long-term study will continue to need a sponsor licence by, all the universities, colleges and independent schools seeking to recruit, new EU, Non-EU arrivals without any restriction on numbers of international students. Unlike earlier, instead of three months, the students will be able to come to the U.K. six months before their course is due to start, and there will be more flexibility for in-country switching as well. At the PG level as long as the student is progressing academically time-limits on study will be removed.
 

For the Graduate Aspirants:

To provide international students with the opportunity to stay in the United Kingdom the Graduate route will be launched in the third quarter 2021 to work after they graduate. A 2 years Graduate Visa can be applied by the undergraduate and master’s degree students whereas the Ph.D. students can apply for three years. The best part is both of these routes need not be sponsored and can be directly switched into work routes in UK.
 

Short-Term Study

Other than the current rules announced, as off now there is no further detail on short-term study.

Explanation of the Point-Based UK Immigration for Students:

On the current Tier 4 system, the new Points-Based Student route will be built with the core tenets:
•    Sponsorship at a licensed provider
•    Demonstration of English language ability and
•    The competence to aid themselves in the UK while the duration of the stay
 

The UK Student Visa Requirements will also remain the same.

However, for sponsoring institutions and their students, the route will be improved, making it more streamlined by creating clearer pathways for students. It would also be ensured that UK remains competitive in a changing global market especially now when the pace of change has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

70 points would be a requirement for the students to be granted leave. For meeting the requirements of the route, the points that would be awarded are mentioned in the table below which are non-tradeable.

Hope this information puts light on the amended point-based UK Immigration system. You can check for online application for abroad studies and make your dream come true. Don’t worry about the pandemic, it is settling and now is the time for you to make arrangements to settle in future.