Tier 1 General – Highly Skilled

The Tier 1 visa (which replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) is specifically designed to attract highly skilled individuals to settle and work in the UK. This permit is determined using a points-based system, including scoring criteria such as age, gross annual income earned, qualifications and previous experience of working or studying in the UK. The permit is granted for an initial period of three years.

Those applying for Tier 1 visas must meet a minimum requirement of proficiency in the English language and be able to demonstrate this proficiency by:

• Coming from a country where English is the primary language;
• Have passed an English test which is equal to or exceeds level C1 of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework for Language Learning;
• Have successfully been awarded a Bachelor's or Masters degree qualification.

If you are applying for a Tier 1 visa, you must also be able to demonstrate that you can support yourself and any dependants financially without resorting to public funds in the form of benefits. This is known as the maintenance requirement.

The points system takes into account earnings, qualifications and age. To qualify for a Tier 1 visa you need to accrue a total of 75 points. Recent changes to the system now mean that the minimum requirements for a Tier 1 visa require the applicant to possess a Bachelors or Master’s degree as well as have earned a minimum salary of £35,000.

UK companies actively encourage highly skilled migrants to participate in this scheme, particularly as international borders are now becoming less of a barrier for commerce.

After the initial three year period, you can apply to extend your visa for a further two years, after which you may then apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) which may ultimately lead to a successful application for full UK citizenship.

For more information on the Tier 1 General - Highly Skilled visa please call us on 0203 291 2711 or complete the form at the bottom of this page.

Our other UK Points Based System programme visas: