How the points-based system works

This page describes the five tiers of the points-based system, the points-based assessment and sponsors' duties.

The five tiers of the points-based system

The points-based system is made up of five tiers:

• Tier 1 - for highly skilled individuals, who can contribute to growth and productivity
• Tier 2 - for skilled workers with a job offer, to fill gaps in the United Kingdom workforce
• Tier 3 - for limited numbers of low-skilled workers needed to fill temporary labour shortages
• Tier 4 - for students
• Tier 5 - for temporary workers and young people covered by the Youth Mobility Scheme, who are allowed to work in the United Kingdom for a limited time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives

The five tiers have different conditions, entitlements and entry-clearance checks. This makes the system easier to understand and to use, and allows us to adapt our policy on points and sponsorship to the very different needs of people entering the United Kingdom to work and study.

Tiers 3 and 5 are temporary routes. Migrants in these tiers cannot switch out of them once they are in the United Kingdom. Tier 3 is currently suspended indefinitely.

Migrants in Tiers 1, 2 and 4 can switch between these tiers, if they meet the requirements of the tier they want to switch to. Those in Tiers 1 and 2 can eventually settle in the United Kingdom, if they meet the settlement requirements at the time when they apply to settle.

Migrants' dependants are allowed into the United Kingdom under Tiers 1, 2, 4 and 5, except where the main applicant is here under the Youth Mobility Scheme in Tier 5. However, dependants are not allowed to work if they are accompanying a Tier 4 student or a Tier 5 temporary worker who has been given permission to stay here for less than 12 months.

Tier 1

Tier 1 has four categories:

1. General: for people who are looking for highly skilled employment in the United Kingdom, or are self-employed or setting up a business
2. Investor: for people who are making a large investment in the United Kingdom
3. Entrepreneur: for people who are investing in the United Kingdom by setting up or taking over the running of a business
4. Post-study work: for people who are studying now or have studied in the past in the United Kingdom

Tier 2

Tier 2 has four categories:

1. General: for skilled workers who have a job offer from a licensed sponsor and are coming to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker
2. Intra company transfer: for employees of multinational companies who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a skilled job in a United Kingdom-based branch of the organisation
3. Minister of religion: for people coming to the United Kingdom as religious workers within religious organisations for more than two years
4. Sportsperson: for elite sportspeople and coaches who are internationally established at the highest level and will make a significant contribution to the development of their sport

Tier 3

This tier is currently suspended.

Tier 4

Tier 4 has two categories:

1. Adult student (also known as general student): for people coming to the United Kingdom for their post-16 education
2. Child student: for children between 4 and 17 years old who are coming to the United Kingdom for their education. Those between 4 and 15 years old may only be educated at independent fee-paying schools

Tier 5

Tier 5 has six categories:

1. Temporary worker - creative and sporting: for people coming to the United Kingdom to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months
2. Temporary worker - charity workers: for people coming to the United Kingdom to do voluntary (unpaid) work for charity
3. Temporary worker - religious workers: for people coming to the United Kingdom to work temporarily as a religious worker
4. Temporary worker - government authorised exchange: for people coming to the United Kingdom through approved schemes that aim to share knowledge, experience and best practice and experience the social and cultural life of the United Kingdom
5. Temporary worker - international agreement: for people coming to the United Kingdom under contract to do work that is covered under international law - this includes the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), similar agreements between the United Kingdom and another country, employees of overseas governments and international organisations, and private servants in diplomatic households
6. Youth Mobility Scheme: for young people from participating countries who would like to experience life in the United Kingdom

Points-based assessment

For each tier, applicants need to score a certain number of points to be allowed to enter or stay in the United Kingdom. We award points according to objective and transparent criteria. We also look at whether the applicant is likely to comply with their immigration requirements while they are in the United Kingdom.

In Tiers 1 and 2, we award points for attributes such as age, qualifications and previous or prospective salary. Prospective applicants can assess themselves against these criteria using an online self-assessment tool called the 'points calculator', to see whether they have enough points before they pay an application fee.

The system of points gives us an objective way to make decisions, and to trade attributes off against each other. We can rely on a more structured and objective decision-making process, which is more transparent and easier for applicants to use.

Sponsorship duties

Employers and education providers play a crucial part in making sure that the points-based system is not abused. They must:

• apply for a licence to sponsor migrants and bring them into the United Kingdom; and
• meet a number of duties while they are spronsoring migrants.

All applicants in Tiers 2 to 5 must send us a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor when they apply for permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom.

When it is licensed, a sponsor is given an A rating or a B rating. This rating is published in the register of sponsors on our website, so prospective employees or students can see the rating and take it into account when they decide which sponsor to choose.

The B rating is a transitional rating. A sponsor with a B rating must improve its performance within a relatively short time to be upgraded to an A rating - if it does not do this, we may withdraw its sponsor licence. We will draw up a sponsorship action plan for the B-rated sponsor, listing the steps that it must take in order to comply with its sponsorship duties and obtain an A rating.

If there is a serious breaches of the rules, a sponsor may be removed from the register of sponsors and prevented from sponsoring migrant workers or students.

This term is applied to a sponsor under the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It is the rating awarded by us when a sponsor joins the register of sponsors. A B rating is a transitional rating for a sponsor who is under a sponsorship action plan.This term is applied to a sponsor under the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It is the rating awarded by us when a sponsor joins the register of sponsors.