The UK's Points-Based mostly Immigration System: Policy Statement

This policy statement sets out how we are going to fulfil our commitment to the British public and take again control of our borders. We are ending free motion and will introduce an Immigration Bill to bring in a firm and honest factors-based system that may entice the excessive-expert staff we have to contribute to our economy, our communities and our public companies. We intend to create a high wage, excessive-talent, high productivity financial system. We’ll deliver a system that works in the interests of the entire of the UK and prioritises the talents a person has to supply, not where they come from. For too long, distorted by European free movement rights, the immigration system has been failing to fulfill the wants of the British individuals. Failing to deliver benefits across the UK and failing the highly-expert migrants from around the globe who want to come back to the UK and make a contribution to our economic system and society.
Our strategy will change all of this. We are implementing a new system that may transform the best way wherein all migrants come to the UK to work, research, go to or join their family. It can even revolutionise the operation of the UK border, tighten safety and sponsor ship a better customer expertise for these coming to the UK. From 1 January 2021, EU and non-EU residents might be handled equally . Importantly we remain committed to protecting individuals from exploitation by criminal traffickers and unscrupulous employers. We will exchange free movement with the UK’s factors-based mostly system to cater for essentially the most extremely skilled employees, skilled workers, students and a variety of different specialist work routes including routes for international leaders and innovators. We won’t introduce a basic low-expert or momentary work route. We have to shift the main focus of our economic system away from a reliance on cheap labour from Europe and as an alternative concentrate on funding in know-how and automation. Employers will need to regulate. Da ta　has ᠎be᠎en g᠎enerated with the  he​lp of GSA C᠎on tent Generator Demov᠎ersi on᠎!
However, the Settlement Scheme for EU citizens, which opened in March 2019, has already received 3.2 million purposes from EU residents who can be in a position to remain and work within the UK. This can present employers with flexibility to fulfill labour market demands. We recognise that these proposals symbolize important change for employers within the UK and we’ll deliver a complete programme of communication and engagement in the coming months. We’ll keep labour market data below careful scrutiny to watch any pressures in key sectors. Initiatives are additionally being introduced ahead for scientists, graduates, NHS workers and people in the agricultural sector, which is able to provide companies with further flexibility in the shorter time period. For the primary time in decades the UK can have full control over who comes to this nation and how our immigration system operates. This coverage statement units out how we will grasp this unique opportunity by introducing a new factors-based mostly system. Alongside this coverage assertion we’ll shortly be publishing our response to the Law Commission Report on Simplification of the Immigration Rules which is able to set out how we propose to offer the foundations for a streamlined and simplified system.
1. From 1 January 2021, free movement will end, and we are going to introduce the UK’s points-primarily based system. That is a part of a wider multi-year programme of change, led by the home Office, to transform the operation of the border and immigration system. 2. These modifications might be followed by additional improvements to the UK’s sponsorship system and the operation of the UK border, including, in the longer-term, the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorities to ensure those coming to the UK have permission to take action in advance of travel. We are taking a phased strategy to ensure the sleek supply of this new system and to permit ample time for everybody to adapt. 3. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) printed its report on wage thresholds and points-based techniques on 28 January. We’re grateful for its thought of work. 4. We settle for the MAC’s recommendation on wage thresholds, including to lower the general wage threshold from £30,000 to £25,600. Migrants will nonetheless have to be paid the higher of the precise salary threshold for his or her occupation, identified because the ‘going rate’, and the general salary threshold.
However, as set out beneath, under the factors-based mostly system for skilled workers, candidates will be capable of ‘trade’ characteristics akin to their specific job supply and skills in opposition to a decrease wage. There’ll continue to be totally different arrangements for a small variety of occupations where the wage threshold shall be based on revealed pay scales. We’ll set the necessities for brand new entrants 30% lower than the speed for skilled workers in any occupation and only use the bottom wage (and not the allowances or pension contributions) to find out whether or not the wage threshold is met. Additionally, consistent with the MAC’s suggestions, we will not introduce regional salary thresholds or totally different arrangements for different parts of the UK. 5. We will implement the MAC’s advice to convey the skills threshold down from RQF6 to RQF3. We are going to suspend the cap on the quantity of people that can come on the expert worker route and remove the resident labour market check. These modifications will be certain that a large pool of skilled staff will be ready to come back to the UK from anywhere on the planet and the process shall be made less complicated and quicker for employers.