People Who May Qualify
We have prepared a number of common examples below of people who may qualify for a Tier 1 (General) visa. We hope these examples help you understand if you may qualify.
Since the strength of the economy in the country a person works in is a factor in determining earnings power, different countries are assessed differently. Countries are divided into five categories - A, B, C, D and E. Category A includes Countries such as the US, EU member states, Australia, and Canada, while category E covers developing countries such as Afghanistan and Nigeria. The earnings requirement will vary depending on the country a person derives their earnings from.
If you wish to live and work in the UK under the Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled visa system you will need to have a qualification at least equivalent to a Bachelor's degree. If you are thirty-two years of age or older you will need to do well under qualifications or earning power to gain enough points. To make sure you qualify, please call our UK office for a free initial assessment on +44 (0)20 7221 4100 or complete our on-line assessment form and a lawyer from our team of Tier 1 (General) visa experts will get back to you.
You may very well be able to live and work in the UK under the Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled visa, the replacement to HSMP. Please note that these cases would not qualify if they could not provide evidence that meets the specific UK Home Office requirements.
| Scenario |
Age |
Qualifications | Earnings | English | Maintenance |
|
Example 1. A 27 year old person who has never been to the UK, with a Bachelor's degree that was taught in English, with savings of £3,000 and earning more than £26,000 in a 'Category A' country such as the USA, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Japan, Hong Kong, or UAE. |
20 |
30 |
25 | 10 | 10 |
|
Example 2. A 36 year old person, with a Bachelor's degree, earning more than £35,000 in the UK, a 'Category A' country (note that UK earnings result in an extra 5 points). |
0 | 30 | 40 + 5 | 10 | 10 |
|
Example 3. A 29 year old person, with a PhD, earning more than £14,000 in a 'Category B' country such as most Eastern European countries, New Zealand, Venezuela, or Uruguay. If the person in this example had a Masters degree instead of a PhD, they would only be able to gain entry with a higher salary. |
10 | 50 | 15 | 10 | 10 |
|
Example 4. A 24 year old person, with a Master's degree, earning more than £7,200 in a 'Category C' country such as Brazil, Morocco, Philippines, Romania, or Russia. |
20 | 35 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
|
Example 5. A 31 year old person, with a Master's degree taught in the UK (note that a UK degree results in an extra 5 points), earning more than £6,600 in a 'Category D' country such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, or Ukraine. |
5 | 35 + 5 | 30 | 10 | 10 |
|
Example 6. A 27 year old person, with a PhD degree taught in the UK (note that a UK degree results in an extra 5 points), not yet earning anything. |
20 | 50 + 5 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
