On 17th of July, UK government has announced changes to the point-based system. Main change of the POI system, EU citizens need visas to work and live in the UK after Brexit from January 2021 and the skill level threshold is going to be lowered down to RQF level 3 from RQF level 6 on tier 2 working applications.
Right to work and rent check
In pandemic of Covid-19, the working candidates could be checked their employment availabilities by online of their immigration status. The HO will establish a system that allows employers to easily check the visa status for job seekers. The online right to rent service will also be planned for later this year.
Biometric Self-enrolment for EU Citizens
EU citizens do not need to visit to centres to register their biometric information. They will be able to register their own photos via online. There is no specific plan has yet been made, but it is stated to be part of a longer plan.
Reinforcement of criminal record search and countermeasures against immigration laws
The UK government has announced they will be taking tough stance against those breaching criminal and immigration law. HO will ensure the enforcement system is fair, protects the public, upholds the immigration policies, and acts as a deterrent to those who might seek to frustrate those policies. Encouraging and supporting compliance will be at the heart of the Points-Based System. Compliance with UK immigration laws and rules is an essential part of an immigration system which operates fairly, robustly and with integrity.
Working in the UK
Employers will still need a sponsor licence if they want to recruit EU and non-EU citizens under most of the work routes. Sponsor licences for workers will be renamed “Skilled Worker licence” and “Intra-Company Transfer licence”. There are slight changes from previous skilled worker licence route, where there will be no resident labour market test and the skill threshold will lower down from RQF 6 to 3. The limit of 6 years working cap will be removed, however, the English language requirement and minimum salary requirement still must be fulfilled.
There is great news that ICT visa holders will no longer have 12 months cooling off period. Unfortunately, the removal of it is only referred to in the ICT holders and it will remain in place for other sponsored workers.