Brexit has generated new rules and requirements not only for Europeans planning to come to the UK in 2021, but also for non-Europeans, who were dreaming to find a job in the UK. As the government stated, both categories of new-comers will be ‘treated equally’, namely, all applicants will need to meet the requirements of a newly introduced route for skilled workers. The main point is to have a job offer from an approved employer-sponsor.
Good news is that the qualification of ‘the job you’re offered will need to be at a required skill level of RQF3 or above’ (equivalent to A level). It greatly simplifies job search process as the applicant no longer needs a degree to be hired. Nevertheless, ‘they’ll also need to be able to speak English and be paid the relevant salary threshold by the sponsor. This will either be the general salary threshold of £25,600 or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher’.
The UK government is committed to delivering radical changes to the sponsorship process, streamlining and simplifying it for users, and substantially reducing the time, it takes to bring in a migrant.
Thus, in the light of the above mentioned there will be:
no limit on the numbers of skilled workers who can come to the UK, no restricted certificates;
no requirement for employers to undertake a resident labour market test, removing at least four weeks from the end-to-end process for sponsoring skilled workers;
a permission for most migrants to apply to switch from one immigration route to another (except visitors and seasonal workers) without having to leave the UK. This will support employers in retaining the talented staff that they have invested in.
However, sponsors must still be seeking to fill a genuine vacancy which meets the skill and salary thresholds of the new route. Existing Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) sponsors will automatically be granted a new Skilled Worker licence or Intra-Company Transfer licence, with an expiry date consistent with their current licence, and receive an appropriate allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).
If you’re not already a licensed sponsor and you think you’ll want to hire migrants through the skilled worker route from January 2021, please contact the team of our experienced immigration advisors at Master Legal Services for more information and assistance:
a.s@master-legal-services.com
T : 020 8935 5205
M : +44 7710987064
