Forum Home → Discussion → Other areas of social welfare law → Thread
New points-based immigration system
So the govt has published details of its new points-based immigration system, to take effect from 1 January 2021
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-announces-new-uk-points-based-immigration-system
Need 70 points:
- Offer of job by approved sponsor - 20 points
- Job at appropriate skill level - 20 points
- Speaks English at required level -10 points
- Salary of £20,480 (minimum) to £23,039 - 0 points
- Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 - 10 points
- Salary of £25,600 or above - 20 points
- Job in a shortage occupation (as designated by the MAC) - 20 points
- Education qualification: PhD in subject relevant to the job - 10 points
- Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job - 20 points
From Free Movement:
Absent from the government press release and accompanying policy statement is any description of this system as “Australia-style”, previously a staple of government rhetoric. That is at least accurate: the Australian or Canadian version of a points based system allows economic migrants to settle in those countries permanently without employer sponsorship if they have various blends of abilities and qualifications. These proposals go nowhere like that far ...
More: https://www.freemovement.org.uk/government-abandons-australia-style-immigration-system/
From politics.co.uk:
So after four years, we finally get sight of it. The great points-based system, designed to replace free movement. No-one coming in under £25,600, unless there’s a special shortage. No-one without good English. No-one who’s self-employed. No-one without a job offer, unless they’re very highly skilled.
No more bright young people, arriving in London with dreams of making it and seeing what they can do. No more musicians getting their big break and heading out the next morning. No more care workers looking after ageing Brits. No more construction workers from Poland, out in all weather, getting the job done. No more freedom. Just the relentless, black-and-white, ham-fisted drudgery of bureaucratic requirements ...
More: https://politics.co.uk/blogs/2020/02/19/the-end-of-free-movement-this-is-a-nation-dismantling-itself
Just from a logical point of view it’s irritating me. The assigning of points to mandatory categories, so the same number of points aren’t of equivalent value, and the needless multiples of 10.
This is in the official press release:
It is estimated 70% of the existing EU workforce would not meet the requirements of the skilled worker route, which will help to bring overall numbers down in future.
Talk about dog whistle politics, they’re not even being shy in trying to create a hostile environment for EU nationals.
Meanwhile, DWP Employment Minister in the Times today, tweeted by the DWP press office -
There’s nothing more British than a display of pure determination and grit ....
https://twitter.com/dwppressoffice/status/1230108752403189761
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/employers-are-waking-up-to-the-benefits-of-a-diverse-workforce-psjdbffxd
Priti Patel has claimed staff shortages under the government’s new immigration system could be dealt with by training the 8.5 million who are economically inactive
But @BBCRealityCheck finds that many of these people are students, carers, sick or retired ..
Just from a logical point of view it’s irritating me. The assigning of points to mandatory categories, so the same number of points aren’t of equivalent value, and the needless multiples of 10.
Exactly. Same with ESA (divide by 3) and PIP (divide by 2 - except for pesky 3b and 4e)
If we’re going to make life changing decisions about people based on their assigned numerical value, can we at least do it neatly?
Either that or raise the stakes to the Nth degree. Nobody will be admitted unless they score 7,000,000 points, where a job offer is worth 2,000,000…