New system to attract global talent to the UK

Early this year, the UK Government introduced changes to the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP), one of the routes of entry for workers and entrepreneurs coming to live in the UK.

The objective is to ensure the UK targets the people it needs in order to remain one of the world’s most innovative economies, while enabling a straightforward and transparent application procedure for migrants.

An international tradition of excellence

So valuable is the knowledge and experience that a skilled worker can bring to a country that the Financial Times estimates skilled migrants are ten times more valuable to an economy than unskilled migrants.

Attracting the best talent from abroad has always been part of the UK’s recipe for economic success – almost 20 per cent of businesses hire workers from abroad, giving the nation’s workforce a very international flavour.

But the UK can’t rest on its laurels if it wants to continue to be the destination of choice for so many highly skilled individuals to fulfil their potential.

An emphasis on career success

The revised points-based system for HSMP places emphasis on an applicant’s experience and education.

Points are gained by reference to earning history, as well as other criteria, such as age and language skills.

Ambiguous measures used previously, such as ‘achievement in your field’, have been removed.

This makes it easier to assess an applicant’s likelihood of succeeding in the marketplace than under prior incarnations of the HSMP.

And for those who are applying, it is easier to self-assess whether they can qualify for the programme.

Extended time in the UK

Changes have also been made to the assessment process for the ‘leave to remain’ category of HSMP, which allows migrants to extend their time in the UK by three years following the initial two-year period.

We made the changes to ensure that the programme continues to attract those migrants who are of the greatest benefit to the UK economy.

Joe Barker

Border and Immigration Agency

The new test for extended leave is based on the same points-based criteria used for the first application.

“We made the changes to ensure that the programme continues to attract those migrants who are of the greatest benefit to the UK economy,” says Joe Barker of the UK Government’s Border and Immigration Agency.

“The previous extension test was not a sufficiently robust measure of whether the migrant had been making an economic contribution to the UK.”

A taste of things to come

The move to a points-based system is not only an important tool in attracting skilled workers and entrepreneurs, it’s also a precursor to a simplified points-based migration system that will incorporate all existing routes of entry into the UK.

The aim is to make immigration criteria more transparent for skilled and unskilled migrants alike, leading to a fairer selection process for everyone hoping to settle in the UK.

It will be implemented in stages up to 2009.