Tier 1 General visas

Tier 1 General Highly Skilled visas allow people to live in the UK and work in the UK without travel or employment restrictions. Tier 1 General visas may be for you! The Tier 1 HSMP visa points calculator allows you to find out if you qualify now, by answering a few simple questions. You can begin your application instantly!

Tier 1 Visa, the abbreviation for the new Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled visa, will allow you to live in the UK and work without restriction in the UK. The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) has now been completely replaced by the Tier 1 visa. Tier 1 (General) visas are designed for people with skills, qualifications and work experience to come to the UK. Unlike regular Work Permits, you do not need a job offer to apply for Tier 1. You can also change jobs as you wish. 

At the completion of five years in the UK, you will then be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain, or Settlement. This effectively means there will be no immigration restrictions on your stay in the UK anymore. After one further year, you will be eligible for UK Citizenship, and following that a British passport.

The new system, like HSMP, is based on points. Points are awarded for age, educational qualifications, earnings for the last 12 months, English language skills, and being able to show savings to support yourself. Additional points are also available if you have already worked in the UK or studied in the UK previously. To get a Tier 1 (General) visa you'll need to be able to prove your educational qualifications, previous earnings and employment experience. You will also have to prove English language skills and demonstrate that you have money in the bank to support yourself in the UK.

Complete the highly skilled migrant assessment calculator on the following page to obtain an accurate assessment of your eligibility for the visa.

A wide variety of applicants qualify for the visa. For example, a more experienced candidate with an established career may not score any points for their age, but may make up for this in earnings points. Similarly, a recent university graduate may not yet have reached a high salary to qualify for many earnings points, but will be awarded additional points based on having a young age.

How long will the visa be granted for?

Initially you will be given a two year visa. After this period you can apply for a Tier 1 extension for a further three years, will will be approved subject to satisfying the requirements of Tier 1 at the time of applying for an extension.

Do I need a lawyer?

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 0207 118 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.

The UK authorities are very strict in enforcing the specific requirements for the Tier 1 visa category. It is quite common for an applicant who believes they have put together a complete application to wait weeks for a decision only to find they have been rejected. Furthermore, the government fee also needs to be paid a second time, when applying after being rejected on a technicality, adding further costs in addition to the unnecessary delay of going through the application process twice.

Mulberry Finch's teams of lawyers are ready to assist you ensure your application is a success, first time. Professional results, sensible fees. Contact us now.