Highly skilled workers
United Kingdom experience
This page explains the points we award for United Kingdom experience of work or study under the highly skilled worker category (Tier 1 General) of the points-based system to work in the United Kingdom.
On this page
Full details of these requirements are in the immigration rules at paragraph 245C of part 6 and Appendix A (Table 3), which you can find on the right side of this page. You must read the policy guidance before you apply under this category. You can download the guidance and application form from the Applying section.
The points awarded for United Kingdom experience
If this is an initial application, you can score five points for United Kingdom experience if:
- you have successfully scored points under previous earnings and those earnings were made in the United Kingdom; or
- you have been in full-time study in the United Kingdom for at least one full academic year, and have been awarded a qualification at bachelor's degree level or above. The qualification should have been awarded within the last five years.
The points awarded for United Kingdom experience in an extension application
If this is an extension application, you can only score points for previous earnings and not qualifications.
You can claim a maximum of five points if you have successfully scored points for previous earnings and those earnings were made in the United Kingdom.
We will only award points for United Kingdom earnings if your immigration status in the United Kingdom legally entitled you to be in the United Kingdom and work here throughout the period during which the earnings were made.
How previous earnings are assessed
Your earnings must be:
- earned in the United Kingdom; and
- at least £16,000.
You should note that:
- points for United Kingdom experience will only be awarded for either qualifications obtained in the United Kingdom or previous earnings in the United Kingdom but not both;
- previous earnings are not taken into account in awarding points for United Kingdom experience if you were in breach of the immigration laws when you earned the money.
How qualifications are assessed
Your qualifications awarded must be obtained in the United Kingdom at a United Kingdom institution or at an overseas academic institution based in the United Kingdom, and;
- be at bachelor's degree level or above;
- have been awarded within the last five years;
- be for period of full-time study in the United Kingdom of at least one full academic year, or three consecutive academic terms to obtain this qualification.
You should note that:
- you can only claim points for United Kingdom experience for a qualification if you are applying to enter highly skilled worker category for the first time, and not if you are extending existing leave in this category or switching into it from the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme;
- the qualification can be academic, vocational or professional, and must be at least equivalent to a United Kingdom bachelor's degree;
- qualifications are assessed by referring to the points-based calculator, which contains information provided by UK NARIC;
- for the purposes of the qualifications criteria, an accredited institution is a place of study assessed by UK NARIC to be a genuine provider of an academic, professional or vocational course of study;
- if you cannot find your qualification on the points-based calculator, and still want to claim points, you should contact UK NARIC directly for an assessment of your qualification, and if your qualification is found, you must send a letter or confirmation certificate from UK NARIC;
- the qualification was awarded no more than five years before the application was made; and
- at least one academic year, or three consecutive terms, of the course that led to the qualification involved full-time study.
You must prove your United Kingdom experience by sending evidence to support your application, or your application will be refused.
Terms explained
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UK NARIC
UK National Agency (UK NARIC) is responsible for providing information and opinion on vocational, academic and professional qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide. The National Agency is managed on behalf of the United Kingdom Government and is the only official source of information on wide-ranging international qualifications and skills attained from outside the United Kingdom. They compare qualifications from overseas with the United Kingdom and provide information on qualifications and education systems outside the United Kingdom.