Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) : I am pleased to confirm the Government has today
launched a number of immigration routes under the new UK
points-based system, including the Skilled Worker route. This is
a significant milestone and delivers on this Government’s
commitment to take back control of our borders by ending freedom
of movement with the EU and replacing it with a global
points-based system.
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal)
Act 2020, which received Royal Assent on 11 November, ends free
movement on 31 December 2020 and paves the way for our new
points-based system that treats EU and non-EU nationals equally.
Applicants for the new routes can now start to apply under the
points-based system. EEA nationals who arrive in the UK before 31
December 2020 remain eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme. Over
4.2 million have already applied and others have until 30 June
2021 to do so.
The points-based system will work in the interests of the whole
of our United Kingdom and prioritise the skills a person has to
offer, not where their passport comes from. It will ensure we
attract the brightest and best talent we need to contribute to
our economy, our communities and our public services. It also
forms a critical part of this country’s economic recovery by
ensuring investment in the UK domestic workforce and helping us
create a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy is the
focus of employer’s recruitment activities.
Today’s launch builds on the successful opening of the reformed
Global Talent route in February, the Health and Care visa in
August and the Student and Child Student Routes in October. In
addition, as the Chancellor set out in the Spending Review last
week, we are supporting the delivery of the new borders and
immigration system with an additional £217 million of funding.
Ending free movement and introducing the points-based system is
the first phase of our plans to transform the operation of our
borders and immigration system. Additional routes will be opened
in the coming months and our longer-term plans will further
simplify, enable and digitise our systems to put customers at the
heart of a firmer, fairer and easier to navigate borders and
immigration system.
