THE government has recently revealed its new immigration points system which will come into full force next year.

The move will see all EU and non-EU citizens wanting to live and work in the UK will have to gain 70 points to be eligible to apply for a visa.

The points would be gaining from certain criteria, which include having a job offer by a Home Office-approved sponsor, as well as speaking English at a required level.

Here is the full list of requirements needed in order to reach the 70 point mark.

Job offers

A big point-gainer is having a job offer from an approved sponsor - the list of companies approved by the Home Office in St Helens are:

  • Approved Power Services Limited
  • Bilfinger Industrial Automation Services Ltd
  • Cadre Components Ltd
  • Ecodial Ltd
  • ENSPEC Power Ltd
  • Firemain Engineering Ltd
  • GTB Components Ltd
  • Heart of Glass
  • Knauf Insulation Ltd
  • Newton-le- Willows Cricket Club
  • Newton Academy Trust t/a Hope Academy
  • NGF EUROPE Limited
  • Oak Tyres UK Ltd
  • Rainhill Cricket Club
  • Rutland House Veterinary Hospital
  • Speedy Asset Services Limited
  • St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
  • St Helens Council
  • St Helens Parish Church
  • St Helens Rugby Club
  • The Guy Pilkington Memorial Home Limited
  • The Epiphany Trust

These are also other criteria available to get points:

According to the government, immigrants will need to be able to speak English at a 'required level' which will give you 10 points.

If you have a salary of £23,040 between £25,599 you will gain 10 points, if you have a salary of £25,600 you'll gain 20 points.

If you have a job that is in a shortage occupation you can get 20 points.

If you have a PhD in a subject relevant to the job you get 10 points and if you have a PhD in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, you get 20 points.

If you earn under the minimum salary required - but no less than £20,240, you might still be able to come to the UK if they have a job in a specific industry that is short of workers.

But for lower skilled workers, there will not by any temporary or general visa options for them.

Within the new UK's points-based immigration system policy statement, a spokesman said: "UK businesses will need to adapt and adjust to the end of free movement, and we will not seek to recreate the outcomes from free movement within the points-based system.

"As such, it is important that employers move away from a reliance on the UK’s immigration system as an alternative to investment in staff retention, productivity, and wider investment in technology and automation."

The statement did not define what the required English level migrant workers would need be able to speak at, but related to just speaking English on other occasions.

The Migration Advisory Committee estimated that, under their recommendations, around 70 per cent of resident European economic area citizens arriving in the UK since 2004 would be found ineligible for either a skilled-work, family or general student visa given their current characteristics.