A closer look at the Tier 2
allocation for February
to April 2018

After a Freedom of Information Request, Smith Stone Walters has obtained data about the overall number of Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (RCoS) applications in February, March and April 2018.

In order to be eligible for an RCoS, each overseas skilled worker must pass an assessment based on their ability, experience, age and the job’s appropriate salary – in broad terms, the higher the salary the more points. There is a minimum points threshold for the application to be successful and that minimum varies from month to month.

Over each of the three months that we examined, at least 40 percent of the available RCoS had been awarded to medical professionals — nurses, consultants, specialist doctors and registrars. These are the jobs that are deemed to be ‘shortage occupations’ and some of which are now exempt from being counted in the monthly immigration targets after the recent rule change.

FEBRUARY 2018

TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE HOME OFFICE: 3,025

TOTAL NUMBER OF CERTIFICATES OF SPONSORSHIP GRANTED:  1,707

MINIMUM POINTS SCORE FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS:  46

  • 46 per cent went to healthcare workers
  • Over a thousand applications were rejected or refused.
  • There was one successful request for a skilled welder!

MARCH 2018

TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE HOME OFFICE: 2,681

TOTAL NUMBER OF CERTIFICATES OF SPONSORSHIP GRANTED:  1,347

MINIMUM POINTS SCORE FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 56

  • 49 per cent went to healthcare workers
  • Over a thousand applications were rejected or refused.
  • Almost one in four successful applications reached 132 points, including four secondary school teachers
  • 20 foreign pilots and flight engineers were allowed to enter the country this month
  • Some of the highest-scoring jobs this month were in IT and engineering, as well as arts officers, producers and directors.

APRIL 2018

TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE HOME OFFICE: 3,0890

TOTAL NUMBER OF CERTIFICATES OF SPONSORSHIP GRANTED:  2,193

MINIMUM POINTS SCORE FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 46

  • 37 per cent went to healthcare workers
  • The annual allocation reset again in April, and there were more RCoS available than in previous months. There were close to four thousand applications, of which almost 1,700 were rejected or refused.
  • The largest amount of RCoS this month were awarded to applications scoring 55 points or more
  • A fashion designer was among those granted a Tier 2 (skilled worker) visa. But from July, an individual working in the fashion industry can apply via the Tier 1 visa route, if they can demonstrate ‘exceptional talent’ and are accredited by the British Fashion Council. This route is also available to specialists in science, humanities and digital technology.
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