Why do people come to the UK? (2) To work
Published 29 November 2018
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-2-to-work
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See section 6 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.
Data relate to the year ending September 2018 and all comparisons are with the year ending September 2017, unless indicated otherwise.
This section contains data for non-EEA nationals on:
- Work-related visas (including Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas)
- Sponsored work visa applications from different economic sectors
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes long-term international migration (LTIM) estimates in its ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly report’ (MSQR). The report includes estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) on the number of people coming to the UK with the intention of staying for 12 months or more for work, study, family and other reasons. Estimates are available for EU, non-EU, and British nationals. IPS data are not directly comparable with Home Office visa data for a number of reasons. See the ONS article ‘Comparing sources of international migration statistics’ for details.
We provide a more detailed commentary on an annual basis. This is included in ‘Immigration statistics, year ending June 2018’.
1. Immigration for work reasons
There were 171,679 work-related visas granted (including dependants) in the year ending September 2018 for all types of work, 7,405 (or 5%) higher than the previous year. This was the highest level since the year ending June 2009, around the period when the points based system (PBS) for work was rolled out.
The increase is largely accounted for by the rise in Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas granted, an increase of 6,173 (or 7%) compared with the previous year. In particular, there were increases in grants to Indian nationals (up 2,266), who account for 55% of all Tier 2 visas granted. There were also increases in grants to nationals of Nigeria (up 1,020), the Philippines (up 732) and Pakistan (up 478).
The grant rate for all work-related visas was 95%. Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas had a grant rate of 98%, and Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary workers) had a grant rate of 94%.
Table 1: Work-related visas granted, year ending September 2018 compared with year ending September 2017
| Visa type | Year ending September 2017 | Year ending September 2018 | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High value (Tier 1) | 4,804 | 5,844 | +1,040 | +22% |
| Skilled (Tier 2) | 93,651 | 99,824 | +6,173 | +7% |
| Youth mobility and temporary workers (Tier 5) | 41,592 | 40,711 | -881 | -2% |
| Non-PBS / Other | 24,227 | 25,300 | +1,073 | +4% |
| Total | 164,274 | 171,679 | +7,405 | +5% |
Source:
Entry clearance visas table vi 01 q (volume 2)
Table note:
- Figures include pre-PBS equivalents.
Although the majority of Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas were ‘Intra-company transfers’, accounting for 60% of all Tier 2 grants, there were notable increases of Tier 2 grants in the Tier 2 ‘General’ route (up 2,693 to 22,139) and for dependants of Tier 2 visa holders (up 2,431 to 17,010).
In the year ending September 2018, there were 56,541 certificates of sponsorship applications for Tier 2 (Skilled) work, an increase of 1,841. This included a 2,777 (45%) increase in applications in the Human health and social work activities sector to 8,907, which is likely related to the removal of doctors and nurses from the Tier 2 cap.
Five sectors accounted for the vast majority (87%) of Tier 2 (Skilled) work visa applications:
- Information and communication (38%)
- Human health and social work activities (16%)
- Professional, scientific and technical activities (16%)
- Financial and insurance activities (12%)
- Education (6%)
Figure 1: Work-related visas granted by Tier2, year ending September 2009 to 2018
Source:
Entry clearance visas table vi 01 q (volume 1)
Chart notes:
- ‘Tier 1 (closed)’ includes the Tier 1 General, and Tier 1 Post-study categories. These categories were closed to new entrants following operational evidence that these routes were not working as intended. These routes are not included in the ‘Tier 1 (High value)’ category.
- Figures for Tier 1 (High value), Tier 2 (Skilled), and Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary work) include pre-PBS equivalents.
The long-term reduction in the number of Tier 1 visas granted reflects the closure of the Tier 1 General route in December 2010, which changed the route from an open points-based route to one focused on high-value migrants only. In the latest year, there was a 22% increase in the number of Tier 1 visas granted, up 1,040 to 5,844. This was driven by a 35% increase for Entrepreneurs, up 783 to 3,021.
The number of Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary worker) visas granted fell by 881 (or 2%) to 40,711. Around half the Tier 5 visas granted are accounted for by the Youth Mobility route, although this route saw a fall in the most recent year (down 1,498 to 20,465).
2. About these statistics
The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK for work reasons. This includes both highly-skilled non-EEA workers, investors and entrepreneurs, temporary workers, and those employed in sports, the arts and other sectors.
Entry clearance visas allow an individual to enter and stay in the UK within the period for which the visa is valid. EEA nationals do not require a visa to enter the UK.
Data in this section refer to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for work reasons. If an individual is granted a visa more than once in a given period, this will be counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual leaves and re-enters the UK a number of times within the period for which a visa is valid, this will be counted as one grant of a visa in the statistics.
The data do not show whether, or when, an individual actually arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival to the UK, or how long they stayed in the UK.
Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. Such fluctuations can be examined in more detail in the quarterly data that are available in the published tables.
Tier 2 of the PBS is the primary route for economic migration to the UK. Broadly, the route is for skilled workers from outside the EEA who have an offer of employment in the UK in an occupation classed as skilled to NQF6 or above.
Tier 2 was implemented in November 2008. There are four routes within Tier 2 – General, Intra-company Transfer, Minister of Religion and Sportsperson.
Tier 1 of the PBS was phased in between February and June 2008.
Tier 5, which is for temporary workers and youth mobility, providing a route for those coming to the UK for primarily non-economic reasons, was implemented in November 2008.
Applicants for visas (and extensions) for Tier 2 (Skilled) work and for Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary worker) must obtain a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from a registered employer. Any organisation that wishes to sponsor a worker must be registered on the Home Office’s Register of Sponsors.
Tier 2 (General) is currently subject to a cap on the number of CoS that can be allocated to employers for newly hired employees earning less than £159,600 per year, or for dependants of Tier 4 students who wish to switch into Tier 2 (General). The sponsor must apply for an allocation for these ‘restricted’ CoS on a case-by-case basis to be considered at a monthly allocation meeting held by the Home Office. Details of the outcome of the monthly allocation process are published by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). On 15 June 2018, the government announced that doctors and nurses are to be excluded from the cap on skilled worker visas.
Further information about the CoS allocation process is given in the user guide and on the UK visa sponsorship for employers section of GOV.UK.
3. Data tables
Data on immigration for work can be found in the following tables: