National statistics

Why do people come to the UK? (2) To work

Published 23 August 2018

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Data relate to the year ending June 2018 and all comparisons are with the year ending June 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

1. Key facts

There were 167,271 work-related visas granted in the year ending June 2018, 2% higher than the previous year. This included:

  • 5,502 Tier 1 (High-value) visas, up 17%
  • 96,376 Tier 2 (Skilled) visas, up 4%
  • 40,360 Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary worker) visas, down 3%

In the year ending June 2018, there were 167,271 work-related visas granted, an increase of 2% compared with the previous year.

Following the introduction of the Points Based System (PBS), which included a range of measures to tighten the immigration system, the number of work-related visa applications and grants fell between the year ending June 2008 and the year ending June 2013 (by 29% and 21% respectively). The numbers began to increase between the year ending June 2013 and the year ending March 2015, and have been relatively stable since. Tier 2 (Skilled) work has steadily increased in recent years.

Over the last 10 years, the overall grant rate for work-related visas has increased from 80% to 95%, which has in part been driven by an increase in sponsored work categories (Tier 2 Skilled work and Tier 5 Youth mobility and temporary workers), which now accounts for 82% of the total.

The chart shows the number of work-related visas applications, grants and refusals over the last 10 years.

Source:

Table vi 01 q, (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1)

The majority of the 167,271 work-related visas granted in the year ending June 2018 were in the Tier 2 (Skilled) work and Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary worker) categories, accounting for 96,376 (58%) and 40,360 (24%) of the total.

Since the year ending June 2013, Tier 2 (Skilled) work visa grants have increased by 32% (23,471) whilst Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary worker) visas increased, by 5% (1,963), over the same period.

Over the same period, grants for current Tier 1 categories (including investors and entrepreneurs) increased 18% to 4,673. This excludes Tier 1 General, Tier 1 Post-study (which are now closed) and pre-PBS routes.

Tier 1 General and Tier 1 Post-study accounted for 30,656 grants in the year ending June 2009 and 26,524 in the year ending June 2010 but have been closed to new entrants following operational evidence that these routes were not working as intended.

The chart shows the number of work-related entry clearance visas granted by category, over the last 10 years.

Source:

Table vi 01 q, (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1)

Chart notes:

  1. 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.
  2. Tier 2 (Skilled) and Tier 5 (Youth mobility and temporary) include pre-PBS equivalents.

According to estimates from the Labour Force Survey, published in the ONS UK labour market: August 2018 release, the number of people employed in the UK increased by 313,000 (to 32.39m) in April to June 2018 compared with a year earlier. This was driven by increases in non-EU and UK nationals. The number of non-EU nationals in employment increased by 74,000 (to 1.27m), while the number of EU nationals in employment decreased by 86,000 (to 2.28m).

3. Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas

3.1 Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas by nationality

In the year ending June 2018, there were 96,376 Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas granted, up 4% compared with the previous year (92,800). The top 5 nationalities accounted for 76% of all Tier 2 visas granted. Indians accounted for the majority of grants (56%), with the next most common nationality being the US nationals (10%).

Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas granted, by nationality (top 5), year ending June 2018 compared to the year ending June 2017

The chart shows the proportion of Tier 2 (Skilled) work entry clearance visas granted by nationality in the latest year compared with a year earlier.

Source:

Table vi 06 q w, (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 2)

Tier 2 of the Points Based System is the primary route for economic migration to the UK. Broadly, the route is for skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (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 4 routes within Tier 2: Tier 2 (General), Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer), Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) and Tier 2 (Sportsperson).

The majority of Tier 2 visas are ‘Intra-company transfers’ (ICT). The number of ICT Tier 2 grants to main applicants has increased by 22% from 26,553 in the year ending June 2010 to 32,355 in the year ending June 2018.

The number of grants for non-ICT Tier 2 categories (largely accounted for by Tier 2 General, and dependants), excluding pre-PBS equivalents, increased by 11% over the same period.

Tier 2 (Skilled) work visas granted by visa type, year ending June 2010 to the year ending June 20184

Year ending June 2010 June 2011 June 2012 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015 June 2016 June 2017 June 2018
Tier 2 visas granted 66,145 66,523 67,730 72,905 84,613 92,567 93,980 92,800 96,376
of which:                  
Tier 2 - Intra Company Transfers (ICT) 26,553 29,412 29,569 30,932 34,882 36,462 36,808 34,941 32,355
Tier 2 - ICT dependants1 : 3,031 16,964 19,734 22,774 23,880 23,604 24,527 27,235
Tier 2 General 11,014 7,748 8,927 10,176 12,995 16,583 18,238 18,711 20,139
Other Tier 2 627 606 517 544 510 567 479 467 508
Tier 2 Dependants2 21,194 23,220 10,755 11,142 13,298 15,023 14,746 14,047 15,948
Pre-PBS equivalents3 6,757 2,506 998 377 154 52 105 107 191

Source:

Table vi 01 q, (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1)

Table notes:

  1. Prior to Q2 2011, ‘Tier 2 - ICT dependants’ were not separately identifiable from other ‘Tier 2 dependants’. These are included in ‘Tier 2 dependants’ before this period, and as their own category for Q2 2011 onwards.
  2. ‘Tier 2 dependants’ excludes ‘Tier 2 – ICT dependants’ (which are included in their own category) from the year ending June 2011 onwards.
  3. Pre-PBS equivalents includes main applicants and dependants.
  4. : = not available.

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.

On 15 June 2018, the government announced that doctors and nurses are to be excluded from the cap on skilled worker visas. This will not have impacted on the statistics published in this edition.

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.

In the year ending June 2018, five sectors accounted for the vast majority (87%) of skilled work visa applications, with almost two out of every five accounted for by the IT and communications sector.

  • Information and communication (39%)
  • Professional, scientific and technical (16%)
  • Human health and social work (14%)
  • Financial and insurance activities (12%)
  • Education (6%)

Data on sponsorship by sector is available from 2010. From the year ending June 2011 to the year ending June 2018, each of these 5 sectors had an increase in the number of applications (up 30%, 28%, 294%, 16% and 123%, respectively).

Tier 2 (Skilled work) visa applications1, by sector, year ending June 2011 to the year ending June 2018

The chart shows the number Tier 2 (Skilled work) visa applications by sector, over the last 8 years.

Source:

Table cs 03 q, (Sponsorship tables)

Chart note:

  1. Main applicants only.

5. Data tables

Data on immigration for work can be found in the following tables:

Sponsorship tables
Entry clearance visas tables volume 1
Entry clearance visas tables volume 2
Entry clearance visas tables volume 3
Admissions tables
Extensions tables
Settlement tables
European Economic Area (EEA) tables

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