Why Choose Y-Axis UK Immigration Points Calculator?
- Check your eligibility to the UK for FREE.
- Simple and easy steps to follow.
- Expert advice and tips to increase your score.
- Professional guidance in every step to settle in the UK.
UK eligibility points calculator
The Skilled Worker route is the primary pathway for employers in the UK to recruit international talent. It is governed by the Home Office and operates on a points-based framework introduced in January 2021.
Points are awarded across two types of criteria:
- Mandatory characteristics – these must all be met and together award 50 points
- Tradeable characteristics – these allow flexibility; you can combine them in different ways to reach the remaining 20 points
There is no single 'route' to reach 70 points. A candidate with a lower salary can still qualify if they hold a PhD relevant to the role, or if their occupation appears on the Shortage Occupation List.
|
Characteristics |
Mandatory / Tradeable |
Points |
|
Offer of job by approved sponsor |
Mandatory |
20 |
|
Job at appropriate skill level (RQF 3 or above) |
Mandatory |
20 |
|
English language at required level |
Mandatory |
10 |
|
Salary of £25,600 or above, or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher) |
Tradeable |
20 |
|
Salary of £23,040–£25,599, or at least 90% of the going rate (whichever is higher) |
Tradeable |
10 |
|
Salary of £20,480–£23,039, or at least 80% of the going rate (whichever is higher) |
Tradeable |
0 |
|
Job in a Shortage Occupation (as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee) |
Tradeable |
20 |
|
PhD in a subject relevant to the job |
Tradeable |
10 |
|
PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job |
Tradeable |
20 |
|
Total Points Required |
|
70 |
Important: You need exactly 70 points to qualify. Mandatory criteria (50 points) must all be met. The remaining 20 points can be achieved through any valid combination of tradeable characteristics.
UK Skilled Worker Visa Points Calculator
Answer the questions below and our calculator will total your Skilled Worker Visa points score. At the end, we'll tell you whether you qualify and what you can do to improve your score.
What are the categories considered for the points?
Each of the following categories should be presented as an interactive section within the calculator widget:
Category 1: Approved Sponsor Job Offer
To apply for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer who holds a valid Home Office sponsor licence. Your employer will issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) – a unique reference number you include in your visa application.
|
Option |
Points |
|
Yes – I have a confirmed job offer from a Home Office licensed sponsor with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) |
20 (Mandatory) |
|
No |
0 – Does not qualify |
Category 2: Job Skill Level
The job you have been offered must meet a minimum skill threshold of RQF Level 3 (equivalent to A-Levels or Scottish Highers) or above. Every eligible job has a corresponding Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code which determines whether it meets this requirement.
|
Option |
Points |
|
Yes – the job offer is at RQF Level 3 or above (as confirmed by its SOC code) |
20 (Mandatory) |
|
No – the job is below RQF Level 3 |
0 – Does not qualify |
Category 3: English Language Proficiency
You must demonstrate that you speak English to the required standard. There are several accepted ways to prove this, depending on your nationality and educational background.
|
Option |
Points |
|
Nationality: citizen of a majority English-speaking country (e.g., USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland) |
10 (Mandatory) |
|
Education: degree-level qualification taught in English in a recognised majority English-speaking country (verified by ECCTIS) |
10 (Mandatory) |
|
Approved English language test: IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Trinity SELT at B1 level or above |
10 (Mandatory) |
|
None of the above |
0 – Does not qualify |
Category 4: Salary Level (Tradeable)
Salary is the primary tradeable factor in the Skilled Worker points system. The applicable threshold is the higher of:
- The general salary threshold of £25,600 per year, OR
- The 'going rate' for the specific SOC code of the job you've been offered
If your offered salary falls below the general threshold, you can still qualify by trading salary against other tradeable characteristics (PhD or Shortage Occupation status).
|
Salary Level |
Points |
|
£25,600 or above (or at least the going rate, whichever is higher) |
20 |
|
£23,040–£25,599 (or at least 90% of the going rate, whichever is higher) |
10 |
|
£20,480–£23,039 (or at least 80% of the going rate, whichever is higher) |
0 (still eligible if trading with other tradeable points) |
|
Below £20,480 |
Not eligible |
Category 5: Shortage Occupation (Tradeable)
Certain occupations in the UK face a critical shortage of domestic candidates. If your job falls within a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), your employer benefits from reduced salary requirements and you earn additional tradeable points.
|
Option |
Points |
|
Yes – the job is on the Shortage Occupation List as designated by the MAC |
20 |
|
No |
0 |
Category 6: PhD Qualification (Tradeable)
Holding a PhD (doctoral-level qualification) relevant to your job offer earns additional tradeable points. A STEM PhD earns more points, recognising the higher value of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics expertise in the UK labour market.
|
Option |
Points |
|
PhD in a STEM subject directly relevant to the job offer |
20 |
|
PhD in any subject directly relevant to the job offer (non-STEM) |
10 |
|
No PhD, or PhD not relevant to the job |
0 |
UK Shortage Occupation List – Key Sectors
If your job falls within one of the following shortage categories, you earn 20 tradeable points in the calculator and may benefit from reduced salary requirements. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) designates shortage occupations based on evidence of national skill gaps.
Note: The Shortage Occupation List is subject to periodic review. Always verify your occupation's current status before submitting an application.
|
Sector |
Key Roles |
Notes |
|
Healthcare & Nursing |
Nurses, doctors, paramedics, radiographers, occupational therapists, care workers |
Consistently on the list due to NHS demand |
|
Engineering |
Civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers; CAD technicians |
Roles across construction and infrastructure |
|
Information Technology |
Cyber security specialists, software engineers, data scientists, IT project managers |
Growing shortage across public and private sectors |
|
Education |
Secondary school teachers (especially STEM subjects), special educational needs teachers |
Teacher shortage particularly acute in sciences and maths |
|
Social Work |
Qualified social workers, children's services, adult social care |
Local authority roles frequently on the list |
|
Science & Research |
Laboratory scientists, research fellows, veterinarians, geoscientists |
Often STEM PhD-holders benefit doubly here |
Not sure if your specific role qualifies?
Our UK immigration experts at Y-Axis can review your SOC code and advise you directly. Book your Free Counseling today!
* Disclaimer:
Quick eligibility check of Y-Axis is only to help the applicants to understand their scores. The points displayed are based on your answers only. Please note the points on each section are evaluated based on various parameters set in the immigration guidelines and a technical evaluation is a must to know your accurate scores and eligibility to find out which immigration program you can apply for. The Quick eligibility check does not guarantee you the below points; you may score high or low points once you are technically evaluated by our expert team. There are many assessing bodies that process skills assessment which will depend on your nominated occupation, and these assessing bodies will have their own criteria for considering an applicant as skilled. State/ territory authorities will also have their own criteria to allow sponsorships which an applicant should satisfy. So, it is very important for an applicant to go apply for a technical evaluation.
UK Immigration Points Calculator. Check your eligibility with the Y-Axis UK Immigration Points Calculator
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"text": "The maximum points you can score is 70 points, scoring more than 70 points will not give you special privileges. This is how the 70 points will be distributed based on your qualifications:
70 points is the required score to be eligible for a visa
A job offer and the ability to speak English will get the applicant 50 points. The additional 20 points required to qualify for the visa can be gained through any of the following qualifications:
Having a job offer that pays you 26,000 pounds or above per year will give you 20 points
10 points for a relevant PhD or 20 points for a PhD in a STEM subject
20 points for an offer for a job where there is a skill shortage"
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"text": "A route for skilled individuals with a job offer from an approved company sponsor is included in the points-based system. Because the Skilled Worker visa is based on a points system, you can take advantage of the various points requirements to obtain the required number of points to apply for this visa.
While having a work offer from an approved sponsor is required, you will receive 50 points if you have a job at the relevant skill level and have English language abilities at the acceptable level.
If you are hired for a position that pays at least £25,600 per year, you can earn the remaining 20 points. You can gain these extra points if you have better qualifications
10 points if you have a relevant PhD
20 points if you have a PhD in science, technology, engineering or math
20 points if you have a job offer in a skill shortage occupation"
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"text": "The UK has a point calculator, also known as the points-based immigration system, that analyses a person’s eligibility to qualify for a visa. Seventy points is the minimum score required to acquire a UK visa. Candidates will have to score 50 points, which is a compulsion, along with additional 20 points that are tradeable or negotiable to qualify for the visa. People who wish to work & live in the UK must fulfill the eligible point requirements per the UK eligibility standards.
The complete breakdown of the 70 points is given below –
Mandatory 50-points categories
Categories
Points required
Sponsorship certificate – 20 points
Job offer with qualification proficiency – 20 points
English language proficiency – 10 points
Tradable 20-points categories
Categories
Points required
Maintaining a minimum salary requirement as per the UK government – 20 points
Having lesser minimum salary requirement with a PhD – 20 points
Having lesser minimum salary requirement with a STEM PhD – 20 points
Having lesser minimum salary requirement with a job from the shortage occupation list – 20 points
Having lesser minimum salary requirement with a freshman reputation in the labor market – 20 points
Having lesser minimum salary requirement with an occupation in health or education – 20 points"
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"name": "How Skilled Worker points are calculated UK?",
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"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Skilled workers must score 70 points on the points test to qualify for the given visa. The candidate migrating to the UK must have a sponsorship from an authorized employer with a sponsor license.
Mandatory points – A sponsorship, a job from the occupational list & English language proficiency.
Tradeable points – You get different categories and options in the tradeable points sector to gain 20 additional points.
Characteristics
Mandatory/Tradeable
Points
Offer of job by approved sponsor
Mandatory
20
Job at appropriate skill level
Mandatory
20
Speaks English at required level
Mandatory
10
Salary of £20,480 to £23,039 or at least 80% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)
Tradeable
0
Salary of £23,040 to £25,599 or at least 90% of the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)
Tradeable
10
Salary of £25,600 or above or at least the going rate for the profession (whichever is higher)
Tradeable
20
Job in a shortage occupation as designated by the Migration Advisory Committee
Tradeable
20
Applicant is a new entrant to the labour market (as designated by the MAC)
Tradeable
20
Education qualification: PhD in a subject relevant to the job
Tradeable
10
Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job
Tradeable
20"
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"text": "The Tier 2 visa the UK is specifically for –
The skilled workers
Sports persons
Clergy members who do not belong to the EEA
The tables below are the 70-point division for the Tier 2 UK Visa.
Qualifications
Points
PhD – 15
Bachelor’s or Master’s – 10
NVQ3 – 5
No Qualification – 0
Earnings
Points
£17,000-£19,999 – 5
£20,000-£21,999 – 10
£22,000-£23,999 – 15
£24,000 + – 20
Sponsorship certificate
Points
Offer of job in shortage Occupation – 50
Offer of job that passes Resident Labor Market Test – 30
Intra Company Transfer – 30
Others
Points
Maintenance requirement – 10
Competence in English – 10
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