The route and its deadlines
Tier 1 (General) was the points-based route for highly skilled migrants who did not need a job offer. It replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme in 2008 and closed to new applicants in 2011. The transitional rules for people already in the UK have also ended: extensions of stay as a Tier 1 (General) migrant were possible only until 5 April 2015, and settlement applications on that route only until 5 April 2018. Neither can be made now.
If you held Tier 1 (General) permission
What you can do today depends on what you have:
- If you are settled (you have indefinite leave to remain), nothing more is needed on this route. You may want to apply for British citizenship.
- If you are in the UK with other permission, time spent lawfully on Tier 1 (General) may count towards ten years’ continuous lawful residence. See long residence.
- If you have no permission, the position needs careful advice. See overstaying and re-entry bans and human rights and private life applications.
Routes for skilled and talented people now
The routes that replaced Tier 1 (General) for people with high skills are the Global Talent visa, which needs endorsement or a prize and no job offer, the High Potential Individual visa for graduates of top universities, and the Skilled Worker visa for people with a sponsored job. See closed UK visa routes and what replaced them.
The genuine earnings test, for context
Applications to extend or settle as a Tier 1 (General) migrant in its last years were examined for the genuineness of the earnings claimed, including self-employed income. The Home Office could ask for contracts, invoices and tax records, and in some cases an interview. The same attention to evidence runs through most settlement applications today.
How we help
We establish where your history leaves you, and what the best route is from here. A consultation costs from £99.
