Home secretary orders review which could bring Australian immigration system to Britain
The government’s immigration advisers have been asked to review if Australia’s points-based migration system could work in the UK, months after the Prime Minister’s team said it the method he preferred.
Home secretary Priti Patel yesterday wrote to the Migration Advisory Committee, asking it to look into the Australian system and others like it.
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In a letter to Alan Manning, who chairs the board, Patel said that the government wants to deliver on a promise
“The British public have been clear that they want an immigration system that takes back control of our borders while welcoming aspirational and hard-working people to enhance the UK’s dynamic labour market and diverse society,” she wrote.
Patel, who stressed the benefits of migration, said that leaving the EU give Britain a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” which the government will seize. The current dual system, which treats EU and non-EU migrants differently, will be replaced with a skills-based system which will be the same for everyone.
The letter suggested that points could be awarded to migrants for their education, language proficiency, work experience, and willingness to work in certain areas or in particular jobs.
The migration committee has been asked to look into what characteristics should be prioritised, and what can be learnt from Australia and elsewhere.
During Boris Johnson’s leadership bid in June, his team said the now Prime Minister favoured an Australian-style system.
However, he has also been quoted saying that immigrants would need a job offer before coming to the country. The Australian system does not require a job offer.
How does a points-based system work?
In countries that run a points-based system, migrants are assessed on a series of skills, such as language, and work experience.
Often, an immigrant who lacks skills in one field can balance this by showing they can deliver in another. The system is in place in countries like New Zealand and Australia.
However most countries, including Britain, use a system where employers sponsor visas. In a points-based system, unlike a employer-sponsored one, migrants can come to a country, even if they have no job offer, as long as they meet the criteria.
Australia has several different points-based visas. The skilled independent visa gives permanent residency rights. But immigrants can also apply to states for other routes to come to the country.
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Skilled independent migrants must reach 65 points. They can get up to 30 points based on their age, with 25 to 32 being the preferred range. The other two best-rewarded skills are good English, which can give up to 20 points, and having had a skilled job in Australia. Education can also give up to 20 points.
Britain already has a system which is called a points-based system. However it is only points-based “in name only,” according to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.