This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
Published on July 14, 2020, Britain has announced a shift in the issuance of work permits under post-Brexit immigration rules, allowing Kenyans with good skills but no degrees to apply for work permits from next year.
The new points-based immigration system, set to be implemented from January 2021, has lowered the requirement for job applicants to a minimum skill level of A-level or equivalent, from degree-level under the 27-member EU bloc system.
According to Britain's Home Office, the new system has been engineered to provide greater flexibility and ensure UK business has access to a wide pool of skilled workers.
Under the new system, applicants must gain 70 points, awarded for criteria such as having a job offer, holding a PhD relevant to the job, speaking English, and earning more than £22,000 per year.
The minimum general salary threshold for skilled migrants has also been lowered by 26.67 percent to £22,000 (Sh. 2.97 million) per year, or £1,833 (Sh. 247, 628) a month, from £30,000 per year currently.
Additionally, the relaxed visa rules will benefit Kenyan students, who will now be allowed more time after completing studies in the UK universities.
Under the 'Graduate route', which opens in Summer 2021, Kenyan students will be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after completing undergraduate or master's degrees, and three years after completing a PhD.
Britain's High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, welcomed the new Graduate Route, saying, 'Leaving the European Union means the UK will be open to the brightest and best from around the world – and Kenya is very much a part of that.'
