This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
As of January 2021, the UK's post-Brexit immigration system will undergo significant changes, paving the way for more Kenyans to work in Britain. The new rules, set to be implemented from next year, will allow highly skilled Kenyans without degree-level qualifications to apply for work permits in the UK.
Under the new point-based system, applicants will be required to gain 70 points to be eligible to live and work in the UK. The points will be awarded for various criteria, including having a job offer, holding a PhD relevant to the job, speaking English, and earning more than £22,000 per year.
Notably, the UK has lowered the minimum general salary threshold for skilled migrants by 26.67% to £22,000 (KSh2.97 million) per year, or £1,833 (Sh247, 628) a month, from the current £30,000. This change aims to attract more skilled workers to the UK, particularly in the wake of the post-Brexit immigration system ending free movement of labor between the UK and the EU.
Britain projects a significant increase in job vacancies following the implementation of the new immigration system. This presents a substantial opportunity for Kenyan skilled workers to capitalize on the growing demand for labor in the UK.
