Educational Background

Your educational background is another important factor in acquiring the minimum of 75 points required in order to qualify under the HSMP scheme. Applicants for the HSMP with a Bachelors level degree qualification will receive 30 points. Applicants for the HSMP with a Masters Level Degree qualification will receive 35 points. Applicants for the HSMP with a PhD level qualification will receive 45 points. It is very important to remember that your qualifications have to meet the recognised standard of UK Bachelors, Masters or PhD to be awarded the respective points. These qualifications can be verified by the current National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC). There are also provisions for your vocational and professional qualifications to score points under educational background. As with the previously mentioned qualifications you would need to produce satisfactory independent evidence to show that the qualification is equivalent to an applicable level UK qualification. Once again this can be verified by NARIC or the professional body which is related to the qualification.

There is also a provision within the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme which allows Masters in Business Administration (MBA) graduates, from some of the top business schools around the world, to automatically qualify under the HSMP scheme. This provision, which was launched in April 2005, is intended to draw on the large pool of highly qualified and talented managers abroad. There is a list of 50 MBA programmes in the world which would entitle you to qualify under the MBA provision. The MBA provision would award you 75 points – thus automatically qualifying you under the HSMP scheme.

It is clear that the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme was designed to attract those individuals with recognized qualifications to the UK. Without a recognized educational or professional qualification it will not be able to qualify under the minimum requirements for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

To assist with a Highly Skilled Migrant Program - HSMP approval your Educational Background clearly matters.