To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there will be any flexibility in the new points-based immigration system's salary thresholds in respect of freelance public service interpreters who cannot guarantee their earnings levels.
Answered on
10 March 2020
On 19 February we published a policy statement setting out the United Kingdom’s future Points-Based Immigration System, which will work for all parts of the UK.
We will not be creating a dedicated route for self-employed people, However. in due course, freelance workers will be able to benefit from the proposed unsponsored route as recommended by the independent Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC).
Freelance workers contracted to provide services to an organisation can continue to be sponsored under the new skilled work route (which also allows them to work up to 20 hours a week for other organisations).
Public service interpreters fall within standard occupational classification (SOC) code 3412; authors, writers and translators. Occupations within this SOC code are considered to be skilled at RQF 4 by the MAC.