A breakdown of the radical new immigration points system proposed for the UK

The UK government has announced plans for a new immigration system to manage the entry of workers into the country from January 2021.

Under the plans, EU migrants will be treated the same as migrants from the rest of the world. The UK government has published these proposals after considering recommendations from advisors in the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Boris Johnson has previously said the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland will not change post Brexit. The Common Travel Area, which pre-dates both countries' EU membership, allows Irish and British citizens to move freely and reside in either jurisdiction. The aim of the changes is to limit the number of low-skilled workers entering the UK but allow easier access for higher skilled workers to get a visa. In a statement on Wednesday, the UK government said that to get a visa, applicants from the EU and the rest of the world must:

• Have a job offer from an "approved employer"
• Have a job at an "appropriate skill level"
• Speak English

These three criteria will give applicants 50 points, but they must reach 70 in order to qualify for entry. There are a few ways applicants can gain extra points like earning more than £25,600 (worth 20 points), or through having better qualifications (10 points for a relevant PhD; or 20 points for a PhD in science, technology, engineering or maths), or else have an offer of a job in an area where the UK has a shortage (20 points). Currently, those from within the EU do not need a visa to work in the UK but there is already a points system in place for workers from the rest of the world.