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Tier 1 (General)

A highly skilled migrant reviewing their application

Evidence of your qualifications

This page describes the evidence of qualifications that you should send to support your application under Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system.

You must read the Tier 1 (General) policy guidance before you apply. You can download the guidance from the right side of this page.

You must send evidence of your qualification, unless you have scored points for the same qualification in a previous application under Tier 1 (General) or the Highly Skilled Migrant Proramme.

If you have been awarded a qualification

If you have been awarded a qualification, you must provide the original certificate of award.

The original certificate of award must be on the awarding institution's official headed paper, and must clearly show:

  • your name;
  • the title of the award;
  • the date of the award; and
  • the name of the awarding institution.

We will not accept original provisional certificates. You must provide the original certificate of award, unless you are awaiting graduation or you no longer have the certificate and the institution that issued it cannot issue a replacement.

If you cannot provide your original certificate

If you are awaiting graduation, or you no longer have the certificate and the institution that issued it cannot issue a replacement, you must provide the original academic reference and original transcript.

The original academic reference from the awarding institution must be on the institution's official headed paper, and must clearly show:

  • your name;
  • the title of the award;
  • the date of the award, confirming that it has been or will be awarded; and
  • the date when the certificate will be issued, or confirmation that the institution cannot re-issue the original certificate of award.

The academic transcript must be on the institution's official headed paper, and must clearly show:

  • your name;
  • the name of the academic institution;
  • the course title; and
  • confirmation of the award.

If you are claiming points for a qualification with a significant research bias (such as a doctorate), you may be unable to provide an academic transcript. If your original certificate of award is not available, we will accept the original academic reference alone.

If your qualification is not on the points-based calculator

If you are claiming points for an academic qualification which you cannot find on the points-based calculator, you must also provide an original letter or certificate from UK NARIC confirming that your qualification is equivalent to a certain level of UK qualification.

If you are claiming points for an professional or vocational qualification which you cannot find on the points-based calculator, you must also provide an original letter from the appropriate UK professional body confirming that your qualification is equivalent to a certain level of UK qualification. This letter must clearly show:

  • the name of the qualification, including the country and the awarding body; and
  • confirmation of the UK academic level to which the qualification is equivalent.