UK Points-Based Immigration System Explained for Nigerian Skilled Workers

"Points-based system" sounds more complicated than it actually is in practice — for most Nigerian Skilled Worker applicants, hitting the required 70 points comes down to three straightforward things lining up together. Here's a clear breakdown of how the system actually works.

A note on these figures: Skilled Worker salary thresholds, going rates and the Immigration Salary List are reviewed regularly by the Home Office, and eligible occupations can be added or removed with little notice. The figures in this article are correct as of publication — always check the current gov.uk going rates table for your exact SOC code before accepting a job offer or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.

The headline number: 70 points

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, an applicant needs to score at least 70 points across a defined set of characteristics. These points split into two categories: mandatory characteristics, worth 50 points combined, which every applicant must satisfy in full, and tradeable characteristics, worth up to 20 further points, which can be reached through different combinations depending on your specific circumstances.

The three mandatory characteristics

These 50 points are non-negotiable — miss any one of them and you don't qualify, regardless of how strong you are elsewhere:

A confirmed job offer from an approved UK sponsor (20 points). Your prospective employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship for a genuine vacancy.
The job is at an appropriate skill level (20 points). Since 22 July 2025, this generally means RQF level 6 or above (broadly, graduate level), subject to specific exceptions for continuing employment or occupations on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List.
You meet the required English language level (10 points). From 8 January 2026, new first-time applicants generally need to demonstrate English at B2 level, up from the previous B1 requirement.

The 20 tradeable points

The remaining 20 points are typically achieved through your salary, though other combinations exist for specific circumstances — a relevant PhD, a role on the Immigration Salary List, or a role at a lower comparative salary combined with additional qualifying factors. For the large majority of Nigerian applicants, the simplest and most common route to these 20 points is a salary that clears the relevant threshold for their occupation (the general £41,700 threshold or their occupation's going rate, whichever is higher).

Why most people don't need to think about "points" directly

Here's the practical reality: if you have a genuine job offer from a licensed sponsor, at an eligible skill level, meeting the English requirement, and paying at or above the relevant salary threshold, you automatically reach 70 points — the system is largely designed so that meeting the practical eligibility criteria (job offer, skill level, English, salary) naturally adds up to the required score, rather than requiring you to actively calculate or "shop" for points in the way some other countries' points-based immigration systems work.

When points genuinely matter as a strategic choice

Points become a more active consideration in specific edge cases — for example, where your salary sits below the general threshold but your occupation is on the Immigration Salary List, or where you hold a PhD relevant to your role and a reduced salary threshold might apply as a result. In these situations, understanding exactly how the tradeable points combine can be the difference between a viable and non-viable application, so it's worth getting this right rather than assuming a borderline salary automatically disqualifies you.

A worked example: comfortably above 70

A Nigerian software engineer with a confirmed job offer from a UK tech company holding a sponsor licence, in a role assessed at RQF 6, meeting the B2 English requirement, and being paid £52,000 against a going rate of £45,000: 20 points (job offer) + 20 points (skill level) + 10 points (English) + 20 points (salary, comfortably above both thresholds) = 70 points. Straightforward qualification.

A worked example: a borderline case using tradeable combinations

A Nigerian applicant with a job offer on the Immigration Salary List, paid £34,000 (above the reduced £33,400 ISL floor and the occupation's own going rate), meeting skill level and English requirements: the same 50 mandatory points apply, and the remaining 20 tradeable points are reached via the ISL-adjusted salary route rather than the standard general threshold — still totalling 70 points, but via a different combination than the first example.

What happens if you fall short

If your specific combination of job offer, skill level, English and salary doesn't add up to 70 points, the application generally won't succeed — there's no partial credit or appeal purely on the basis of being "close." The practical response is to address whichever specific element is short: negotiate a higher salary, confirm your English test result meets the required level, or check whether your occupation genuinely qualifies for a different threshold via the ISL or a PhD-related reduction.

Dependants and the points system

It's worth noting that the 70-point requirement applies to the main applicant only — dependants (spouses, partners, and children) joining you don't need to independently score points themselves, though they do have their own separate eligibility requirements around relationship evidence and financial requirements, distinct from the points-based assessment that applies to you as the sponsored worker.

Work out where you stand

Use our Points-Based System Estimator to check your own combination of job offer, skill level, English and salary against the 70-point requirement before you commit to an application.

Why understanding the mechanics helps even though the outcome feels automatic

It's fair to ask why any of this matters if reaching 70 points mostly just falls out of meeting the practical eligibility criteria. The answer is that understanding the mechanics helps you diagnose problems quickly when something doesn't add up. If your prospective sponsor tells you an offer "should be fine" without specifics, knowing the four underlying components lets you ask precise, useful questions — which SOC code, what skill level, what English evidence, and what salary against which threshold — rather than simply hoping everything works out once you've submitted a full application and paid the associated fees.

A note on how this differs from other countries' points systems

If you've researched points-based immigration systems in other countries — Canada and Australia both run comparable but structurally different systems — it's worth not assuming the UK system works identically. Some other systems allow applicants to accumulate points from a much broader range of factors (age, work experience, additional qualifications) and rank candidates competitively against each other. The UK Skilled Worker system, by contrast, is fundamentally a pass/fail threshold test tied to a specific, confirmed job offer, not a competitive ranking against other applicants — a meaningfully different structure worth keeping in mind if you're comparing notes with someone who went through a different country's system.

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine a slightly lower salary with extra points from somewhere else to still reach 70?
Only through specific recognised combinations (such as the ISL or a relevant PhD) — you generally can't invent your own combination outside the defined criteria.

Does having a stronger CV or more work experience earn extra points?
No — the points system is based on the specific defined criteria (job offer, skill level, English, salary/tradeable factors), not a general assessment of your overall CV strength.

Is 70 points a minimum, or does scoring higher help my chances?
70 is the minimum required threshold; there's generally no additional benefit to scoring above 70, since eligibility is a pass/fail threshold rather than a competitive ranking.

Who actually checks whether I've reached 70 points — do I need to calculate this myself?
Your sponsor's Certificate of Sponsorship reflects the relevant details, and the Home Office assesses your application against the criteria — but understanding how the underlying system actually works yourself still helps you spot potential problems well before you formally apply.

Does my age affect how many points I can score, the way it does in some other countries' systems?
No — unlike some other well-known points-based immigration systems used around the world, the UK Skilled Worker route doesn't award or deduct any points at all based on the applicant's age.

Can I improve my points score by taking on additional qualifications after I've already secured a job offer?
Generally no — once your job offer, skill level, English evidence and salary are set, additional qualifications on top of these don't add extra points beyond the defined criteria.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Salary thresholds, points requirements and eligible occupations depend on your exact role, SOC code and the date your Certificate of Sponsorship is issued. Before accepting a job offer or applying, check the official rules on gov.uk, or speak to a regulated adviser — never anyone unregulated, however confident they sound. Use our OISC Adviser & Solicitor Directory to find someone legally allowed to advise you.