Tier 2 (General) Points Calculator
Check the old 70-point rule for the Tier 2 (General) visa — job offer, salary, English and savings — in plain English, free, right in your browser.
Tier 2 (General) Points Calculator
Answer the questions below for each of the four parts. Under the old rules, you needed full marks in all four parts. You could not make up points in one part with extra points from another.
You got the full 30 points only if you had a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number from a UK employer with a sponsor licence, for a real job that met the skill level needed.
You got the full 20 points only if your pay met or beat the higher of two numbers: the general pay rule for that year, and the normal pay (“going rate”) for your exact job. There was no part-marking here — either your pay was high enough, or it was not.
You got the full 10 points if you could show a certain level of English (called B1, an intermediate level), in one of the ways below.
You got the full 10 points either by (a) having enough money saved for 90 days in a row before you applied, or (b) your employer confirming for you that you had enough money, instead of you showing bank statements.
How We Built This Calculator
Public sources only
Every number and rule on this page comes from public UK Government archives, UK law, or UK Parliament research. Links are in the Sources section below.
No guessing
Where an exact figure changed often (like salary going rates by job), we tell you to check the year and job, instead of guessing a number for you.
Plain English
We explain each rule in everyday words first, then name the official term, so you know what to search for if you need more detail.
Independent tool
The Immigrant Stories is not part of the UK Government or the Home Office. This is a free helper tool, not an official government service.
What Was Tier 2 (General)?
Tier 2 (General) was the UK’s main work visa for skilled workers with a UK job offer, before December 2020. It needed a total of 70 points across four parts: job offer, salary, English, and savings.
No. This route closed to new applications on 1 December 2020. If you need a sponsored work visa in the UK today, the route to use is the Skilled Worker visa.
Many people still hold ILR or citizenship today because of time they spent on a Tier 2 (General) visa. This tool helps you check your old points, understand a past decision, or explain your visa history for a future application.
Tier 2 (General) Points Table
| Part | Points | What you needed |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer and sponsorship | 30 | A valid CoS number from a licensed sponsor, for a real job at the right skill level |
| Salary | 20 | Pay at or above the general pay rule, or the going rate for the job — whichever was higher |
| English | 10 | B1 level English, shown by test, degree, or nationality |
| Savings | 10 | Money saved for 90 days, or your employer confirmed it for you |
| Total needed | 70 | All four parts had to be met in full — you could not swap points between them |
Tier 2 to ILR: What Still Matters Today
If you held a Tier 2 (General) visa and later moved to the Skilled Worker visa, your time in the UK usually still counts as one unbroken period. This means Tier 2 to ILR is normally treated as one continuous stretch, not a fresh start — as long as you stayed sponsored and had valid permission to stay the whole time. To check your Tier 2 indefinite leave to remain date, your time out of the UK, and when you can apply, use our ILR Eligibility Calculator. Points from this page do not matter once you are already settled on a route — what matters for ILR is your time in the UK, your trips abroad, and your current visa’s rules.
Does This Tool Affect a Visa Application Today?
No. You cannot use Tier 2 (General) to apply for a visa now. This page is here to help you understand an old decision, keep good records for a future ILR or citizenship application, or learn how the old system worked. If you need a work visa now, check the UK Skilled Worker Visa Points Calculator and the UK Skilled Worker Visa Cost Calculator instead.
Sources
This page is based on the following public sources. We checked these before publishing this page.
- UK Law
The Immigration and Nationality (Replacement of Tier 2 and Fees) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 — the law that replaced Tier 2 (General) with the Skilled Worker route. - UK Parliament
House of Commons Library: The UK’s points-based system for immigration — background on how Tier 2 (General) and the wider points system worked. - UK Government archive
GOV.UK: Immigration Rules archive — official past versions of the Immigration Rules, including Appendix A (points table), Appendix B (English) and Appendix C (savings) for Tier 2 (General). - UK Government
GOV.UK: Settle in the UK (Indefinite Leave to Remain) — current settlement rules, for anyone moving from Tier 2 to ILR.
Frequently Asked Questions
- UK Skilled Worker Visa Points Calculator — the visa route that replaced Tier 2 (General).
- UK Skilled Worker Visa Cost Calculator — work out the full cost of a Skilled Worker visa today.
- ILR Eligibility Calculator — check your Tier 2 to ILR timeline, trips abroad, and earliest date to apply.
- Europe Travel Cost Calculator — plan the cost of a trip to Europe.
- Europe Road Trip Budget Calculator — budget a road trip across Europe.