Age

• Five to 20 points may be scored in the age category. Priority is given to younger workers, who score the highest amount of points. This category is part of the "attributes" section and an immigrant must score at least 75 points for their attributes to be considered for a Tier 1 visa.
  
  Other factors which are considered attributes are earnings, qualifications and experience earned within the UK. The points scores from these areas will be combined with that of age to calculate the total attributes score.
  
  

Qualifications

• The term qualifications refers to academic qualifications at the level of a master's degree or higher as well as professional and vocational qualifications. The body which evaluates the qualifications criteria is the UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC). This body evaluates degree programs and qualifications, providing a UK equivalent for immigration purposes.
  
  Qualifications may earn a potential immigrant between 30 and 50 points on the calculator. If a qualification does not register on the calculator, the immigrant may need to apply directly to NARIC for a translation of the qualification to be included with the visa application.
  
  

Previous Earnings

• Prior salary is used to estimate future earnings in the UK, therefore points are awarded for higher salaries. The earnings must be for at least 12 consecutive months out of the last 15 months prior to the application. Several types of earnings can be included in this calculation, such as salaries, self employment, maternity pay, salary allowances or benefits packages, or income from rental properties. All earnings will be converted to pounds sterling for the purposes of qualifying.
  
  An immigrant may earn anywhere from five to 45 points for their previous earnings.
  
  

UK Experience and English Language Skills

• A small number of points are added for experience within the United Kingdom, such as a job or education--this can gain the immigrant up to five extra points. English language skills are also assessed; the immigrant must earn at least 10 points in this area by either coming from an English speaking country or passing an approved English exam.
  
  

Funds and Maintenance

• The last assessment category is funds and maintenance. This section looks at the amount of funds available to the immigrant at the time of the application. The applicant must score a minimum of 10 points for funds.
  
  Points are awarded for having a minimum of £2,800 in a cash bank account for at least three months. The account can be located in the UK or overseas.