Thousands of people have responded to a drive to recruit highly-skilled workers from abroad.

The government's Highly Skilled Migrants Programme, which aims to fill the UK’s skill gap, has had a particularly strong response from India (4,798) and Pakistan (2,840).

However, the most successful candidates are from the USA, with 1,094 of the 1,448 applications being accepted.

Unlike those applying for normal work permits, applicants to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme do not need a specific job offer in the UK to apply.

The scheme is a points-based immigration scheme and points are scored in five main areas:
* educational qualifications;
* work experience;
* past earnings;
* achievement in your chosen field;
* spouse/ partner's achievements.