Seeking employment in London
April 5, 2010 4:34 PM Subscribe
How can someone in the United States legally move to London and seek employment?
My girlfriend has a job offer in London and I would like to move with her. However, I can't seem to find a way to legally move there and seek employment without being married, obtaining a work visa prior to moving, or qualifying for a tier 1 visa.
Is there anyway to live in London and search for jobs without meeting the criteria above?
Background: I have a master's degree in architecture from a highly credible university and 2 years work experience.
My girlfriend has a job offer in London and I would like to move with her. However, I can't seem to find a way to legally move there and seek employment without being married, obtaining a work visa prior to moving, or qualifying for a tier 1 visa.
Is there anyway to live in London and search for jobs without meeting the criteria above?
Background: I have a master's degree in architecture from a highly credible university and 2 years work experience.
Several years ago this situation (his grad school in London, her needing a job while she lived there with him) was the tipping point in my sister in law and her BF's decision to get married. They are celebrating their 24th anniversry this year.
posted by SLC Mom at 4:58 PM on April 5, 2010
posted by SLC Mom at 4:58 PM on April 5, 2010
If you were a student at any time within the last 12 months, you might qualify for the BUNAC internship program. It's a bit of a pain, though, as you need to arrange an internship before you come to the UK. This still involves getting a work visa prior to coming to the UK but it might be easier that trying to arrange a 'regular' job, which will pretty much be impossible, to be honest. (The internship is subject to minimum wage laws, but will probably not pay much more - you will not be able to contribute very much financially, so make sure your girlfriend is aware of that!)
The BUNAC program used to just be a free (well, $300) 6 month pass to work at any job you could find once you got here, which is how I first got to the UK, but they changed the rules to make it much more restrictive in 2008. And if you're thinking that marrying your girlfriend will solve your problem, well, don't be so sure - that depends entirely on what kind of visa she has. If you see a lawyer, make sure he or she is extremely well-versed in immigration laws between the US and the UK. When my husband and I were figuring out our international marriage and the visas involved, the three (yes, three) immigration lawyers we consulted with knew less about the process than what I was able to find out from the Home Office website. I think they must have mainly dealt with asylum seekers and immigrants from countries other than the US with more restrictions, or something (I hate to think they were all just morons). Anyway, we just ended up dealing with it ourselves and hoping for the best. It all worked out, but that might have been luck.
posted by Wroksie at 12:33 AM on April 6, 2010
The BUNAC program used to just be a free (well, $300) 6 month pass to work at any job you could find once you got here, which is how I first got to the UK, but they changed the rules to make it much more restrictive in 2008. And if you're thinking that marrying your girlfriend will solve your problem, well, don't be so sure - that depends entirely on what kind of visa she has. If you see a lawyer, make sure he or she is extremely well-versed in immigration laws between the US and the UK. When my husband and I were figuring out our international marriage and the visas involved, the three (yes, three) immigration lawyers we consulted with knew less about the process than what I was able to find out from the Home Office website. I think they must have mainly dealt with asylum seekers and immigrants from countries other than the US with more restrictions, or something (I hate to think they were all just morons). Anyway, we just ended up dealing with it ourselves and hoping for the best. It all worked out, but that might have been luck.
posted by Wroksie at 12:33 AM on April 6, 2010
phrontist is spot on about there being no secret options, and even if you go the legal route keep in mind the UK is enduring a fairly stiff recession presently and, in this election year, immigration has been politicised. Each party is trying to one up the other with regards to being seen as "tough" on immigration.
Legal visas have been sharply reduced, both in scope as well as number. I've read the Tier 2 worker category has all but been eliminated, for example. Also US taught Masters aren't accepted by the Home Office any longer, although that constraint was highly controversial.
A possible alternative would be taking another degree.
To gain a Tier 4 student visa you only need to be accepted (and attend) at UK University. The visa will let you work ten hours per week during term time, and up to forty hours during holidays (although I teach part time at a UK University and suspect most students routinely exceed these limits).
Other options to taking a Masters in the UK would be shorter programmes called a "Post Graduate Diploma", which typically can be completed in one year of part time study.
posted by Mutant at 12:46 AM on April 6, 2010
Legal visas have been sharply reduced, both in scope as well as number. I've read the Tier 2 worker category has all but been eliminated, for example. Also US taught Masters aren't accepted by the Home Office any longer, although that constraint was highly controversial.
A possible alternative would be taking another degree.
To gain a Tier 4 student visa you only need to be accepted (and attend) at UK University. The visa will let you work ten hours per week during term time, and up to forty hours during holidays (although I teach part time at a UK University and suspect most students routinely exceed these limits).
Other options to taking a Masters in the UK would be shorter programmes called a "Post Graduate Diploma", which typically can be completed in one year of part time study.
posted by Mutant at 12:46 AM on April 6, 2010
Get a working holiday visa (if you're under 30), which allows you to work for a year, and then seek sponsorship from your employer once you've found work.
posted by jozzas at 3:08 AM on April 6, 2010
posted by jozzas at 3:08 AM on April 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by phrontist at 4:55 PM on April 5, 2010