With a reputation as one of the few countries that still possesses a viable welfare state and operates a guaranteed minimum wage way above what can be earned in many countries, the UK is still a popular destination for immigrant workers in search of a better standard of living.
In the last few years there has been a huge influx of workers from Eastern Europe armed with their EEA passports and the intention of rolling up their sleeves and taking on any job that might be offered.
That’s a fact of life.
So, what does it take to be allowed to come into the UK and get a job? The answer depends on where you come from.
The UK Border Agency, a part of the Home Office, controls the issue of work permits to immigrant workers although, as we are seeing, if you are from an EEA country or if you are a Swiss national, then you probably don’t need one.
If you are from beyond the EEA, then you must apply for permission according to which worker category you qualify in.
At the top is the ‘High Value Migrant’ which is an investor, a possessor of exceptional talent, an entrepreneur, or someone who has just graduated from a UK university. For these people, a points-based system is operated but approval is not conditional on a job offer.
Skilled Workers are people who have been offered a skilled job within the UK and who have an employer that is prepared to sponsor them. They can stay for as long as they are engaged in that position.
Temporary Workers need an offer of work from a licensed sponsor, a certificate to prove the sponsorship, and must pass a points-based assessment.
Besides this, there are all sorts of other workers including domestics, reps for foreign companies, and reporters – each class with its own rules.
You can also apply to live and work in the United Kingdom if you have a parent or grandparent whose birthplace was the UK.
To reiterate: the first deciding factor is where you are from. If it’s from inside the EEA (but not Bulgaria or Romania), or if you are a Swiss national, then you have a legal right to live and work in the UK. Bulgarian and Romanian workers must first go through an approval process.
If you are planning on working in the UK, the correct thing to do is visit the Home Office website and check your eligibility.
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