Non-EU employees in UK ltd startup - visa stuff

[timh]

Has anyone here been through the work visa application process as an employer, and is it as straightforward (and cheap) as it seems?

I'd like to expand and employ people to take on the work I'm currently too busy to contemplate, but of course the main problem with that is finding good employees who couldn't just compete with me in the marketplace and get the work on their own. People who don't have visas, however, can't do that - so may happily work through my company.

It seems too easy - there must be a catch, right?

[sli_gryn]

i haven't done this myself, but a fellow antipodean tried to get a work permit in the UK through a company "sponsoring" him. the problem was, they had to advertise for 28 days and do a few other things to prove that his skills weren't available in the local job market.

also, it was pretty expensive to get the permit (£800+ or something?)

so, i'm not sure it's as easy as you think...

(my 2p)

[2uk]

i haven't done this myself, but a fellow antipodean tried to get a work permit in the UK through a company "sponsoring" him. the problem was, they had to advertise for 28 days and do a few other things to prove that his skills weren't available in the local job market.

also, it was pretty expensive to get the permit (£800+ or something?)

so, i'm not sure it's as easy as you think...

(my 2p)

exactly.

[timh]

Ah, hadn't noticed this had been responded to - thanks!

Didn't know about the £800.. My minimal investigation yesterday found a £190 application fee, but I didn't look much further.

Advertising for 28 days is no problem, I suppose the issue would be trying to quantify the quality of the overseas applicants for £x/month vs local ones - because undoubtedly there are locals willing to work for [goingClientRate - y] but they'll be tulipe or they'll leave as soon as they figure it out.

[2uk]

suppose the issue would be trying to quantify the quality of the overseas applicants for £x/month vs local ones - because undoubtedly there are locals willing to work for [goingClientRate - y] but they'll be tulipe or they'll leave as soon as they figure it out.

That s the problem . I wanted to do it , but then found out about this. Don't know what to do now,..

[DimPrawn]

I advertised for a world leading .NET 3.5 specialist with at least 15 years experience, in the Mull of Kintyre Farmers Weekly, under the "manure wanted" section.

28 days went by, and not a single applicant. Have I met the requirements?

[sli_gryn]

careful about the advertising bit, i'm pretty sure you'll get manure, whether you want it or not

i know that companies get around the ad specific requirements (they check the ad when applying for the work permit), by getting the offshore candidate to write one, tailored exactly to their CV. that way, there's no one else suitable b/c the job matches that individual's CV. not sure how you'd work it out if you don't have a specific one in mind. ("romanian speaker preferred...")

[VectraMan]

i haven't done this myself, but a fellow antipodean tried to get a work permit in the UK through a company "sponsoring" him. the problem was, they had to advertise for 28 days and do a few other things to prove that his skills weren't available in the local job market.

A few years back now, but I worked with an Australian who'd come over with his girlfriend who was at college, and we managed to employ him. But after he'd been here 2 years his original visa was up and we tried all this stuff to keep him, but basically got nowhere. Obviously after that time he was quite an important member of the team, but we were told he should never have been employed on that basis, and really was only meant to be doing casual work.

In the end he went back to Oz and worked for us there instead.

[sli_gryn]

for aussie's, the options are, if u/30, 2 year working holiday visa which means ur only allowed to work 12 mths in 24. the other options are HSMP, or marry a Brit (my preferred option! she's actually an aussie, but has that magic magenta passport )

[HankWangford]

for aussie's, the options are, if u/30, 2 year working holiday visa which means ur only allowed to work 12 mths in 24. the other options are HSMP, or marry a Brit (my preferred option! she's actually an aussie, but has that magic magenta passport )

magic, fek me u can av mine for a fiver