Got contract can't work

[gwatridge]

Hello
I am a South African who has been working in the UK for 2 years for a company that relocated me, lets call them ACME IT. I have a specialist IT skill for software owned by a very large corporate. The work permit is in ACME IT's name and I am employed by them, however the service agreement that is ratified by the UK Home Office allows me to work on the corporates or the corporates customer sites who own the software.
I have been offerred a contracting position which I would like to accept but I am confused about the new visa rules.
I was wondering if this option would work. I get a company to sponsor me and pay me a salary based on the contracts daily rate, that way I am still earning a fixed salary and am permanently employed and in the same way as mentioned about my sponsor simply sets up a service agreement with the company that wants to give me the contract.
As a permanent employee does the Home Office require that I earn a fixed salary? If this answer is yes, then how would working overtime be justified as I get paid overtime now.

Does anyone have any advice or other ideas? My window of oppurtunity is closing and I need to make a plan soon.

Kind Regards

[mrdonuts]

please post details of job and let one of the many out of work uk contractors do the job, and you can go back to s africa, its much warmer over there anyway

[JoJoGabor]

Well if you have a limited company, you will pay yourself a fixed salary anyway.

When I worked in AUstralia, either the ClientCo or the agency could sponsor an employee, I got the agency to sponsor me so then I had the option of changing contracts. I assume it would be simlar over here, now we are on a "Australia-style" immigration system.

[Trev16v]

please post details of job and let one of the many out of work uk contractors do the job, and you can go back to s africa, its much warmer over there anyway

Well said. I still feel bitter about losing a very nice job some years back that I knew, with absolute confidence, would have been mine if it weren't for the fact that the position was given to someone who came into this country with a bloody visa.

[BrilloPad]

http://www.vinylsingles.co.uk/southafrican.txt

HTH

[expat]

please post details of job and let one of the many out of work uk contractors do the job, and you can go back to s africa, its much warmer over there anyway

address that to your government, it's their job to regulate people coming to the country. If the government allows it, don't blame people for doing it.

[Trev16v]

http://www.vinylsingles.co.uk/southafrican.txt

HTH

Just how the hell did they get away with that? I even had the vinyl once. Oh dear...

[Spacecadet]

Just how the hell did they get away with that? I even had the vinyl once. Oh dear...

They probably got away with it by virtue of the fact that South Africe was still under apartheid at that time and not generally liked for it.

[YasminHuegilll]

Yes it is possible do to it you just want to make sure you find the right company to do it for you. try <spam> or www.contractorumbrella.com
There are companies out there that can sponsor your work permit and tax manage your income. Can be quite lucrative.