Work Permits does not find jobs for people, nor people for jobs.
A candidate can not apply for/obtain their own UK Work Permit. The employer, must make the application. This situation may change in future as the UK government is considering the introduction of independent immigration for skilled workers under a points based system similar to that used in Canada and Australia.
What is the difference between a Work Permit and a visa?
A UK Work Permit is a document issued by the Work Permits (UK), a part of the Department for Education and Employment; it gives you permission to employ a specific person in a specific job at a specific location.
A UK Work Permit is not a permission for the employee to take up work in the UK.
The visa is an endorsement stamped in the employee’s passport.
Even if an employee is already working in the UK on a Work Permit, a new employer must obtain a new Work Permit before the employee can change jobs.
Do I need a Work Permit?
The following categories of people can take up any lawful employment in the UK and do not need a Work Permit:
Nationals of EEA countries ,those with Indefinite Leave To Remain in the UK (Permanent
residence), those in the UK as the spouse of an EEA national,
those in the UK as the spouse of a Work Permit holder, Training Permit Holder Sole Representative, Investor, Student, Ancestry visa holder,
Commonwealth citizens with Ancestry visas – these visas are available to Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the
UK, those with pending claims for Asylum in the UK ,those in the UK on a visa as the ‘partner’ of an EEA national, Work Permit holder, Training Permit Holder Sole Representative, Investor, Student, Ancestry visa holder.
Can the work be performed by someone on a different class of UK Visa?
If the candidate is not entitled to work in the UK without a work permit, you may have a number of other options:
A Business visit visa – For
A Sole Representative visa
A Student visa
A Training/Work Experience permit
Frequently Asked Questions about UK immigration
Q: Can I change employer if I am in the UK on a work permit?
A: Yes – but only once your new employer has arranged a new work permit (this will usually take about a month)
Q: If I am already in the UK on a work permit, will I need to leave the country if I want to change employer?
A: No – you can remain in the UK while the new application is considered.
Q: Can I visit the UK while a work permit application is being processed?
A: Yes (subject to the issue of a suitable visit visa, if necessary)
Q: Can I be paid from abroad?
A: In some circumstances, this may be possible, but you will still have to pay all relevant UK taxes.
Q: What happens if a company gets a work permit to employ me for
(eg) 2 years, and then does not employ me for the full period.
A: A work permit is not a contract of employment; it gives the employer permission to employ you, but there is no obligation to employ you. If you are made redundant you are only entitled to notice/compensation insofar as they may be detailed in your contract of employment.
Q: If I am on a UK work permit and leave my job, do I have to leave the UK?
A: No. It may be the case that, in time, the Home Office will ask you to send in your passport and they may then curtail your visa, but even if the Home Office try to contact you, they are unlikely to do this for several months, and in the meanwhile you are free to remain in the UK although you can not take up new employment unless and until a new UK work permit is issued.
Q: I am on a work permit, and my spouse has entered the UK as my dependent. If her employer wants to get a work permit for her, can we swap?
A: Yes, although it cannot all be done from within the UK. Someone on a spousal (dependent) visa can switch to a work permit without leaving the UK, as it is likely that the Home Office will approve the new visa.
Q: Will my UK work permit entitle me to work elsewhere in Europe?
A: Probably not. In the specific case of you having been in the UK for 12 months on a work permit with same employer, and that employer needing to send you to a client site elsewhere in Europe, then it may be possible (see the specific country guide for further details). In most cases, you will need a work permit for the specific country, as all EEA countries have different immigration laws.
Work Permit Duration
The length of the work permit you obtain will depend on a number of factors which are normally more related to your employer and your job/project than the strength of your own
candidature.
After 48 months physically in the UK on a work permit, you will usually be able to obtain permanent residence.
If I get a UK work Permit, what are the rights of my family?
Education
Your children are entitled to the same free education as British children – although you may choose to send your children to a private school if you wish.
Health care
This will depend on the length of your permit. If you enter the UK on a work permit for less than six months, neither you nor your family will usually be covered by the National Health Service. You are not required to take out private health insurance, but it is wise to do so.
Where you are in the UK on a work permit lasting more than 6 months, you and your family here as your dependants are eligible to free health care provided by the National Health Service.
Work
Your spouse is entitled to take up any lawful employment.
Visas
Whatever your nationality, your spouse and children will need to get entry clearance from the local British consular section before they can enter the UK and have the benefits that accrue to your dependants. If they are not visa nationals, and come to the UK without prior entry clearance, they may be admitted as visitors but would have none of the benefits outlined above
