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Destination UK
 isturbed by the shakeout in the US tech sector, Indian techies are now seeking newer shores to live out their dreams. And the next destination may well be UK where the IT sector has not
witnessed the delirious growth rates of the US economy but is still growing impressively.However the growth rates may be derailed by an acute shortage of software professionals. To stay on track, UK has instituted the work permit scheme. The scheme seems to have paid off. In
2000, 11,474 Indian techies, taking advantage of the new scheme, landed in Britain. This year it is tipped that more Indian techies will make a dash for UK. AssureConsulting.com brings you the complete lowdown on working and living in UK. This is the first of a series of articles on UK.
Recognising the acute shortage of qualified personnel in the areas of information technology and telecom, the UK government designed the Work Permit Scheme to facilitate companies working in these areas to import tech talent.
Although tailored to meet the needs of hi-tech industry, UK-based companies cannot hire overseas tech talent indiscriminately. Work Permit UK stipulates that the job in question must be of certain skill level, for instance, managerial, professional or senior technical posts i.e., overseas employees must fulfil one among the following criterion.
UK degree equivalent qualification
OR Three years senior level experience in a relevant, specialised area
OR An R&D level occupation which entitles the employee to do a specific job
OR A general R&D level qualification and one year relevant experience
OR An NVQ at level 3 or above.
In Indian terms, a person with a Bachelor's or a post-graduate degree or a Ph.D in the relevant field is eligible for a work visa. In case the person does not possess a degree, he must have 12 months of relevant industry experience. Proof of qualification and experience, by itself, mean little and do not guarantee that the employer's application for the work permit will be accepted. The employer must also prove that he has been forced to look further afield on account of the non-availability of labour in these
areas. Such proof would constitute advertisements in a technical journal or over the internet. In addition the employer must prove that he will pay the National Minimum Wage i.e., the prevailing wage in the market for a particular skill set and will adhere to the Working Time Regulations. At the moment, the National Minimum Wage for IT professionals has been fixed at pounds 20,000 a month.
Apart from fulfilling the above criterion, the UK-based employer must provide the following documents:
References accounting for the employee's last five years of your employment.The references must generally be on corporate headed writing paper. The
references must confirm the dates of employment, and must state the position at which the prospective employee has been working. It is helpful if the employer provides references that detail the technical skills the job(s) require. If the overseas employee is unwilling to part with original documents, the employer can submit notarised copies
Copies of tertiary (i.e., degree level and beyond) and professional
qualifications.
Details of date of birth, nationality, education and career (i.e. a CV).
Details of salary and other remuneration that the candidate will receive.
Full details of efforts, if any, taken to fill the vacancy from the resident labour market.
Details of the project on which the candidate will work.
Details of the location/s where the candidate will be working in the UK.
The candidate's passport number.
Copy of any previous work permit the employee may have held.
A work permit application normally takes between four and eight weeks to process. Once the employer obtains the work permit, the
original document must be sent to the employee. If the overseas employee is a visa national, he or she will have to obtain entry clearance (visa)
clearance from the nearest British Commission. Indian nationals are required get an entry clearance and are normally expected to produce the
work permit for entry clearance within two months of issue. In order to make an entry clearance application to the British embassy or Consulate,
the work-permit will need to present
Form IIM2A. The form can be downloaded from any of the UK government web sites.
Form IM2E - if the applicant has been refused entry clearance or leave to enter the UK before;
Form IM2F - if additional space is required to complete form IM2A.
Two recent passport size colour photographs
Work permit
A letter from the employer confirming employment
United Kingdom contact address
A valid passport (which should be valid for six months form the date of entry.)
The visa fee for long-term entry visas is Rs 3,500. The fee can be paid in cash or through a Bank draft drawn in favour of the British High Commission.
Income Tax Cetificate, Salary Certificate, No Objection Certificate from Employer.
A medical certificate from a hospital authorised by the British Consulate. In Bangalore the two hospitals are:
The Bangalore Hospital
South end Circle
Jayanagar
and
The Agadi Nursing Home
Wilson Garden,
Banglaore
The above-mentioned list of documents does not immediately guarantee a visa as there may be matrerial facts in an applicant's passport or documentation that will require him/her to attend an interview at the High Commission.
If the documents are in order the British embassy will issue the visa within two to three weeks.
Work Permit Validity and Duration:
The maximum duration an overseas employee can stay on a work permit is 48 months, after which the employee can apply for permanent residence. In
practice, the duration for which the work permit is granted may be 12, 18 or 36 months. The duration is largely dependent on the length and the nature of the project for which a particular employer is hiring oversesas workers. If a software engineer is working at a client's site, the duration of the work permit will be restricted to the duration of the contract existing between the employer and the client. If the contract is subsequently extended an extension of the permit will be relatively easy. If the employer no longer needs the employee's services, he or she can find a new UK employer who can secure another permit for you to stay in the UK.
The work permit is issued for a specific period beginning on the date the person enters this country. If the employee does not enter this country within six months of the date of issue, the permit will no longer be valid. If the employee foresee this happening, he can ask the employer to return the permit with a covering letter so that Work Pemit (UK) can reissue it if appropriate.
Transfer of Work Permit and Termination of Employment:
The work permit is employee specific i,e, if Company A has sponsored the employee's work permit, he cannot use it to work with Company B. In case the employee wants to shift jobs, he will have to apply for afresh work permit.
Neither the employer or employee needs permission to end the employment but it is incumbent on the employer to inform the Home Office in writing that the employment contract is now null and void.
Spouses of work permit holders:
An added advantage is that spouses of work permit holders have the right to work in the UK so long as they remain married and the work permit is still valid.
UK work permits scores over the H-1B visa on many counts. First, the entry clearance processing is quick and easy. Second, by and large, one is
guaranteed entry clearance once the work permit comes through unlike the H-1B where the US Consulate in India can refuse the visa. Third, there are no
long-drawn, intimidating interviews at the British Embassy. Fourth, after four years, techies working in the UK can apply for permanent residence unlike US where one can apply for a green card only after six years. Fifth, the work permit is spouse friendly. There are no restrictions on spouses of work permit holders to work in the UK. The government's decision to adopt liberal immigration
policies has opened more visit as for Indian techies. Bon Voyage!
UK Immigration Directory:
New Delhi
British High Commission
Address: Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110021
Telephone: (91) (11) 687 2161
Website: http://www.ukinindia.com
Calcutta
Visa Department
British Deputy High Commission
1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani
Calcutta 700 071
Tel: 033-2825171/5175 (Five Lines)
Fax: 033-2823435
Timings: Applications are accepted from 8.30 am to 11.30 am from Monday to Friday.
E-mail: postmaster@calcutta.mail.fco.gov.uk
Mumbai
Visa Department
British Deputy High Commission
Makers Chambers IV, 2nd Floor
222 Jamna Lal Bajaj Road
PO Box 11714
Nariman Point
Bombay 400 021
Tel: 022-2830517/2832330/2833602
Fax: 022-2027940
Timings: Applications are accepted from 8.00 am to 11.30 am from Monday to Friday.
Collection time is 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm.
E-mail: postmaster@bombay.mail.fco.gov.uk
Chennai
Applications are accepted from 8.15 am to 12.00 pm from Monday to Friday. Collection time is 2.30 pm
to 3.30 pm.
Visa Department
British Deputy High Commission
24 Anderson Road
Chennai 600 006
Tel: 044-8270658, 8259712, 8270658, 8233925, 8233926
Fax: 044-8275130
E-mail: Consular@madrasmail.fco.gov.uk
Useful Sites
http://www.workpermits.gov.uk/
Work Permits (UK) is the agency, which issues work permits. The agency is part of the Department for
Education and Employment based in Sheffield, England. The agency administers the work permit
scheme on behalf of the UK government.
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/
The Immigration and nationality directorate frames UK immigration policies.
http://www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office UK. The mission is to promote the national interests of the United
Kingdom and to contribute to a strong world community.
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