WORKING IN UNITED KINGDOM

There are more than 80 different work and study routes to UK. They can be grouped into 5 categories.

Tier 1 - highly skilled, e.g. scientists or entrepreneurs

Tier 2 - skilled workers with a job offer, e.g. nurses, teachers, engineers

Tier 3 - low skilled workers filling specific temporary labour shortages, e.g. construction workers for a particular project

Tier 4 – students AND

Tier 5 - youth mobility and temporary workers, e.g. working holiday makers or musicians coming to play a concert.

The UK offers a wide range of UK immigration, UK residency, UK naturalization, UK work permit and UK visa options. A UK work permit and UK HSMP Visa are two of the works permit categories that count towards a future UK residency application. (top)

Employer Sponsored Work Permit WP1	This is for Tier 1 and 2 Employer sponsored work permits, Intra Company Transfers, Board Level positions and positions arising due to overseas investment.
HSMP	This is the only points based scheme whereby individuals may obtain a 2 years working visa without need for a UK employer to sponsor them.
Work Permit Extension WPX1	This is for Tier 1 and 2 employer sponsored work permit extensions including those for Intra Company Transfers, Board Board Level positions and positions and positions arising due to overseas investment. It is not for those wishing to change employers which will require a new work permit application.
Training & Work Experience	This is the Training and Work Experience applicationand is for employer sponsored training and work experience only.
General Agreement on Trade & Service	This is for you to come to fulfil a contract for a UK client whilst you are in the employ of an overseas company.
Work Permit Appeal	This is for appealing against decisions on work permit decisons issued by the Home Office.

As a Minister of religion, you must have been working for at least one year as a minister of religion or, where ordination is prescribed by your religious faith as the sole means of entering the ministry, have been ordained as a minister of religion for at least one year's full-time or two year's part-time training for the ministry. As a Missionary, you must have been trained as a missionary or worked as a missionary and be sent to the UK by an overseas organisation. As a Member of a religious order, you must be coming to the UK to live in a community maintained by the religious order of which you are a member. If you intend to teach you may do so only at an establishment maintained by your religious order. As a Minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order, you must also meet these requirements, you must intend to work full-time as a minister of religion, missionary or for the religious order of which you are a member, you must not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, you must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds, At the time you apply for your visa you should also produce the evidence like a letter from your employer in the UK outlining details of your expected duties and the salary you will receive, a contract of employment, if you have one, evidence of any qualifications you have for the position you are taking and details of your past experience. (top)

Sole representative scheme is designed for companies wishing to send their employees to the UK to establish a UK presence. This visa is designed for an overseas company that wishes to expand it's business into the UK and requires someone to be on the ground here to represent that business. It is not for those wishing to start their own business here. It must be seen as viable for the company to be expanding into the UK. The company should be over a year old ; have a workable budget for the expansion ; unless a large company, it should be within a current company business model and it should continue to run most of its business from outside the UK. Your representative needs to be a senior employee of the company; long service will be preferred to a new recruit specially for the purpose; they should not own more than 30% of the shareholding of the company and will need to pass a medical examination. The spouse, partner and children can enjoy the same benefits as UK people including free education, free healthcare and the ability to work in the UK. After the initial 12 month visa period, your representative can apply for an extension of up to 3 years as long as they are still needed by you ; can provide adequate year one accounts for the business in the UK ; can prove they have been earning an appropriate remuneration for their position. When this further 3 year period is completed they may apply for permanent residence in the UK and, 1 year after that, naturalisation. The supporting documents required are, Confirmation of your representative's seniority within the company and their understanding of the full nature of the company's business ; previous years company accounting data ; confirmation that you wish to set up in the UK, that you will keep the company's operations based outside the UK, that your representative will be your only representative in the UK, that you currently do not have a UK operation and that they will have all associated powers of control in the UK operation. You should provide the relevant employment contract and an undertaking that the representative will work only for the company. They will also need to submit their passport. Please also submit a comprehensive business plan for the UK operation outling the exact nature of the company's business and your representative's role and remuneration. Applications containing the correct supporting evidence and form submissions should normally be processed within 2 weeks. Where data is incomplete or requirements are not entirely met, applications may be passed to the UK for a decision. This may take up to 9 months to process and highlights the importance of absolute adherence to documentary requirements. As a Sole representative of an overseas firm in the UK, you must have been recruited and taken on as an employee outside the UK as a representative of a firm which has its headquarters and principal place of business outside the UK and which has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK, you must be seeking entry to the UK as a senior employee with full authority to take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas firm for the purpose of representing it in the UK by establishing and operating a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of that overseas firm, you intend to be employed full-time as a representative of that overseas firm, you are not a majority shareholder in that overseas firm, you do not intend to take employment except within the terms as stated above and finally you are able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. (top)

As Representatives of overseas newspapers, news agencies and broadcasting organisations, you have been engaged by your organisation outside the UK and your posting to the UK is a long-term assignment as a representative, you intend to work full-time as a representative of that overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation, you do not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, you are able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. This category includes correspondents who work for overseas magazines and periodicals mainly concerned with news reporting as well as newspersons working for overseas broadcasting organisations. Administrative or support staff (e.g. secretaries) require a work permit. Correspondents visiting the UK for short-term assignments (for 6 months or less) will be considered as business visitors provided they qualify as such.(top)

As Airport based operational ground staff of overseas-owned airlines, you must have been transferred to the UK by an overseas-owned airline which operates services to and from the UK, to undertake duties at an international airport as a station manager, security manager or technical manager, you must intend to work full-time for the airline concerned, you do not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, you are able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. (top)

As Postgraduate doctors and dentists (training), you must be a graduate from a medical school and intend to undertake Pre-Registration House Officer employment for up to 12 months, you must be eligible for provisional or limited registration with the General Medical Council, you must have spent no more than 12 months in aggregate in Pre-Registration House Officer employment, be a doctor or dentist eligible for full or limited registration with the General Medical Council or General Dental Council who intends to undertake postgraduate training in a hospital or the Community Health Services or both, you must not have already spent four years in postgraduate training in the UK (excluding the 12 months you worked as a house officer), you must intend to leave the UK on completion of the training period and you must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. If you are a fully qualified doctor or dentist and wish to take employment in that field you will need a work permit. If you intend to establish yourself in general practice you will need to meet the requirements for admission to the UK as a self-employed person. If you qualified overseas as a doctor, you may need to pass a test set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) to demonstrate your knowledge of English and medicine before you can register with the General Medical Council. Doctors must pass an English test, known as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), before they can take the PLAB test. You do not have to take this test in the UK, you may attend at any one of over 100 centers around the world. You may be granted permission to stay for a maximum of 18 months in the UK to enable you to pass the PLAB test. For postgraduate training, initially you will be granted permission to stay in the UK for up to three years. You can apply to stay for up to four years as long as you have a postgraduate job in basic specialist training or a similar job. If you have a job in higher specialist training, you may apply to stay for longer than four years. Your permission to stay can be extended for up to three years at a time. You must remain registered with the General Medical Council or the General Dental Council and intend to leave the UK when you finish your training. (top)

As Teachers and language assistants coming to the UK under approved exchange schemes, they must be coming to an educational establishment in the UK under an exchange scheme approved by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) or administered by the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges or the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers, must intend to leave the UK at the end of your exchange period, must not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. Teachers will normally be issued with a numbered 'certificate of appointment' by one of the sponsoring bodies listed above. This certificate contains details of the educational establishment to which the applicant is to be appointed the duration of the appointment and their personal details. You should show your 'certificate of appointment' to the entry clearance officer at the time you make your application. (top)

As Seasonal workers at agricultural camps, the total number of seasonal workers recruited each year is restricted. The requirements for entry to the UK as a seasonal worker at an agricultural camp are, you must be a student in full-time education abroad and aged between 18-25 years inclusive, you must hold a valid Home Office work card issued by the operator of a scheme approved by the Secretary of State, you must intend to leave the UK at the end of your period of leave to enter the UK as a seasonal worker, you must not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, you must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds. It is generally accepted that the season runs from 1 May to 30 November and operators do not issue work cards for dates outside of this period. Scheme operators may issue Home Office work cards to workers who have proved reliable in the past and are returning at the specific request of a farmer, but who do not meet the criteria above. Work cards must be issued by an operator and are not valid if individual farmers issue them. Those over 25 should be invited back only for supervisory tasks and in small numbers. Switching into seasonal agricultural work after arrival in the UK is not allowed. You may remain as a visitor provided your overall stay does not run beyond 30 November. (top)

As Writers, composers and artists, you must be established outside the UK and be primarily engaged in producing original work, which has been published (other than solely in newspapers and magazines), performed or exhibited for it's literary, musical or artistic merit, intend to work only as a self employed writer, composer or artist, you have for the preceding year maintained and accommodated yourself and any dependants from your own resources without working, except as a writer, composer or artist, you are able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants from your own resources without working, except as a writer, composer or artist, and without recourse to public funds. Writers are defined as authors, essayists, playwrights, poets, journalists, who have established themselves as literary figures, for instance journalists who have had their journalistic work published in book form. If you do not fall within these definitions you will require a work permit. Composers means composers of music. If you wish to perform someone else's work or perform as part of a band, you will require a work permit. This will not necessarily disqualify you from continuing to be regarded primarily as a composer. Artists are defined as painters, sculptors, photographers of international artistic standing, cartoonists and illustrators whose work has been published or exhibited for its artistic merit. If you wish to exhibit and/or sell your work in the UK you qualify under this section, even if you do not wish to establish yourself in the UK. If you are one of the following you do not qualify unless you are primarily engaged in producing original work that has been published or exhibited on its own merit, a craftsman, an architect, a designer. (top)

As Overseas government employees, you must be able to produce to an Immigration Officer at a UK port of entry a UK visa for this purpose, satisfactory documentary evidence of your status as an overseas government employee, you must intend to work full-time for the government or organisation concerned, you must not intend to take employment except within the terms stated above, you must be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds, An overseas government employee means a person employed by an overseas government or employed by the United Nations Organisation or other international organisation of which the UK is a member. Staff posted to a commercial enterprise in the UK owned by an overseas government (e.g. a state owned shipping company) do not qualify under this section and must obtain work permits. (top)

If you are admitted to the UK under any of the above categories, your spouse and children under 18 may be admitted to the UK with you provided they have an entry clearance for this purpose. Your dependants should apply for entry clearance in the way described below and should provide evidence that they will be adequately maintained and accommodated for the period they are in the UK. If you are already in the UK it would be helpful to provide your dependants show copies of the pages of your passport containing your admission and personal details, these should be shown to the entry clearance officer at the time of their application. (top)

Training and Work Experience Scheme – TWES This scheme exists not for a company to benefit from the employee, where a work permit will be required, but for people and companies from overseas to benefit from skills gained and training facilities available in the UK. The idea behind Training permits is that overseas people can receive training not available to them in their homeland but of use to them there. A recognised professional qualification or occupational skill should result from such training. The trainee will need to be aged between 18 and 54 years, have the relevant educational or professional qualifications and work a minimum of 30 hours per week. The employer / trainer must provide proof that they can deliver this training, including any registrations needed in so doing, provide suitable remuneration for the trainee and details of the course and its duration. In general, after the 3 year permit expires, trainees must not move from a training permit to a work permit and should spend time outside the UK prior to such a Work Permit application. As with work permits, the employer makes the application. There is a real demand in sectors such as research and development and financial services for maths, science and engineering specialists. It is hoped that this scheme will encourage overseas students to study in the UK and following graduation be a real asset in the work place. To be granted leave under the scheme, applicants must have successfully completed, with second class honours (2.2) or higher, a recognised science or engineering degree course, Masters course or Ph.D at a UK institution of Higher or Further Education, intend to work during the period of leave granted under the scheme, be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds; intend to leave the UK at the end of their stay (unless granted leave as a work permit holder, highly skilled migrant, business person or innovator). Applicants may switch onto the scheme in-country if they have valid leave as a student. This includes leave as a student, a student nurse, to re-sit an examination, or to write up a thesis. Alternatively you can apply to return to the UK from abroad under the scheme no later than one year after you complete your course. Entry clearance is mandatory for those returning to the UK under the scheme. Applicants should provide their degree certificate to show that they have successfully completed their course. However applicants who have their result confirmed, but are awaiting graduation, may instead provide a letter from their personal tutor confirming that they have completed the course at the required level, providing the Joint Academic Coding System JACS code for the course. SEGS participants will be eligible to switch in-country into employment and self-employment categories (work permit employment, Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, business persons or Innovators), providing they meet the requirements of the category. Spouses, unmarried partners and children of students will be eligible to switch in line with the SEGS applicant. If they are applying from abroad, entry clearance is mandatory. It does not, however, contribute to Permanent Residence and you need to ask yourself what your ultimate goal is in the UK. Eligibility is limited to first degree programmes and to taught and research postgraduate programmes. If your programme is categorised as 'Other Undergraduate' you are not eligible regardless of the subject of your programme. The 'Other Undergraduate' category includes Higher National Certificates (HNC), Higher National Diplomas (HND), Diplomas in Higher Education (DipHE), and Foundation Degrees. (top)

Integrated undergraduate programmes leading to Qualified Teacher Status commonly last for four years and lead to the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree. Such programmes are regarded as comprising one-half teacher training, which is not eligible for the scheme, and one-half subject content. If the whole of the subject content is eligible then the programme is eligible. The subject content may lie within a single JACS Principal Subject that is eligible, or may be split across more than one. (top)

Work Experience Scheme: This is very similar to the above scheme but for the 1 or possibly 2 year permit period rather than 3 years and the age range of 18 to 35 years against 18 to 54 years. There may be some leniency where a work experience candidate is swapping with a UK candidate or is already working for the same company overseas. If you would like advice or representation with the Training and Work Experience Scheme then please contact us. This is very similar to the above scheme but for the 1 or possibly 2 year permit period rather than 3 years and the age range of 18 to 35 years against 18 to 54 years. There may be some leniency where a work experience candidate is swapping with a UK candidate or is already working for the same company overseas. If you would like advice or representation with the Training and Work Experience Scheme then please contact us. (top)

UK Sectors Based Scheme (SBS): The scheme allows workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to enter the United Kingdom to take short-term or casual jobs. Your UK employer must apply for a work permit for you before you travel to the United Kingdom.This work is low skilled and jobs are only available in these sectors: the hospitality industry (hotel and catering work); and the food manufacturing industries (meat and fish processing and mushroom production only) Work Permits UK can issue a work permit for these jobs in hospitality: Bar staff, Chefs (at National Vocational Qualification level 2 and below), Cleaners (in staff canteens and restaurants only), Concierge staff, Food service operatives (serving food), Housekeepers, Kitchen assistants (preparing food, cleaning and general help), Room attendants, Reception staff, Waiting staff, Work Permits UK can issue a work permit for these jobs in food manufacturing: Fish filleters (preparing and cleaning fish), Fish packers (packing and labelling fish), Fish Process Operatives (operating, minding, cleaning machines that prepare fish), Animal gut remover, Meat bone breaker, Meat bone extractor, Meat cold store operative, Meat cutter, Meat packer, Meat process operatives,  Meat slaughter person, Lairageman (pre-slaughter animal welfare attendant), Trimmer (trims fat from and shapes meat, after it has been boned and cut),  Mushroom processor (tending, picking, grading and packing mushrooms), Your work permit shows the wages and hours you agreed when your employer offered you the job. You are entitled to the same wages and conditions your employer gives to people doing similar jobs. Your wage must be no lower than the National Minimum Wage. The law says how many hours you can work and what holiday you can have.The scheme is open to all non-European Union nationals aged between 18 and 30. You can get permission to work for up to 12 months. It is expected you to leave the UK when your permission to stay is finished. You may apply to return under the scheme after two months outside the UK. You can move to another employer during the period of your Work Permit, but you can only stay in the UK up to a total of 12 months. The new job must be the same type of work that you are already doing. Your new employer must apply for a new work permit for you before you start work. If you leave your job and cannot find another job immediately, you must leave the UK as soon as possible. A UK employer outside the Sector Based Scheme can apply for a work permit for you while you are in the UK. The scheme does not allow you to apply to stay in the UK permanently. The scheme only allows you to stay in the UK for a short time, and you cannot bring any dependants with you.

Overseas Domestic Workers in a private household: To meet the requirements you must Be aged 18-65 inclusive, Have been employed under the same roof as your employer for one year or more immediately prior to your application, or Have been employed in a household that your employer uses on a regular basis for themselves for one year or more immediately prior to your application, and show evidence that there is a connection between you and your employer Intend to travel to the UK in the company of your employer, your employer's spouse or your employer's minor child, Intend to work full-time as a domestic worker in the same dwelling as your employer, Be able to maintain and accommodate yourself adequately, as certified by your employer, without recourse to public funds, Domestic workers include chauffeurs, gardeners, cooks and nannies if you are providing a personal service relating to the running of your employer's household. You are not required to obtain a work permit if you are a domestic worker in a private household. You must meet the requirements set out above. You will need to obtain a visa before you travel to the UK. When you apply to come to the UK as a domestic worker, you will normally be given permission to stay for up to 6 months if your employer is coming to the UK as a visitor. If your employer plans to live here for a longer period, you will normally be given permission to stay for up to 12 months. Before your permission to stay ends, you must either start to make arrangements to leave the UK, apply to the Home Office in the UK to extend your stay, If for any reason your employer changes, you must inform the British government. Your husband and wife can come with you to the UK provided, you both intend living together during your stay and your marriage is subsisting, there will be adequate accommodation without recourse to public funds in accommodation which you occupy exclusively, you can maintain him or her adequately without recourse to public funds, he or she does not intend to stay in the UK beyond the expiry of your visa. Your children can come to the UK with you provided, he or she is under 18, he or she is unmarried, he or she has not formed an independent family unit and is not living an independent life, he or she can and will be maintained and accommodated adequately without recourse to public funds in, accommodation occupied exclusively by you, he or she does not intend to stay beyond the expiry of your visa, both you and your spouse are being issued with entry clearance, except where, you are the sole surviving parent, you have sole responsibility for the child's upbringing, there are exceptional reasons for allowing entry and suitable arrangements have been made for his or her care. The UK law will protect you if a crime is committed against you with full protection of the criminal law in the UK, whatever your nationality or conditions of stay. There are strict laws in the UK against assault. For example it is against the law to keep you locked in the house against your will, have sex with you without your consent, behave violently towards you. If anyone assaults you, you should report this to the police. You can find their number in the telephone directory under "Police". In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the police.

Your passport is your proof of your permission to stay in the UK. You should keep it yourself in a safe place. If your employer is holding your passport without your permission and refuses to return it, you should report this to the police and your Embassy or diplomatic mission. You and your employer should already have agreed the conditions of your employment. You should have your own copy of this document. Your employer cannot change the conditions of your employment unless you agree. For example, your employer must pay you the agreed rate, give you agreed holiday pay, permit you the rights of giving notice you are entitled to. If they do not, you should be able to take legal action through an Employment or Industrial Tribunal or the civil courts. Even if you do not have a contract of employment, the law gives you rights, including rest breaks, paid holidays, sex and race discrimination and maternity and paternity leave. Please contact your trade union for advice. You are entitled to free healthcare from the United Kingdom Health Service because you are 'ordinarily resident' in the UK. This means that you have either come to the UK to work or you have been in the UK for more than 12 months. You will need to register with a doctor to receive treatment. You can contact directory enquiries to find out the telephone number of your nearest doctor once you have arrived in the UK. Alternatively, you can call the Health Information Service free on 0800 66 55 44. If you are no longer working as a domestic worker in a private household, you no longer meet the requirements of the rules under which you were granted entry to the UK. In these circumstances you should make arrangements to leave the UK. If you do not have the money or a ticket to return home, you should contact your embassy. The address can be obtained from the London phone book or by telephone through directory enquiries on 192. If you remain and work in the UK for four years, you may be eligible for permission to remain for an indefinite period. In these circumstances you will be free to take any form of employment. If you are accompanying your employer on a visit to the UK, you will be expected to leave with them. If your employer is living in the UK, you do not need to go with them on trips abroad as long as they are still based in the UK and are going to return. However, if your employer leaves the UK permanently, you will be expected to leave with them. If you have to register with the police, this requirement will be endorsed on your visa. You must register within seven days of arriving in the UK. To register, you will need your passport and two passport-size photographs of yourself. (top)

Visas for Sports People and Entertainers: This gives information on the criteria of the sportspeople and entertainers work permit arrangements, which comes under a separate category to Business and Commercial Applications. You should be an established employer in the sports or entertainment industry. We only issue work permits for established sportspeople, entertainers, cultural artists and some technical/support people, whose employment will not displace or exclude ‘resident workers’. The skills and experience of people/group who may qualify are described below. Sports People who are internationally established at the highest level in their sport, and whose employment will make a significant contribution to the development of that particular sport in this country at the highest level. Coaches must also be suitably qualified at the highest level. You will need to show that the person is currently internationally established at the highest level. Entertainers who have performed at the highest level and have established a reputation in their profession; and people/groups who are engaged to perform or do work which only they can do. (Unit companies - A unit company is a large group of entertainers who have performed together in their own country and have toured overseas as part of an established production before entering the UK. A group formed specifically for a British tour will not be classed as a unit company. Unit companies will normally be groups such as orchestras, ballet corps and theatre productions. Pop/music groups are not classed as unit companies). Cultural Artists who are skilled in foreign arts that are rare or unavailable in this country and can make a contribution to the arts, cultural relations and cultural awareness. Technical / Support People whose work is directly related to the employment of an entertainer, cultural artist, sportsperson or a dramatic production. The person should have proven technical or other specialist skills. In some sports, we recognise that there are likely to be shortages of ‘resident workers’ who are skilled at the highest level. We have agreed with the governing bodies and players representatives that work permit applications for these posts do not need to be supported by evidence of the availability of ‘resident workers’. This information is made available to employers in the sport through the governing bodies and players representatives. For some employment, where an established entertainer who is to perform in their own right or where they are a cultural artist, the question of whether a ‘resident worker’ could do the job will not be appropriate. In other cases you will need to show why you cannot fill the post with a ‘resident worker’. This would include applications for residencies where the length of time required is for one month or more and people/groups are performing at the same venue or series of venues for the whole period. The people/group will not normally be well known nor unique and usually perform at venues where the audience would go to listen to music rather than specifically go to see that artist/group. Sportspeople are issued with work permits in line with the length of contract up to a maximum of five years. Work permits for entertainers are issued only on a short term basis to cover the period of contracted work or the period of engagement. Multiple entry work permits can be issued for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years for individuals and for a minimum of six months and a maximum of 12 months for a group. In the case of an entertainer on a short term engagement, if you foresee that the artist or group may need to extend the period to perform extra dates for you, you should indicate this in your initial application.

Work Permits for a Group: The procedure followed depends on the number of members in the group. (a) if there are up to 19 members in the group we will issue a work permit for each member; (b) for groups of 20 or more members travelling together, we will not issue a work permit for each member, but we will send a letter of permission to you the employer or your representative instead. (c) if members of a group are travelling separately we will issue individual work permits. (d) if a multiple entry work permit has been issued, any new or additional member(s) would need to apply for a work permit separately. (top)

UK Immigration Work Permits and Visas for Doctors: In the UK, there is a significant shortage of Doctors, Nurses and associated professionals as you will see from the complete Skills Shortage List. Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists wishing to come to the UK to work in hospitals and homes both in private and public organisations. It is a requirement of the Immigration Rules that doctors and dentists coming here to take up salaried professional appointments, including research and teaching appointments, and training require permits with some exceptions. To work in the UK as a Doctor, you need to be registered with the General Medical Council. To work in the UK as a Dentist, you need to be registered with the General Dental Council. They can come under Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme (HSMP) with it's priority section for General Practitioners or the new updated Working HolidayMaker scheme or Students or Permit Free Employment for work and  training for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists. Under the HSMP Scheme General Practitioners may be eligible for 50 points as a priority application. This scheme applies only to General Practitioners and is an ideal way for them to enter the UK and find work. For General Practitioners, the GMC will assess your case and decide which route of registration you will be following. This will be either: As a specialist either sponsored, arranged or as a fellowship of the Royal College or by taking the PLAB Test ( Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board ).This establishes your medical proficiency and might be accompanied by an English Language proficiency test if required. The GMC will then send all the appropriate forms and guidance for your particular case. PLAB Test Part 1 This is conducted in your own country ( unless you are already in the UK ) and costs £145. If you pass this test, the GMC will invite you to the UK to take the PLAB Part 2 test. At this point you will need a visa to enter the UK to take your Part 2 Test. Then you enter the UK and take the Part 2 test. This test costs £430. If you pass this test you will be able to complete your GMC Application process. The final fee due to the GMC is payable at this point and is £390. The final step is for you to secure a Work Permit in the UK. Once you have secured employment in a UK institution, you can finalise your work permit with that employer. You are now eligible to live and work in the UK as a Doctor in your chosen field with your new employer. If you are a General Practitioner in your own country, further to GMC registration, you will need to show the appropriate documentation to become a GP in the UK and may need to undergo Vocational Training for General Medical Practice. Doctors must be registered with the GMC to practice medicine in the UK. To register, they must have a recognised medical qualification. The medical register shows who is properly qualified to practise medicine in the UK and currently contains about 200,000 doctors.Doctors need to be registered with the GMC if they wish to practise medicine in the UK. The type of work that requires doctors to be registered includes: working in the National Health Service (NHS), prescribing drugs, the sale of which is restricted by law, signing medical certificates required for statutory purposes (death certificates, etc.). Doctors wishing to work in private practice in the UK will also need to register with the GMC because the major private health hospitals and insurers only recognise registered doctors.The process for gaining registration generally depends on the country where you obtained your primary medical qualification and your nationality. There are four main groups of doctors for the purposes of registration. The registration processes are different for each group and you will be advised by the GMC: doctors qualifying from a UK medical school are eligible for provisional and full registration, doctors qualifying in another EEA Member State and who are nationals of an EEA Member State (or non-EEA nationals with European Community (EC) rights) are eligible for full registration. They are also eligible to apply for provisional registration if their medical education includes a period of postgraduate clinical training (sometimes referred to as internship training). The EEA includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Since 1 June 2002, doctors qualifying in Switzerland and who are EEA nationals (or non - EEA nationals with EC rights) or Swiss nationals are also eligible for full registration. This also applies to Swiss nationals who have qualified in another EEA Member State, doctors qualifying in the following countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia (if the degrees awarded by the University of Malaya are granted on or before 31 December 1989), New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the West Indies may be eligible for provisional and full registration, doctors who qualify in other countries not listed above may be eligible for limited and full registration. These include non-EEA nationals who do not benefit under EC law who have qualified in another EEA Member State, EEA nationals (and non-EEA nationals with EC rights) who qualify in other countries not listed above may be eligible for provisional or full registration if they have practised medicine in another EEA Member State.Doctors need full registration for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK. They may also need specialist registration if they wish to take up a consultant post (other than a locum consultant post) within the NHS. Provisional registration allows newly qualified doctors to undertake the general clinical training needed for full registration. A doctor who is provisionally registered is entitled to work only in resident junior house officer posts in hospitals or institutions that are approved for the purpose of pre-registration house officer (PRHO) service. Limited registration: Doctors applying for limited registration will need to first check that they have a primary medical qualification that is recognised by the GMC. There are currently some 1,600 overseas primary medical qualifications accepted by the GMC for the purpose of limited registration. They include all the primary medical qualifications listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a number of others which are not listed in that directory. Limited registration can be granted only for supervised employment in training posts in the NHS. The maximum period that a doctor can hold limited registration is five years. It cannot be granted for more than five years in total. Generally speaking, doctors who hold, or have held limited registration may be granted full registration when they have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and attitudes equal to those which would be expected of a competent senior house officer (SHO) and satisfy the GMC of their good character. Most doctors do this by passing tests conducted by the International English Language Testing Service and the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (the PLAB test). In certain cases EEA nationals – and others with EC rights – who hold an overseas qualification which is accepted only for the purpose of limited registration may apply for full or provisional registration directly (without having to undertake a period of limited registration first). In order to apply for full or provisional registration, the doctor’s qualification must have been accepted by another EEA member state for the purpose of practising medicine in that state; or he or she must have acquired medical experience or knowledge in another EEA member state. The grant of provisional or full registration is at the GMC's discretion. The GMC also maintains the specialist register. Since 1 January 1997 it has been a legal requirement that, in order to take up a consultant post (other than a locum consultant appointment) in a medical or surgical specialty in the NHS a doctor must be included in the specialist register. The only exceptions are doctors who held a consultant post (other than a locum consultant post) in oral and maxillo-facial surgery in the NHS immediately before 1 January 1997. It is not possible to hold specialist registration without also holding full, limited or temporary registration. Although not a legal requirement, generally speaking, doctors wishing to work unsupervised in private practice in the UK will also need to hold specialist registration. This is because the major private health providers and insurance companies only recognise doctors whose names are included in the specialist register. In certain cases, doctors may be granted temporary full registration if they are coming to the UK to provide specialist medical services for a short period for example to demonstrate a specialist procedure. Please note that If you wish to work as a general practitioner (GP) in the UK - either as a principal, locum, deputy or assistant - you must be eligible to work in that capacity and hold full registration with the GMC. If not, you should contact the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) for advice. (top)

UK Work Permit Information for Employees: There are many ways by which you can live and work in the UK. Not all of them need you to have a job offer before getting a UK Work Permit or Visa. You are a valuable commodity and rules are changing all the time to help your move. Your family are of course also most welcome and can enjoy the same benefits as you in the UK. A UK Work Permit in the UK is usually obtained by a company sponsoring an employee. Sometimes employers prefer not to sponsor Work Permits, as they feel there is a certain 'unknown quantity' about the process. This unfortunately creates a catch 22 situation for prospective employees that wish to obtain a UK Working Visa. The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme ( UK HSMP Visa ) was created whereby you can come to the UK to LOOK FOR work rather than having to find it first without being here. You will need to be highly skilled and should assess yourself to see if you have the minimum 75 points required ( with all associated supporting evidence ) to qualify for the HSMP visa. You are not tied to a single sponsoring employer and can also work for yourself as self employed. If you are a national of a country belonging to to the British Commonwealth, the Working HolidayMaker Scheme may allow you up to 2 years to live and work in the UK. You are not tied to a single sponsoring employer and can also work for yourself as self employed. The Working Hoiday Visa does not count towards UK Residency, whereas the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (UK HSMP Visa and Employer Sponsored UK Work Permit do count towards UK Residency. The EEA Association Agreement exists for Eastern European nationals to come to the UK to start a business without needing to invest large sums of money. If you are from any of the EEA countries and you can combine technical and business experience in a wish to start a business in the UK, the EEA and freelance pages will help.

These are major steps forward in allowing you, the talent, to come to the UK and make your career happen.

With an Employer sponsored UK Work Permit, which after all allows the longest time in the UK (up to 5 years) once you have successfully found work, your new employer must apply for your work permit (and not you as the individual). Although the employer must do this, the work permit actually belongs to you, not your employer, but the work permit is specific to you working only for that employer. If you want to change jobs, a new work permit must be obtained. This transfer process is much easier than your first application as long as your new employer can qualify and especially if the works permit is for a similar job. The sponsoring process is also much easier if your skills or occupation are on the official skills shortage list. (top)

Training Permits: The idea behind Training permits is that overseas people can receive training not available to them in their homeland but of use to them there. A recognised professional qualification or occupational skill should result from such training. The trainee will need to be aged between 18 and 54 years, have the relevant educational or professional qualifications and work a minimum of 30 hours per week; The employer / trainer, must provide proof that they can deliver this training, including any registrations you may need in so doing, provide suitable remuneration for the trainee and details of the the course and it's duration. In general, after the 3 year permit expires, trainees must not move from a training permit to a work permit and should spend time outside the UK prior to such a Work Permit application. As with work permits, the employer makes the application.

Spouse, Dependent and Family Visa: It would be fairly pointless you achieving the career you desire in the country you want to live in without your family with you. In fact, your family and their own particular skills and experience, may help you obtain your permit in the first place. Work Permits and Visas for the UK are designed to allow your family to share the benefits of living here and they are very welcome. When you make your application, be sure to include the relevant sections about your family. This may need separate forms for your spouse. You may apply for your spouse and children (under 18 years) to accompany you as your dependants. Your spouse, partner and children can get a UK Visa and enjoy the same benefits as UK people, including free education, free healthcare and the ability to work in the UK. There is also private education and private healthcare which you are welcome to assess. (top)

Travel to the United Kingdom (UK) as a visitor: You must be able to show that you want to visit the UK for no more than six months, plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit, have enough money to support and accommodate yourself adequately without working or help from public funds. As a visitor you may go to meetings and trade fairs, buy goods, negotiate and complete contracts with UK businesses, go to conferences and seminars as a delegate, undertake fact finding missions, check details or examine goods, receive training provided it is classroom instruction or limited to observation only. In limited circumstances you may also enter the UK as a visitor if you are delivering goods from abroad, a representative of a foreign company coming to service, repair or install their products, an adviser, consultant, trainer or trouble shooter who is employed abroad either directly or under contract by the same company or group of companies, a guest speaker at a conference or seminar, an expert speaker or to run a conference or seminar for no more than five days, a sportsperson or entertainer for trials or auditions, or personal appearances which do not involve performances. You cannot take paid or unpaid employment, produce goods or provide services in the UK, sell goods and services to members of the public, If you have been invited by a UK company you should provide a letter from the company explaining what you will be doing and the purpose of the trip. If your company or the UK company is meeting the cost of the trip this should also be confirmed in a letter. All visitors, whether they are in the UK for business or social reasons, can only stay for a maximum of six months. Frequent visitors and business visitors can apply for a visa that is valid for one, two or five years. All visit visas are valid for multiple entries within their period of validity. You can study in the UK as a visitor but you will only be allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of six months. If the purpose of your visit is to study, either full-time or for more than six months then you should apply for a student visa. You can apply for a visit visa to travel to the UK to receive private medical treatment. You must be able to show that satisfactory arrangements for the necessary consultation or treatment have been made, sufficient funds are available to meet the cost of the treatment, you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself adequately without working or help from public funds, you intend to leave the UK when you have completed your treatment, You may also be required to produce a doctor's letter which provides details of the medical condition which requires treatment, confirmation that satisfactory arrangements have been made for the consultation or treatment and how long the treatment will take evidence that there are sufficient funds available to meet the cost of the consultation and/or treatment. You may also be asked to give an undertaking that you will meet those costs. You may have to attend an interview and you may be asked to provide further documentation. If you need to stay longer than six months to complete your medical treatment you can apply to the Home Office by post or in person to one of their public enquiry offices. The contact address is at the end of this guidance. Visitors are not allowed to enter or remain in the UK to receive treatment on the National Health Service.

UK transit Visa: If you are a visa national you will require a visa to enter the UK in transit. If you are entering the UK in transit to another country and will remain in the UK for no longer than 48 hours, you will need to obtain a "visitor in transit " visa. If you wish to stay in the UK for more than 48 hours you will need to apply for a visit visa. You may be able to transit the UK, at the discretion of the Immigration Officer, without holding a "visitor in transit visa". This is known as the Transit without Visa concession (TWOV). You can qualify for the TWOV concession, if you arrive on a cruise ship and depart on the same ship within 24 hours, arrive and depart by air within 24 hours with no intention of remaining in the UK. (You may travel by rail or road between two airports), hold a confirmed booking on a flight or ship departing within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK, have the documents you will need to be allowed to enter the country you are travelling to have the documents you will need for any other country that you may pass through on your journey. This concession does not apply to certain visa nationals, who must hold a visa to pass through the UK on the way to another country, even if they are not entering the UK or changing airports. This is known as a "direct airside transit" visa (DATV). If you are a national of certain countries you will need to have a valid UK direct airside transit visa. Passengers holding a direct airside transit visa will not be able to pass through immigration control. You will not normally be allowed to remain overnight to await an onward connection. Your visitor in transit visa will usually be valid for six months and may be used to transit the UK throughout its validity, provided that both your passport and visa for the country that you are travelling to remain valid beyond the expiry of the transit visa. The visa will only be valid for entry to the UK if these conditions are met on each journey through the UK. (top)

UK Skills Shortage Occupations: For all jobs that are listed below the person must have a degree with at least 2 years relevant experience. UK Immigration Work Permit and Visa Service welcomes good engineers with appropriate skills and experience to the UK. There are currently skills shortages in several areas of Engineering and this includes CAA Licensed Aircraft Engineers and a variety of UK Work Permit and Visa options are open to them. Following are the current skills shortage list as announced by UK government.

Railway Engineers: Railways Planner or Engineer, Railways Modeller, Railway Track Design or Permanent Way Engineer, Communications Engineer, Power Supply Engineer or Electrification Engineer, (Senior positions in the above posts would be expected to have at least 5 years relevant experience). Structural/Bridge Engineers: Structural Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer or Buildings Engineer, Bridge Engineer or Highways Structural Engineer, (Senior posts would generally require appropriate chartered status and a minimum of 5 years relevant experience). Transportation and Highways Engineers: Traffic Engineer or Transport Planner, Transport Modeller or Transport Economist (The applicant would be expected to have experience in multi-model studies and; modelling software such as TRIPS, EMME2, QVIEW, SATURN, PEDROUTE or Microsimulation), Traffic Signal Engineer, Highways Design Engineer or Highways Planning Engineer, Highways Maintenance Engineer. Ground Engineering: Geoenvironmental Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Geological Advisor, Geological Analyst, Geological Associate, Geological Engineer, Geologist / Hydrogeologist, Geology / Reservoir Engineer, Geomechanics Engineer, Geophysical Specialist, Geophysicist, Geoscientist, Geosupport Engineer, Engineering Geologist, Ground Engineer, Contaminated Land Specialist. Doctors: Salaried GP's, Consultant posts in the following specialist areas:Accident and Emergency, Additional Dental Specialities, Anaesthetics, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Chemical Pathology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Clinical Neurophysiology, Clinical Oncology, Clinical Radiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Endodentics, Forensic Psychiatry, Gastroenterology, General Adult Psychiatry, General Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Genito-urinary medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Haematology, Histopathology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Virology, Medical Oncology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nuclear Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Occupational Health, Old Age Psychiatry, Opthalmology, Oral and Maxillo-facial Surgery, Orthodontics, Otolaryngology, Paediatric Cardiology, Paediatric Dentistry, Paediatrics, Palliative Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities, Psychotherapy, Public Health Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine, Renal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Rheumatology, Surgical Dentistry, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Urology, General: Audiologist, Audiological scientist, Clinical Psychologist, Dietician, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technician, Physiotherapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Social Worker, Biomedical Scientist / Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer (MLSO), Qualified HPC registered Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers, Nurses: All registered nurses and midwives. Others: Actuaries, CAA Licensed Aircraft Engineers, Teachers - All posts in England covering compulsory schooling.

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