Work Permits are issued to non-EU citizens to take job vacancies in the UK if the Employer cannot fill the vacancy by advertising. It must be applied for by the UK employer. (Please note that, for the time being, workers from the new Accession States Bulgaria and Romania will also have to have Work Permits sponsored by the UK employer (see European Community). To qualify, the vacancy must require a minimum professional skill level, and in most cases a degree or NVQ 3 qualification is needed, but 3 years of experience of the skill required can be accepted as an alternative, if it is clear that the skill itself is at NVQ 3. Other options may also be acceptable - contact us for information. If you are already in the UK as a student, or medical trainee, and have obtained a graduate level qualification,(which must be from a UK college that issues its own degrees) an employer can apply for you. For the Immigration stay approval while in the UK the Work Permit holder must then complete the FLR (IED) form in order to apply for further leave to remain in the UK.
Shortage Occupations - The Work Permit Department lists occupations for which no advertising of the vacancy need be carried out. Unless a listed shortage occupation, the sponsoring company must prove they have made an attempt to recruit from within the resident EU work force by advertising the position for at least 28 days in a national broadsheet newspaper, relevant trade journal or relevant website.
The Work Permit allows an employer to transfer a key member of staff to the UK from an overseas branch of their organisation. A permit for an Inter-Company Transfer (ICT) cannot be issued while the applicant is in the UK. To be eligible, the position the employer is seeking to fill must meet NVQ level 3 or above. To be eligible for the ICT the employee must have a level of knowledge from the overseas branch that is essential to the post in the UK company. The employee for whom the ICT is being sought must have been employed by the overseas company for at least six months prior to the application.
The Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES) scheme allows a company or organisation to sponsor a non-EU citizen for training towards a professional qualification, or to gain practical work experience. A condition of the scheme is that the employee returns to their home country to utilise the experience gained in the UK. A TWES permit will only be granted to a person who is additional to the normal staffing requirements of the UK company, and cannot be used to fill a position within the company, and is normally for a maximum of 2 years, unless a professional examination course of longer duration (eg ACCA) is being followed. The trainee must intend to leave the UK on completion of their training or work experience and cannot be given another permit until they have spent a period of up to two years abroad using the skills they gained in the UK.
