# New Here - US Citizen Needs Work in UK



## Jenn1fer (Nov 25, 2008)

Hello All, 

I am a US citizen that is mid-divorce and would like to move to the UK when it is finalized. I do have a male friend in the UK, but am not considering re-marrying too quickly. 

How might I go about finding an employer able and willing to take on a US citizen and preferably one in the West Midlands area. It seems like a difficult proposition. 

I am currently an independent contractor running a successful real estate business. Anything in sales or service would suit me well.

Any ideas?

Many thanks, 

Jenny


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Welcome to the forum! I moved your thread here because I thought you would get more responses.

Before you worry about getting a job and what part of the country you want to live in, you need to consider how you are going to get the legal right to live and work in the UK. Do you have dual citizenship in a EU country?


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## ninaphamily (Jul 24, 2007)

Jenn1fer said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am a US citizen that is mid-divorce and would like to move to the UK when it is finalized. I do have a male friend in the UK, but am not considering re-marrying too quickly.
> 
> ...


Hi Jenny,

I hope you have already found out about your future status in the UK. Finding a job here is not as easy as in the US. I found the process long and slow. Finally I took up a Sales job for a chocolate company even if sales is not really my field but I like it. Let me know if I can be of any help. I know the company is still looking for people in the Sales Dept.

Good luck,

Nat


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## carrasmith (Nov 24, 2008)

*Would love more info Nat!*



ninaphamily said:


> Hi Jenny,
> 
> I hope you have already found out about your future status in the UK. Finding a job here is not as easy as in the US. I found the process long and slow. Finally I took up a Sales job for a chocolate company even if sales is not really my field but I like it. Let me know if I can be of any help. I know the company is still looking for people in the Sales Dept.
> 
> ...


Hi Nat,
I'm hoping to move to the UK within a year; I have a "sort of" plan but if that doesn't work out I'd love to have info on a back up - how did you find your job? Can you give me more information on it?
Thanks so much!
Carra


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## klamm (Dec 9, 2008)

here are some links to help re working in the UK as new legislation came out in feb 08 re employing foreign workers in the UK etc. 

this site is a gateway for foreigners wanting to work in the UK and legislation etc:

Welcome to Migrant Gateway®

Migrant Workers - For Organisations and Employers


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## mcrooks (Dec 21, 2008)

*Expat Newbie*



Jenn1fer said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am a US citizen that is mid-divorce and would like to move to the UK when it is finalized. I do have a male friend in the UK, but am not considering re-marrying too quickly.
> 
> ...


Dear Jenny,
Wow, your's is going to be a toughie, if not impossible! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news in the first line! I came to the UK with a spousal visa and even this wasn't easy. You have to deal with the british consulate to obtain your visa and they want to make sure that you are going to be self-supporting as you are not eligible for any help out here. You are entitled to health insurance and that's about it. Even if it's a marriage, they want to know all about your courtship and how long you dated, when you met, when you married. We filled out loads of paperwork. My husband needed a letter from his new employer stating his position, his salary and so forth. We also had to submit three months worth of bank statements showing we had adequate funds to live here, along with all of our monthly expenses in the united states. As we could not secure a place when we were in the States, our plan was to live temporarily with my husband's brother. They had to write a letter stating that we had their permission to live temporarily with them. They also had to know all people living in their premises, along with how big the place was. They wanted to know how many bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, sitting rooms, etc. There is a 20 page or so application that you can get from the british consulate website, with all the information, etc.
As for obtaining a position out here, I tried to get my daughter to move from the states to england with me. She just turned 18, however, they considered her to be of majority. We tried to get her a job out here and this is what we discovered. In order for a foreigner to be eligible for working out here, the job has to be posted for more than 6 months and they are unable to fill the job with a person who lives out here. Employment opportunities are bad out here as well as in the States. They do not want to start giving away jobs to foreigners if a citizen could fill the position. Most likely you would have to be self-employed filling a nitch that is not being done out here. You will have to send your resume in with your application. As I said I have a spousal visa which includes a work visa, however, I have not been able to find work out here over the last year. I do have qualifications and a college degree so I am no slouch, but jobs are just as scarce here and they pay is not great either depending on what kind of job you are looking for. I'm sure you will get more replies, I just thought this would give you a heads up as to what you up against when you start the long arduous proces. good luck and hopefully you wil come up with a game plan.
Warmest regards,
Michele


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## Sonja_S (Jan 8, 2009)

*Similar situation*

Jenny, 

I'm in a similar situation - trying to find a way to get a work visa in the UK. I've done a ton of research on it, and have realized it's extremely difficult to do so unless you happen to have a skill in unusual short supply in the UK. Doctors, engineers, computer scientists with several years of experience, etc. 

However, there *is* a ray of hope. You can go to college in the UK (undergraduate or graduate, depending on your situation) relatively easily. A master's degree only takes one year over there, and once you graduate, you're allowed to stay and work for up to two years. If you still want to stay after that, and if you're lucky, you may be in a better position to find an employer who is willing to sponsor you. Or perhaps after you've been there for a few years, you might just decide you're ready to marry that British fellow after all! 

The one caveat is that overseas tuition fees are rather steep, and scholarships for students outside the UK/EU are hard to come by. But you can still get federal student loans from the US government, as long as you choose a university that's on the federally approved list (and there are a lot of them).

Sorry, I know this is mostly frustrating news. I've wanted to move to the UK for ages, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any shortages in my field (library & information science). I've been accepted at universities in Scotland and England for this fall, but I'm still keeping my eye out for job opportunities anyway. 

On that note - if anyone knows of a company in the UK who's looking for a bright young(ish) American information management specialist with teaching experience at the university level, let me know!


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## carrasmith (Nov 24, 2008)

*Being accepted at a university*



Sonja_S said:


> Jenny,
> 
> I'm in a similar situation - trying to find a way to get a work visa in the UK. I've done a ton of research on it, and have realized it's extremely difficult to do so unless you happen to have a skill in unusual short supply in the UK. Doctors, engineers, computer scientists with several years of experience, etc.
> 
> ...



Sonja,
How hard was it to be accepted to a university? I am currently in school (Bachelors in April) and have considered doing my master's in London - 
Thanks!
(and good luck on your search! are you already in the UK?)
Carra


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## Sonja_S (Jan 8, 2009)

carrasmith said:


> Sonja,
> How hard was it to be accepted to a university? I am currently in school (Bachelors in April) and have considered doing my master's in London -
> Thanks!
> (and good luck on your search! are you already in the UK?)
> Carra


I get the impression it's not really any harder to get into grad school in the UK than it is here. Although, I already have a master's degree, which probably makes things easier for me. Most universities look for a "good Honours" or "upper second-class Honours" or "2:1 Honours" degree (all three terms mean the same thing). This roughly translates to a 3.3 or 3.4 GPA. Some of the more exclusive schools, like Oxford or Cambridge, demand higher grades. Most schools require two academic references, a statement of interest (generally a one-page statement about why you're interested in the degree), your transcripts and sometimes a CV (resume). They don't require the sort of graduate tests that American schools do (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, etc.).

I'm still in the States right now. I've been accepted at the University of Glasgow and am still waiting to hear back from University College London. Unfortunately, I recently spoke to someone who used to live in Glasgow and he said it's a horrible city to live in and should be avoided at all costs. But if anyone here has a different perspective on Glasgow, I'd love to hear it.

Good luck with your master's, Carra!


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## GoingIn2011 (Jan 11, 2009)

Jenn1fer said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am a US citizen that is mid-divorce and would like to move to the UK when it is finalized. I do have a male friend in the UK, but am not considering re-marrying too quickly.
> 
> ...


I grew up in the West Midlands. Birmingham's a big enough metropolis for you to find something in sales/service. The UK is a service economy. We are in recession big time but there are jobs. Log on to planetrecruit dot com or jobserve dot co dot uk for instance for job search. Any specific questions re West Midlands let me know.


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## caafe (Feb 6, 2009)

I am in a similar situation; I met my boyfriend while studying abroad during my junior year in college. We have been together for a year now- we switch off visiting each other every few months and are pretty serious about staying together. I will be graduating from University in June and was hoping to be able to move back to the UK and work for a couple years (he can't move out here because he's in the British Army) but am finding it rather difficult to figure out how to get a visa. We are inelligble for the unmarried visa because we haven't lived together 'like a married couple' for two years. 

I have professional experience in the marketing/promotional fields here in th e U.S. so my resume is pretty good for a recent college graduate...does anyone know how I can get back into the UK???


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## maryinglasgow (Feb 12, 2009)

*California native in Glasgow*

Sonja said:


> I'm still in the States right now. I've been accepted at the University of Glasgow and am still waiting to hear back from University College London. Unfortunately, I recently spoke to someone who used to live in Glasgow and he said it's a horrible city to live in and should be avoided at all costs. But if anyone here has a different perspective on Glasgow, I'd love to hear it.


Hello from Glasgow! I'm an American scientist living with my Scottish fiance in Glasgow. I'd also heard lots of horrible stories, but they're simply not true. Glasgow, and particularly the west end where the uni is, is a wonderful vibrant city. I'm originally from San Francisco and I get a lot of the same vibe from Glasgow - a little off beat and funky, but very vibrant. I moved here from LA and I much prefer Glasgow. There are parts of Glasgow that are run down, but I feel much safer here than I ever did in LA. People actually smile at each other, and every interaction with a shop keeper ends with a laugh. I even don't mind the weather - the summer is awesome, and it doesn't get as cold as it does in some other parts of the UK. There aren't even that many Americans here - I'm always a bit surprised to hear an American accent. Maybe that's 'cause we keep telling them that its a run down place  I have heard that it used to be much rougher - you've probably seen the guide books that say "Glasgow has improved a lot in recent years" - that frightened me a bit when I read it too. I promise you, you'll find it a very stimulating and warm place, with lots of music, art, architecture and stimulating, fun-loving people!


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## nitab1973 (Feb 13, 2009)

*Same as Jenny*

Would you be able to supply me with the same information? I have been looking to relocate to the UK with no luck at all. I have had several phone interviews, but the stumbling block seems to be the work visa!!

Thank you so much!!




ninaphamily said:


> Hi Jenny,
> 
> I hope you have already found out about your future status in the UK. Finding a job here is not as easy as in the US. I found the process long and slow. Finally I took up a Sales job for a chocolate company even if sales is not really my field but I like it. Let me know if I can be of any help. I know the company is still looking for people in the Sales Dept.
> 
> ...


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## nitab1973 (Feb 13, 2009)

*Help Appreciated!*



synthia said:


> Welcome to the forum! I moved your thread here because I thought you would get more responses.
> 
> Before you worry about getting a job and what part of the country you want to live in, you need to consider how you are going to get the legal right to live and work in the UK. Do you have dual citizenship in a EU country?


I guess that is the real issue! I have been researching the different visas and stipulations that it takes to get in country, and it seems almost impossible! (Even with my experience!)

Thanks for moving my post! Any suggestions?


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## jlms (May 15, 2008)

*Marry, study, be a genius.*



nitab1973 said:


> I guess that is the real issue! I have been researching the different visas and stipulations that it takes to get in country, and it seems almost impossible! (Even with my experience!)
> 
> Thanks for moving my post! Any suggestions?


If you have a partner that is legal resident in the UK, please, make your life easier and get married.

Sorry, but that is the way it is.

Another possibility is to come to study to the UK, but please check the restrictions you have, I think you can't work more than a certain amount of hours, but at least you would be here exploring oportunities.

As for being a genius, well, the only way you are going to get a work pemit on your own is if you are very good at what you do.

Now the government is introducing a "points" system by which it decides if people can come or not to the UK, check with your local British Consulate, if your profession is required in the UK you would have an easier way to entry the country (or a roadmap to do so).


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## nitab1973 (Feb 13, 2009)

*I'll take genius . . .*

Hah! Well thank you for the advice . . . I think I qualify for the experienced/professional visa, and will follow-up with that lead. I saw the points you were referencing. So most employers that post jobs on sites typically don't sponsor qualified candidates? 

I will also look into studies . . .



jlms said:


> If you have a partner that is legal resident in the UK, please, make your life easier and get married.
> 
> Sorry, but that is the way it is.
> 
> ...


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## Piyush (Apr 20, 2009)

Jenn1fer said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am a US citizen that is mid-divorce and would like to move to the UK when it is finalized. I do have a male friend in the UK, but am not considering re-marrying too quickly.
> 
> ...


Dear Jenny & caafe,
One option you could try is the UK Tier 1 Visa. This is a work visa leading to Permanent Residence at the end of 5 years and Citizenship at the end of 6 years.
If you are a Tier 1 Visa holder, you can work in the UK like any UK citizen for whichever company you choose to and quit whenever you like. If you get a company to sponsor your WP, you will have no other option but to stick with them, and you cannot switch jobs.
There are various types of Tier 1 Visas available. I think the most suitable for you would be the Tier 1 General.
You can check if you are eligible for the Tier 1 (General) Visa here Tier 1 Visa Shop - Attributes

Hope that helps.

If you have any queries regarding the Tier 1 Visa, please post them here and I Would be glad to help.


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## Ronie41 (Sep 10, 2011)

*UK Jobs for US relocating to UK*

Nat, I saw your tread and I am to looking to move to the UK. I am finding it difficult to get any responses from job agencies or jobs that I am apply for. I do have experience in sales and if there are any suggestions on how I can apply for a job or who I can go to to assist me in finding a job. 

Ronie



ninaphamily said:


> Hi Jenny,
> 
> I hope you have already found out about your future status in the UK. Finding a job here is not as easy as in the US. I found the process long and slow. Finally I took up a Sales job for a chocolate company even if sales is not really my field but I like it. Let me know if I can be of any help. I know the company is still looking for people in the Sales Dept.
> 
> ...


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