Don’t leave home without it. No, not your American Express, but a visa
that entitles you to live and work in the UK. Without obtaining your
visa before you leave, you will be unable to enter the UK on anything
other than a visitor visa.
Immigration
officials have the power to turn you away upon arrival, and it does
happen. Get sorted before you arrive, with the visa that best suits your
plans and circumstances. The UK has a huge variety of entry visas, but
in general there are four visas that allow a New Zealander and
Australian to work and live in the UK.
Working Holiday Visa
This is open to people aged 17-27 years and is valid for 2 years. It
MUST be obtained in your own country. No WHVs will be issued to New
Zealanders and Australians from the UK.
The basis of
this visa is that you are coming to the UK for a holiday but are
entitled to work to supplement, NOT support your trip. On a WHV, you may
work part time for the duration of your time here, or full time for part
of your time here. You are unable to follow or develop your chosen
career on this visa. The work you do must be solely to help you cover
your own costs while here. In reality, this does not always happen but
it is important you understand this rule.
Therefore, don’t
bring CVs, references and tools into the country when you arrive – post
them. If you are a chef and bring your knives for example, the
immigration official may assume you are seeking to develop your skills
and you will be put on the next plane home.
You are unable
to extend a WHV past two years. If you are entitled to another sort of
visa when you leave the country, it is often better to apply for that,
as it can be very difficult to change your visa status, and takes up
valuable time and earning power.
UK ancestry/Patriality visa
Those with parents or grandparents who were born in the UK, you may
apply for a visa which entitles you to work in the UK for four years.
There are no restrictions on the sort of work you may do.
You must prove
your family connections and often must be able to demonstrate you have
work prospects when you arrive. If this is a requirement, you need to
have a letter confirming you are registered with a recruitment company.
The main restriction on this sort of visa is that you must be able to
support yourself fully, so are prevented from accessing the social
security benefits system.
You are also
bound to paying your tax and national insurance. As long as you meet
these conditions, you may, after the four year period, apply for an
extension of your visa, and eventually qualify for a British passport.
Marriage/defacto/gay relationship visa
If you are married to someone who has a British passport or holds an
ancestry visa, you may apply for entry clearance to allow unrestricted
work in the UK. You may need to demonstrate you can financially support
yourself and have job opportunities upon arrival. In the majority of
cases, you will initially be issued with a 12 month visa, which will be
reviewed at the end of that period.
If you are
meeting the criteria you will be issued with a visa to allow you to stay
permanently, and eventually qualify for a British passport. With defacto
(known as common-law in the UK), and gay relationships, officially there
is no policy which covers this. However visas are issued for defacto
and/or gay couples, but Recruitment UK recommends you seek professional
assistance if you wish to be considered under these sorts of
relationships.
Work permits
Traditionally the most difficult visa to obtain, these visas are issued
to people who have a job in the UK and have specialist skills that an
employer has trouble finding in people from the UK/Europe. Applicants
must have relevant qualifications and experience for the job the have
obtained.
However
significant sweeping changes have recently been announced in the UK
recently, meaning the application procedure and time to process them is
now quicker and easier. Work permits exist to fill shortages in the
labour market, and cover a variety of disciplines.
With the recent
policy changes and the chronic labour shortages in the UK, Recruitment
UK predicts that work permits will become a popular option for may New
Zealand and Australian nationals who are unable to obtain a visa due to
their age and lack of British family connections.
Get smart
Without a visa, you are stuffed.
You should
ascertain the options you have as soon as you start to plan your trip.
Do not listen to pub stories nor assume your mates’ interpretations of
the rules are correct, as invariably they are not. Policy can and does
change without warning, so base your decisions on facts from the
official channels.
Give yourself
plenty of time to obtain your visa as processing times is determined by
the issuing office, not your travel plans. It is wise to apply for the
visa that allows the maximum time you are eligible for. Why? Because…..
Once you have arrived you may wish to stay longer than you thought Work
prospects are often better and pay more in the UK than in NZ and
Australia.
It can be very
difficult and time consuming changing visas while in the UK.
For full
details, application forms and fees you should contact the British High
Commission. Forms are available on their websites.
New Zealand:
44 Hill St
Wellington
Tel: +64 4 472
6049
Fax: +64 4 471
1974
Email:
bhc.wel@xtra.co.nz
http://www.britain.org.nz
Australia:
Level 10, SAP
House Canberra Centre Canberra
Tel: +61 2 1902
941 5555 (premium rate call)
Fax: +61 2 6257
5857
Email:
bhc.consular@uk.emb.gov.au
http://www.uk.emb.gov.au
