Tier 2 sponsorship visa

[Vettrianofan]

DS is trying to help his girlfriend find a way to apply for a work visa. She lives in the US, and wants to settle in the UK next year if possible. She is currently researching for herself, but every job she looks at says she must have British citizenship. Unfortunately that's not going to happen. The visitor for six months would be fine, but you cannot apply for work whilst using this visa.

Does anyone have experience of this kind of thing? Do you need to go through a recruitment agency?

She works as a housing specialist in the US (similar to a housing officer in the UK). She's 21yo.

At 21 she won't be attractive enough for an employer to use one of their limited visas on, and would be unlikely to be stronger than a UK candidate. She'd be better off coming to study and on graduating then working on the graduate visa and upskilling until she is a valid job candidate for a visa. A lot of faff.

A friend in a similar scenario ended up doing a two year masters in the UK as the only way he could find to legitimately be here for longer than six months. Very difficult unfortunately.

I think she's willing to apply for other jobs in other sectors. That is her current job status.

She's looked into a study visa but the tuition fees are very expensive. Equivalent of £20k per year.

Yes, they are expensive, but I think it's the only way it will work. No one is going to hire a 21 year old with limited work experience to the kind of role that has visa potential, sorry.

There's a route to become carer (salary is 20K a year here I believe) - they have less strict requiremebts - but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Otherwise, entry level jobs here have enough local candidates and her US experience means almost nothibg so it's either marriage or a degree (which will be super-expensive for foreighner but probably the same price as in the US. But without option to get student's loan I think).

Yes I have read about care sector roles such as a care assistant she could apply for. As you say, not everyone would enjoy this type of work.

It will be difficult realistically. She needs a niche role with decent earning, someone a company can justify for sponsorship that they can’t find in the UK, and what you describe doesn’t sound like it would hit the criteria. Agree studying here might work, but would be expensive.

I think it’s almost impossible unless she works as a carer. Surely she would have better job prospects in the U.S.. The problem for many Americans is that they have on rose tinted glasses when it comes to England. They tend to think it’s just America with better accents.

I have tried to explain this to DS, as well. The entry requirements for immigrants have radically changed this year. Earning above £30k would be a stretch. What entry level jobs pay this much?! Not many.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes is the list of eligible jobs. There are some housing-related titles on there, but she'd still need to find a job that has a high enough salary to qualify and an employer who wants her badly enough to be willing to jump through the necessary hoops.

For studying, she may be able to get US student loans for UK-based study.

Thanks. Yes we have looked at the jobs on the list and think it's really quite a reach to find one at a salary she needs to qualify working here.

Definitely a difficult situation here.

Does she need to do that first before applying for a similar role in the UK, to get the experience?

She has decided she wants to live in the UK, and realises that DS still has to go through higher education himself so him moving to the US is just not realistic.

I think the general consensus is she applies to do a job working in the care sector as its extremely short staffed as it is.

There's no way they're ready for marriage. If something went wrong, at least she can head back to the US if only here through sponsorship, instead of marriage.

Where would she live, with you? Young love is fab and all that, but it all sounds a bit unrealistic.

She's been looking at renting a place in the area near where I live. Possibly flat share with another female.

I don't have space unfortunately so she cannot stay here. She was over during the summer months for a week and DS is visiting her at the end of the year.

Definitely, it's young love but DS is actually on a good path and she keeps him out of bother. She told me in person she loves him. All very great, but unfortunately their relationship is currently online until they meet again. I really like her, the whole family gets on great with her. I did joke though that he could have found someone closer to home!

On a carer's salary she would definitely need to share! As long as she is up for doing the hard graft, the carer route is probably the only alternative to the student route. I couldn't do it though! And her visa would presumably mean she'd have to stick at it or go home. Could she start by getting some care experience in the US?

What qualifications does she have? Could she get on a good grad scheme in the US with a global company? There's often opportunities to do placements or join teams in other countries in these schemes so that could be a good in. They may also sponsor a relocation if she's good.

Is he starting university soon? As in before she gets here? If so, it probably won't last, my school boyfriend and I eked out two terms at different universities before I got tired of the weekends away from my new friends and social life and met someone else.... (also in care she might be working night shifts). Young love is also fickle.

@murasaki He's hoping to get a place at uni next year. We shall see how it all goes with the visit at the end of the year.

@Overthebow I am not 100% sure what qualifications she has. I know she's definitely not a uni graduate though. Good suggestion though with graduate schemes if she did want to consider it.

I honestly think she'd have to graft it as a carer for five years so she could then apply for ILR. That's quite brutal. And yes definitely housing costs probably would mean a flat share or similar.

From what I have read, she'd have to stick to the sponsorship deal or go home to the States. You don't get to just leave the job for another.

Honestly they probably need to get married and have your son earn over 30k. It’s a joke it used to be 18k until recently

Or if you have a lot of savings to lend them there is that route. The gov have basically made being with someone from another country almost impossible.

It sounds like they've met once so far in person. This is a silly.move for a job she almost certainly doesn't want to do.