Interview attended on Tourist Visit Visa

[ms10]

Hi Experts,

Please advice on this -

I visited the UK on my tourist visa and I stayed for 3 weeks. During my stay, I have seen a job advert and applied as the company was providing a Tier 2 general sponsorship for the role. My main objective of my visit was just sight seeing and nothing else. However, my job application was shortlisted and I was called for a personal interview and the employer was impressed and they offered me a job.

Now they are going to apply restricted CoS for me. But my question are -

1. Did I breach any condition of my visit visa?
2. Will Tier 2 visa be refused if EO knows that I attended a job interview on tourist visa? (is this illegal)?
3. As Tier 2 rules are tighten up and I am seeing many rejections lately, will my Tier 2 application more likely to be rejected?

Please advice.

[moonlight55]

1. Well, the honest answer is Yes. I guess you know it as well.
2. Most likely, Yes.
3. Depends how the ECO reads into it. If he/she decides to do further investigation on RLMT and interview process, it would be difficult to hide it. The application form will ask you if you ever visited UK before. You will have to declare your trip as a tourist.

[ms10]

1. Well, the honest answer is Yes. I guess you know it as well.
2. Most likely, Yes.
3. Depends how the ECO reads into it. If he/she decides to do further investigation on RLMT and interview process, it would be difficult to hide it. The application form will ask you if you ever visited UK before. You will have to declare your trip as a tourist.

Thanks for your thoughts. It's very much appreciated.

Anyone else please share your thoughts too. I really worried. Please help.

[Shah1698]

Hi mate - hope are you doing well.

I understand your situation. Here are my thoughts to your questions -

1. Check visitor rules - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... nal_v2.pdf

You are permitted to take up interviews. However, this must be mentioned in the visa application. I don't think you would have mentioned it but it is difficult to convince EO that you did not intend to take that interview before you travelling to the UK. Therefore your visa may be refused.

My advice is that ask your employer to arrange telephone/ skype interviews when you are in home country and then apply restricted CoS.

Experts/ Manci - Please share your thoughts too.

All the best. Keep us updated.

[vinny]

I think that you should be okay, as having meetings and interviews are permitted activities in Visitors Appendix 3.

[moonlight55]

I stand corrected. Thanks Shah and vinny for pointing out that you can attend interviews on BV.

[moonlight55]

A query to vinny. Undertaking interviews is listed under Business Activities. Doesn't this imply that this is permitted on a Business visa?

[vinny]

It's a business activity that all visitors may do. There is no separate Business visa category in V1.5.

VISITORS APPENDIX 3. PERMITTED ACTIVITIES FOR ALL VISITORS (EXCEPT TRANSIT VISITORS)

1 All visitors are permitted to undertake the activities listed in paragraphs 3 – 27 of this Appendix provided they meet the requirements at V 4.5- V 4.8. Visitors coming to the UK under the ADS agreement may only do activities in paragraph 3 of this appendix.

Under the previous rules, 41(ix) prohibited the intention of attending interviews (46G(iii)) when entering the UK. However, after entry, circumstances may change.

[Shah1698]

Vinny - Thanks for your reply. I am bit confused now. Can you please let me know as per MS10, should be okay attending interview on general visit visa (or its allowed only on business visit visa)?

[iworker]

in any case, they dont need to know if u attended the interview or not.. as long as the rlmt is done correctly, a restricted cos is issued, u should be fine. jobs are not offered only by attending interviews.. there are skype interviews, and many more ways recruitment is done.