15.Can an overseas national do supplementary work?
The procedure, which needs to be followed by people who want to do work which is supplementary to that for which their current permit was issued, is outlined below.
Supplementary employment arrangements apply to overseas nationals who already have a work permit, but who want to take on additional work to that which their permit was issued for. Under these circumstances they may do so without further permission from Work Permits (UK) provided that the work:
is outside of their normal working hours;
is no more than 20 hours per week;
is in the same profession and at the same professional level for which the holder's work permit was issued; and
is not employed by a recruitment agency, employment agency or similar business, which provides personnel to a client.
For example, a nurse who has a work permit to work for an NHS Trust and wishes to take up supplementary employment with a nursing recruitment agency would not be allowed to do so as we do not approve work permits for such agencies.
Any supplementary employment undertaken must be in a post that would meet our work permit issuing criteria; i.e. if an overseas national takes up supplementary employment in a post for which we would not normally approve a work permit, then they are in breach of their immigration conditions.
The work permit holder is not allowed to enter self-employment, set up a business or join another business as a director or partner. If a work permit holder wishes to be self-employed or set up a business they will need to apply to the Home Office (Immigration and Nationality Directorate) for the appropriate permission to do so. Please note however that if this permission is granted this will invalidate any current work permit.
Mhunjn, you are wrong, you certainly can work for another employer, but within the conditions set out above.
Malcolmx's problem is that the supplementary work he wants to do does not fit these conditions, specifically the one stating that the work has to be within the same profession for which the work permit was originally issued.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.
-and decided to give it a try.
Do you know what, I remember reading that a few years back!!