HSMP + Permanent job - How easy or how tough.....

[ford]

Hi all,

What is the experience of people who have got HSMP approved and have got permanent jobs, Would the fact that you have to apply for renewal after a year be a deterrent for UK companies in offering permanent jobs.

And is there any place on the Homeoffice site that can be used as a pointer to forward to companies to ally fears regarding HSMP renewals.

From my personal experience most of the companies including their HR departments are very ignorant about HSMP as a whole.

Any thing you can share on this would be of great help.

Thanks,

[tvt]

From my experience (not personal thank god) UK companies will only recruit a foreigner (HSMP / WP or any other scheme) as a last resort or when the foreigner has an outstanding background that will overwhelm any other applicant.

[pixi]

I would just tell them you have a valid visa and if they ask for how long say it is renewable as long as you're employed.

[kiwi_mike]

Well I've worked in the UK before under a Working Holiday Visa Scheme. At the time the visa was very restrictive but I certainly didn't have any problem getting roles (although restricted to contracts).

I'm soon to arrive in the UK under the HSMP. The feedback from recruitment agencies is that they have a great awareness of HSMP. They say it is viewed very positively by potential employers. I think when you apply for roles directly with an employer some of the HR people may not have a full understanding of the HSMP status however. I guess only time will tell!

Personally I feel that being able to say you are a Highly Skilled Migrant is a statement in itself and can only be positive.

Good luck.
Mike

[salman_7777]

Ford,
I had the same concern before moving to UK and I started a thread for input from our fellows. I landed in UK last weekend. I had a recent experience while I visited Accenture stand in a job fair in London. The HR representative told me that Accenture will not hire HSMP or anybody else unless they have ILR. She further told me that Home Office has instructed to give higher priority to candidates from EU than HSMP or other WP guys. In essence, this is the company policy, not to consider a canidate unless he /she has ILR. It was bit frustrating to hear , I did communicate my concern to her, HSMP guys intend to make UK as their permanent home and they may need a little better treatment than this , atleast to qualifiy for a job application.

I went through HO site again, trying to find if there is any such clause preventing employers to hire HSMP migrants.

Cheers.

[Chess]

Ford,
I had a recent experience while I visited Accenture stand in a job fair in London. The HR representative told me that Accenture will not hire HSMP or anybody else unless they have ILR. She further told me that Home Office has instructed to give higher priority to candidates from EU than HSMP or other WP guys. Cheers.

There is no such HO policy - most likely inhouse company (Accenture) policy......but if you are very highly skilled and the company are extremely eager to employ you then such crap rules will be overrulled..

Look for other more understanding employers

Good Luck

[JayGee]

I found that you just dont get a response from companies if you say on HSMP - presumably because they don't know what it is. That fact can be underlined by most visa places inability to recognise what hsmp is all about in Cape Town, South Africa.


Sadly, at least in my humble opinion, it will take some time for companies to understand the meaning of HSMP.

Nevertheless, HO should market the HSMP more vigorously so companies know that they have a bigger pool of candidates and less hassles with work permits.

[chandras]

I am sure thare is no such common policy among HR community over here in UK. It may be an unique case. I moved to Uk with HSMP in Nov 2003 and I am currently working in a permament job. In my experience getting the First job is really tough but possible. All that is required is confidence and perseverance. I took up a contract job intially for 3 months with a low salary. I started getting better responce after updating my CV with my Ist UK job. After 4 months I got a permamnet job. So if you can find a job may be on contract intially ( do not worry abt salary ) and search for a permament job you can expect better responce from the employers.

[JayGee]

Indeed, I was thinking along similiar lines, first get in, then get contract job, then go for the kill, that is getting a permanent job.

[Chess]

Jaygee

Any update on the HSMP review - requestr for additional information? dont forget to come with Castle beer..


Tryafrica has promised to bring 'Zambezi' for Kayalami but not the rest of us

[Vayu]

I had the same concern before moving to UK and I started a thread for input from our fellows. I landed in UK last weekend. I had a recent experience while I visited Accenture stand in a job fair in London. The HR representative told me that Accenture will not hire HSMP or anybody else unless they have ILR. She further told me that Home Office has instructed to give higher priority to candidates from EU than HSMP or other WP guys. In essence, this is the company policy, not to consider a canidate unless he /she has ILR. It was bit frustrating to hear , I did communicate my concern to her, HSMP guys intend to make UK as their permanent home and they may need a little better treatment than this , atleast to qualifiy for a job application.

I went through HO site again, trying to find if there is any such clause preventing employers to hire HSMP migrants.

Thats just not true!. I personally know 3 people working with Accenture who are on work permits. Admittedly they transferred over from Australia but it goes to show that the HR person had no clue.

Another friend recently got hired by PWC in London on a work permit. She applied for the job and they got a work permit as she was the best cantidate for the role.

My advice is not to elaborate, if they ask you if you allowed to work in the UK just say "yes" and leave it at that. HR people are generally a simple bunch who need not be burdened with anything "difficult" like work permit regulations.

[Edited by Cosmopol]

[Cosmopol]

Besides the facts provided by Vayu, I also want to point that such blatant verbal "policy" declarations actually open a big company like Accenture to court litigation. You may have reminded the HR person of that, instead of pressing the "fairness" buttons - they are just not working with her.

[AtW]

Thats just not true!. I personally know 3 people working with Accenture who are on work permits. Admittedly they transferred over from Australia but it goes to show that the HR person had no clue.

Another friend recently got hired by PWC in London on a work permit. She applied for the job and they got a work permit as she was the best cantidate for the role.

The reason PWC, Accenture and others like foreigners is because:
1) they can pay them less
2) they will work without complaints about unpaid overtime due to fear of losing job and having to leave country

These firms take advantage of young and guillible people such as graduates, they may have good PR about how great it is to work for big firms but reality is far different from marketing.

A word of the wise - people with these big names on CVs get more negative than positive, a sizeable number of CV readers bin CVs as soon as they see Accenture and others.

[VAFamily]

I landed in UK last weekend. I had a recent experience while I visited Accenture stand in a job fair in London. The HR representative told me that Accenture will not hire HSMP or anybody else unless they have ILR. She further told me that Home Office has instructed to give higher priority to candidates from EU than HSMP or other WP guys. In essence, this is the company policy, not to consider a canidate unless he /she has ILR. Cheers.

Salman,

Don't get broken up over Accenture - having worked with them on a project here in DC for a NOC buildout I was not impressed. The entire workforce comprosed of clueless 20-somethings that couldn't find the on switch on a 7600 with a manual, flashlight, and Cisco TAC to the phone to guide them. Oh. I need to add that they were 18 months behind schedule and charging the US Taxpayers $10 Million for the project?

Scary, scary, scary company.

[EJ]

Hi, I landed a permanent position as a developer four months before the expiry of my first 12 months on HSMP. I was here on work permit for two years prior to receiving my HSMP. I was made redundant at my previous company where I was an actuarial student for 2.5 yrs. It took me 10 months to get the job I have now. All I can suggest is to keep on looking and register at a few good recruitment agencies. I included a paragraph on my cv explaining my rights to work in the UK under HSMP. In the interview mention to them that there have been no cases of FLR refusal as long as the person is economically active. I don't think all companies are looking for an exceptional candidate before they hire a foreigner, you simply have to be the best of the batch they interviewed. BE CONFIDENT in interviews it shows very quickly if you are afraid you may not get the position.

[gps]

Hi EJ,

You have got perm job 4 months before the expiry of ur 12 months of HMPS, what did u do ur first 8 months ? have u worked as contractor or u was not in UK ? pl let me know. it will give me meny useful answers.

[dokwal]

HSMP VISA is just catching up but

small agencies are not looking at you by saying that you r higly qualifed for any job to survive

reputed agencies will say client is looking permanet resident


still try no need to scare so long you got minimum 5000 to 8000 pound per person , dont bring small kids till renewal , after renewal life may be some what ok

all the best

regadrs

[EJ]

As I said before, I worked in the UK as an actuarial student for 2.75yrs in a permanent position before being made redundant. I go my HSMP during my employment with my previous company. I work in pensions as a developer at the moment.