T1 - General Extension - Is it worth the risk???

[an_gie]

Hi,

I got my T1 General Visa in Feb 2011 for a period of two years. I worked in UK till June 2011 and had to return back to India for personal reasons. In the mean time I took a well paying job in India and have been working since July 2011. Now I want to return back to the UK for extension in Feb 2013. I am currently ok with my India position but if I dont return, I lose the chance for ever.

My questions are:
- I have seen people getting UK contracts from India. Is it possible?
- How good is the IT job market if I land in UK in May 2012 (have a 3 month notice in India)?
- Am I able to employ my husband so that the earnings don't fall short?

Appreciate if someone can point to a good contract company.

Regards - Angie

[BobbyUKENG]

Hi,

I got my T1 General Visa in Feb 2011 for a period of two years. I worked in UK till June 2011 and had to return back to India for personal reasons. In the mean time I took a well paying job in India and have been working since July 2011. Now I want to return back to the UK for extension in Feb 2013. I am currently ok with my India position but if I dont return, I lose the chance for ever.

My questions are:
- I have seen people getting UK contracts from India. Is it possible?
- How good is the IT job market if I land in UK in May 2012 (have a 3 month notice in India)?
- Am I able to employ my husband so that the earnings don't fall short?

Appreciate if someone can point to a good contract company.

Regards - Angie

Hello
Well that's true, you will be missing as tier 1 have being closed now for good, coming to the other aspect, for your ILR you have to go for other extension because you were out side for a long time and all those days will be counted. Well if you get a job all your problems are solved, coming regarding the IT market, no one can say any thing, all depends upon luck. Many people they managed to get a job in a week. Also there are many people who got nearly 5- 7 Years of experience still not able to manage to get a hold. All depends upon your luck.
Thanks

[an_gie]

Thanks Bobby... the dilemma continues.

Any more suggestions anyone - I have around 10 years experience - working as a manager in an IT giant.

[QuickSam]

I don't believe in luck. I believe in only one thing 'if you have the balls, there are always options'.

UK contracts from India: I don't think contracts work that way but it all depends on the client. I would suggest moving to UK and then searching for contract / perm work.

IT Job Market: IT job market has always been and will always be the same for people who have the right skill and attitude. It doesn't matter whether there is a recession or not.

Employing your husband: You can employ your husband but his earnings won't count towards your extension. He can show his savings for his dependant extension (assuming he is your dependant) but the earnings that would be accounted for would be the main applicant's earnings.

***Personal suggestion:
-Move to UK
-Look for a contract job in May
-If you do get a contract job, you would be able to extend based on your earnings for 6 months itself (given you get a rate in excess of £250+)

Out of curiosity, I want to know which skill would you be looking to get a job in? Are you looking for a managerial position in IT?

[an_gie]

Thanks QuickSam - PM'd you.

[theroyale]

I would second what QuickSam has said. I have been an IT contractor in the UK (moved here from India) for a few years now, and in my opinion your ability to land work depends on (1) communication (spoken english) skills, (2) assertiveness, and (3) some luck. In that order.

I've known people very good technically but who lacked 1 and 2 - they ended up packing bags and going back. People who have 1 and 2 can get to all sorts of places very quickly in the UK IT contracting world, given you can "move up the ladder" every 2-3 months.

The contract market looks pretty good at the moment, and especially since the new year there have been floods of emails from (well-known) recruiters for contract roles. The rates seem to have fallen a bit though.

Another suggestion (in addition to QuickSam's) would be to not let go of your job in India, so come to London for about a month and hunt for jobs.

Also depends on your skill set, of course.

PS: If you haven't done this already, go on to jobserve.co.uk and sign up for email alerts within your skillset, for both perm and contracting jobs. Will give you an idea of what's out there.

[an_gie]

Thanks theroyale... leaving without resigning is not an option but if the market's good, I guess its worth a try.