Do I need to go to an agency for a work permit?

[umbriel]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

I'm currently holding a student visa which will expire at the end of January. My employer had already advertised this position I applied for for a few weeks on national career service websites such as reed.co.uk, totaljobs.com and according to him they've received more than 400 applications for 3 posts. After the final round interview, the employer was quite satisfied with my performance but he said my visa status might be a problem.

My question is, how much chance do you think I have to obtain a work permit? Can I use the existing advertisement to apply? The salary of this position starts from 22,000 for the first year, do you think that would be enough to apply?

I'm quite worried about this whole thing, please give me some advice! Thanks a lot!

[umbriel]

By the way, I have never been working before, but holding a MSc degree and this position is a sales consultant assistant. Thanks!

[John]

Let's just review the ground rules for WPs. Unless a particular type is on the Occupation Shortage List it is necessary for the employer to advertise the job, and as necessary not just in the UK but also in the rest of the EEA. Only if such advertising produces no one capable of filling the position might it be possible to apply for a WP for someone from outside the EEA.

So as you say the job is "sales consultant assistant" and also "they've received more than 400 applications for 3 posts" ... sorry to say .... there is no chance of them being able to get a WP for you, or indeed any other non-EEA citizen.

Quite simply, it will be easily possible to fill the 3 vacancies from British Citizens, or others from the EEA.

[umbriel]

Thank you John.

It is actually a manager training programme they wanna run within the company. They aimed to cultivate the right candidate so that he/she would be able to become a qualified manager/senior executive within the company. I'm multilingual, have experience studying in the US and I'm from the media background which they required.

Do you still think I have little chance to get a WP? I really don't want to give it up at this stage since I've spent so much effort on this and I really like the position.

[John]

Simply this ... if they are unable to fill the vacancy from within the UK or the rest of the EEA then they could indeed apply for a WP for you.

But (of course) knowing nothing about those 400 candidates it is impossible to say whether there is a suitable candidate, or not.

[Dawie]

Regarding the subject of your post "Do I need to go to an agency for a work permit?", this decision isn't really yours to make as it is your company who has to apply for the work permit, not you.

Don't forget that in order for your work permit application to succeed they will have to justify why each one of those 400 people are not suitable for the job and why you are (assuming those 400 people are all EU citizens).

[pantaiema]

"Can I use the existing advertisement to apply?"

Your prospective employers need to apply work permit for you, Not the visa agency.

They need to do "Labor Market test" to satisfy the work permit requirement, NOT you.
It will normally quite difficult to prove this in your areas (but not impossible) "sales consultant assistant"
Reason:
Communication Skills is definitely needed. How could your English is better then Bristish People.
UK/EU Expirience; British People, EU people is definitely better then Non UK/EU

What reason could the company give to justify this ?
Normally it will work if they could prove there are not enough people in the UK/EU.

Pantaiema

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

I'm currently holding a student visa which will expire at the end of January. My employer had already advertised this position I applied for for a few weeks on national career service websites such as reed.co.uk, totaljobs.com and according to him they've received more than 400 applications for 3 posts. After the final round interview, the employer was quite satisfied with my performance but he said my visa status might be a problem.

My question is, how much chance do you think I have to obtain a work permit? Can I use the existing advertisement to apply? The salary of this position starts from 22,000 for the first year, do you think that would be enough to apply?

I'm quite worried about this whole thing, please give me some advice! Thanks a lot!