Change of Work permit

[kimleach]

Hi
I was wondering if anyone can help.

I have been here for 4 years this month and working on a work permit. I am a CAD Technician and have been doing this for 20 years (in SA before coming here in 2002). We were eagerly waiting to apply for ILR this August only to have the rules change in April - so we were 4 months short (not fair!!). Anyway I am really sick of my job and have been offered my dream job - Chritian Youth Worker! I have been doing it for 4 years now on a voluntary basis and have become quite involved and have loads of experience.

We have applied for a work permit, but because of the nature of the job they did not approve it. I have looked at switching to an entry clearance in the religious field (i.e. minister,missionary etc.) which they said I could do, but then they say I will loose my 4 years and have to start again in accumulating years for ILR. Is this true?

Does anybody know of any other way to change? If my husband gets a work permit for his job (he is currently my dependant) and I become his dependant instead do we also loose our 4 year status? Is there some way we can try and apply for ILR seeing as though we haven't been out the country since coming over in September 2002?

HELP!!!

Thanks
Kim

[rooi_ding]

Hi Kim

I am sorry to say due to the UK’s knee jerk reaction to immigration and the antiquated immigration rules they have in place, each visa is treated separately and the only time they allow for several visas to be joined together for ILR is under the 10yr rule (10yrs continues legal stay). I have been in the UK for 8yrs now and I was 2 months shy of getting ILR when they changed the rules.

There is an ongoing campaign to get the rules changed and even a legal case against the Home office you can read about it at the www.vbsi.org.uk otherwise try to see out the year. I am sure that if it is meant to be then the dream job will come up again

[Dawie]

Don't forget that time spent on work permit and time spent on an HSMP visa also count together.

Do you not perhaps qualify for an HSMP visa? If you switched over to an HSMP visa you would be able to work in whatever field you wanted to AND your ILR "clock" would not be reset (for ILR after 5 years).

Any other combination of switching between visas will reset the ILR clock unless you're aiming for the 10 year rule.