In retrospect, was migrating to UK on HSMP a wise decision?

[billybreezer]

Hi,

I just wanted to get a flavour of whether people's expectations of migrating to UK on HSMP were met or not. I have a few friends who returned back to Asia after coming to UK on HSMP, working in Tesco's for 6 months...and returning with a sour taste.

A) Are you satisfied with the job(s) you held after migrating?

B) Are you working in the same/better field in the UK, as u were before migrating?

C) Was migrating to UK all that you hoped for?

Hopefully, will give us all, those already migrated and those in the process, an idea of whether the UK lives up to all it promises.

[herts]

I worked in menial jobs here when I came in 2004. Have been here 4 years now, got a good break 1 year ago and quite happy now.
For me the pay scale in India was much less and here even when I worked in menial jobs I could fulfil my desires.
I say if those people are happy working in tesco then who are we to say.

[shockboy2000]

i think people (such as your tesco friends with bad taste in their mouths) tend to forget the highly skilled migrant scheme is to attract highly skilled people to do highly skilled jobs.

the visa is there for applicants to offer the uk something that the uk needs, not the other way around. The hsmp visa doesn't promise riches, fantastic jobs or hot girls...just a means of doing serious work in the uk if you're of a certain calibre. Its up to the individual to continue their career.

i'm amazed people could think they would ever get away with working at tesco etc on the hsmp visa (and be on the easy street to citizenship), and whine when they've been caught out.

i think the key would be to engage in conversations with potential employers before coming over to the UK, to ensure you will be able to get a suitable job once the visa is granted.

a) i'm happy, had a lot more responsibilty in my profession in the uk than i had back home
b) same field
c) i had no expectations other than to be able to work in the uk. so yes, its what i hoped for.

[SYH]

i think people (such as your tesco friends with bad taste in their mouths) tend to forget the highly skilled migrant scheme is to attract highly skilled people to do highly skilled jobs.

That is not what he is saying. They worked at Tesco to be able to live while looking for a job consistent with their skillset. It didn't work out and they left in frustration. They didn't come all this way to work in Tesco and think that's good enough to get citizenship via the Hsmp route.

[vinay shanthi]

i think people (such as your tesco friends with bad taste in their mouths) tend to forget the highly skilled migrant scheme is to attract highly skilled people to do highly skilled jobs.

hsmp scheme is to attract higly skilled. but just because someones circumstances force them to work in tesco does not mean that they are not highly skilled. not every one is loaded with money when they come on the hsmp scheme. also many students would have moved on to the hsmp scheme. so while they were on a job search, people would have worked where ever they could till they got the job that suited their skills.

many have problems getting the 1st job. i know loads of masters people who had problems getting 1st job. meet up with students who did masters in uk and then tried getting jobs. see how many had problems especially if foreigners. then you'll know what the OP is talking about. there are post grad engineers chartered accountants finance people who would have quit jobs and moved here, but obviously things didnt go rosy for everyone. just because it didnt go ok for them doesnt mean they were not highly skilled

[shockboy2000]

i didnt say they werent highly skilled,
even before the change in late 2006 requiring points yet again for renewal, the applicants were deemed highly skilled to have got hsmp visa in the first place.
theyre just not doing what what they should be doing under the visa.

i'll retract the "easy street" comment...it was a bit of a generalisation

maybe the INITIAL hsmp doco, application forms etc need to emphasise more the expectation (which leads to criteria for renewal).
Then applicants understand they need to hit the ground running. i.e. so its not until end of first visa period, when they look at RENEWAL application form, that they see they were expected to be earning 40K (or whatever combination of age,$,degree).

this, i feel, would ensure people have a serious think before applying of likelihood of finding suitable job when they arrive...which would start with contacting employers from their home country/before switching to hsmp as i was eluding to in prev mail.[/i]

anyway, dont know why im defending it...i'm sure it'll change and affect me in the future since im not bothering to obtain higher degrees etc...

[billybreezer]

i didnt say they werent highly skilled,
even before the change in late 2006 requiring points yet again for renewal, the applicants were deemed highly skilled to have got hsmp visa in the first place.
theyre just not doing what what they should be doing under the visa.

i'll retract the "easy street" comment...it was a bit of a generalisation

maybe the INITIAL hsmp doco, application forms etc need to emphasise more the expectation (which leads to criteria for renewal).
Then applicants understand they need to hit the ground running. i.e. so its not until end of first visa period, when they look at RENEWAL application form, that they see they were expected to be earning 40K (or whatever combination of age,$,degree).

this, i feel, would ensure people have a serious think before applying of likelihood of finding suitable job when they arrive...which would start with contacting employers from their home country/before switching to hsmp as i was eluding to in prev mail.[/i]

anyway, dont know why im defending it...i'm sure it'll change and affect me in the future since im not bothering to obtain higher degrees etc...

Shock Boy...SYH is right that u were not able to comprehend the Original Post.....The tesco workers I am referring to are ALL highly skilled in their fields and their occupation is in SHORTAGE in the UK....two of them were outstanding young achievers in their respective countries...even record holders... They did not expect rosy scenarios.

My intent was to ask whether it is the UK government which paints a rosy picture for would be migrants.. For example my gf is a double masters from her country and a teacher at the NO1 school in her country...but when she got here and realized that schools here are mostly over run by yobs with no concept of discipline...she has since become a nanny.

Do other people have such experiences too?

Regards

[herts]

Billybreezer, so did you friends from tesco manage to find jobs in their field in their country now ?

[billybreezer]

Billybreezer, so did you friends from tesco manage to find jobs in their field in their country now ?

Yes, they are doing well..because they already had work experience with premier companies....just that the grass on the UK side seemed greener to them from there...especially because one can never earn the same amount in monetary terms back home. My gf makes more as a nanny here than she used to as an administrator at the topmost school in philippines, but is very unhappy here because in the end a nanny is a nanny, and her english language skills are going down the drain. Might have somthing to do with Maslow's heirarchy of needs.

[herts]

Thats right what you said billy.
When I was working in my home country, my relatives used to come there for holidays and say, what I am earning there as an engineer is very less, come to UK and even if I do low profile jobs, I would earn 10 times more, wow cool, but they didn't tell me half the money earnes would be spent in rent and some more in bills and all. In the end I used to save the same I used to earn in my home country. Anyway things are lot better now, no worries...

[hk_007]

I am surprised that just because one has been granted HSMP, one will uproot their lives without having a job offer in hand before coming to the UK. Some are risk-takers and probably things do not fall in place either because they have misjudged the market or failed to do proper research on their prospects. I am sure the most content are the ones who are able to apply their knowledge and experience in their present jobs. On the other hand this could also throw up an opportunity to get into something that one would have never thought of in the first place and excel in it.