If you are not a citizen of the United Kingdom or a national of European Union or European Economic Area, then you will require a work permit to allow you to work in the United Kingdom. There is a special scheme known as Highly Skilled Migrant Program or HSMP in short. The program provides highly skilled people with a degree and work experience the freedom to come to the Great Britain and seek work without obtaining any prior work permit. Those people who are allowed to work in UK through the HSMP route are granted access to the country for two years. Even after this two year period is over, the person would be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom in case the person could prove that the person is still in a full time employment even after the two year period is over. Other people would require regular work permit to enable them to work in the UK.



In case of work permit, the person is not allowed to apply for it. The potential employer of the person will have to apply to get work permit on behalf of the person so that he or she could work for the employer. In case, you are granted a work permit, it is specific to the employer who applied for it. With this work permit, you cannot seek employment with any other employer. Unfortunately, a person working on a contract is not eligible for a work permit.

The employer who is applying for work visa has to prove that the person, who has been recommended for work permit, is experienced enough to be eligible for a work permit. To be eligible for a work permit, the person must have a qualification that is equivalent degree in the United Kingdom along with minimum three years experience at the senior level, or a HND level occupation or a NVQ at a level three or above. The employer will also have to provide evidence that they have made satisfactory efforts to hire a citizen from the United Union or European Union for that position and have failed in that effort. For this, they have to dhow the advertisement for that job.

In case, you could get Indefinite Leave to Remain granted by the authorities then you would not require any work permit for working in the UK. Also, spouse of a UK citizen or a work permit holder along with all commonwealth citizens holding ancestry visa need not apply for work permit. To get the permission for Leave to Remain would require the person to live and work in the United Kingdom for at least five years.

There is another list known as Skills Occupational Shortage list. Persons who would like to work in these occupations would not have much difficulty to find work.

These are the rules you have to follow to to work in the Great Britain.