If you plan to work in the UK, you will need a work permit unless you are:
An EEA or Swiss national, a family member of an EEA or Swiss national, a citizen of Gibraltar, a Commonwealth citizen with permission to stay in the UK on the basis of UK Ancestry, a seaman under contract to join a ship due to leave British waters, you are a civilian in NATO Forces, given permission to stay as a dependant of a someone settled in the UK .
There are six types of work permits.
1. Business and commercial
2. Sportspeople and entertainers
3. Internship
4. GATS (Global Agreement on Trade in Services)
5. Sectors Based Scheme (SBS)
6. Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES)
The Business and commercial permit is for UK employers to recruit people from outside the EEA to fill a vacancy that may otherwise be filled by a 'resident worker'. The employer must fill out form WP1 when applying for first work permits, Multiple Entry Work Permits and for changes of employment or use form WP1X for extensions to existing work permits. This permit cannot be used for unskilled jobs or self-employment. The permit can be made for up to five years.
The Sportspeople and entertainers permit allows UK to employ established sportspeople, entertainers, cultural artists and some technical/support people from outside the EEA. Employers must fill out form WP3 when applying for first work permits, Multiple Entry Work Permits and for changes of employment or use WP3X for extensions to existing work permits. The permit for sportspeople can be for up to five years but for entertainers it is only issued on a short-term basis to cover the work.
Internship permits allows students from outside the EEA studying first or higher degree courses overseas to do an internship in the UK. The employer must fill out form WPSI when making an Internship application. You must be a student at a college or university overseas and only work at companies that have a significant trading presence in the UK and other countries. The permit will last for a maximum of three months and be good for one employer. Students that do not need permission for an internship are those from the EEA, Switzerland, British Overseas Territories, spouses of admitted foreign nationals, commonwealth nationals with a grandparent born in the UK and new EU member states (Czech; Estonian; Hungarian; Latvian; Lithuanian; Polish; Slovakian; Slovenian nationals will still need to register one month after arriving).
GATS (Global Agreement on Trade in Services) for companies based outside the European Union to work in the UK on a service contract awarded by a UK-based organization. The company abroad needs to apply using the application form GATSA.
The GATS agreement is only for countries who are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and who have signed up to the agreement. The permit is only god for up to three months in a twelve-month period. The permit is only given to these sectors:
Legal services
Accountancy services
Bookkeeping services
Taxation advisory services
Architectural services, urban planning and landscape architectural services
These sectors must meet the economic needs tests showing that the UK contractor has shown why the award needs to go to an organization outside the EU.
Engineering services
Integrated engineering services
Advertising
Management consulting services
Services relating to management consulting
Technical testing and analysis services
Translation services
Site investigation services
Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) permit is for workers from outside the EEA to do low-skilled work in the food manufacturing industry for up to 12 months. Employers must fill out form SB1 when applying for an SBS work permit or a change of employment under these arrangements or form SB1X for an extension to an existing work permit. Go into detail about which jobs are covered?
Who Qualifies:
All non-European Union nationals aged between 18 and 30 qualify but you must apply from outside the UK after a UK employer, who is advertising in your country offers you a job. The employer will have to apply for a work permit for you. Once you have your work permit, you must apply for entry clearance or a visa at your nearest British Diplomatic post before traveling to the UK. Nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland or Slovenia do not need a visa or entry clearance and can present their work permit to an immigration officer on arrival in the UK. You may not bring dependents.
Duration of permit:
The permit to work is for up to 12 months and you are expected to leave when your permit expires and reapply for the scheme after two months outside the UK. You can stay longer if there is work but only up to twelve months a the most. You may change jobs but only if it is the same type of work, your stay does not exceed twelve months and if your new employer applies for a new permit before you start. You may not however change out of the scheme into full time employment status, as you must leave the UK to submit an application.
Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES) for people from outside the EEA to participate in work-based training. To qualify for TWES, you must hold a valid TWES work permit and be able to carry out the training or work experience, intend to leave the UK after the training, be between the ages of 16 and 65, not intend to take work outside the permit, and be able to support yourself and your dependants with government assistance. Employers must fill out form WP1 when applying for first work permits and for changes of employment or use WP1X for extensions to existing work permits. The decision to grant the permit is based on a genuine need for the person to do work-based training or gain work experience. The permit will not be granted for self-employment, sports or entertainment sector workers or Multiple Entry Work Permits.
Multiple-entry work permits (MEWPs) are for employees traveling regularly for short periods with the same employer in the UK and is valid for between six months and two years for individual work permit holders. For sportspeople and groups of entertainers the maximum period is 12 months. To qualify you must be able to support yourself without needing government assistance or another job and cannot bring your spouse or dependents.
Who does NOT need a work permit ?
The following people do NOT need work permits:
European Economic Area (EEA) nationals (member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).
Citizens of Switzerland.
British Overseas Territories Citizens except those from Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. (Those included are Anguila, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands and dependencies, Gibraltar, Monserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena and Dependencies and Turks and Caicos Islands).
Commonwealth citizens who show that a grandparent was born in the UK.
Spouses, unmarried partners and dependant children under 18, of people who hold work permits, or those listed below as long as the endorsement in their passport places no restriction on their employment here.
Nationals of some of the new EU Accession member states working in the UK will be subject to the Worker Registration Scheme, in which they register within one month of starting work for an employer in the UK. The following nationals will need to register: Czech; Estonian; Hungarian; Latvian; Lithuanian; Polish; Slovakian; Slovenian. Nationals of Malta and Cyprus working in the UK are not subject to this scheme and can apply for a residence permit now.
These non-nationals do not need a work permit but still need a visa and to obtain entry clearance before traveling:
Business people coming to the UK to set up a new business or to take over or join an existing business as a partner or director, or as a sole trader.
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