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Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Only for the UK Skilled Worker visas, formerly known as Tier 2 visa route

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Tier2wurker
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Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Tier2wurker » Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm

Hi,

I am an experienced IT professional with 15 years of work experience and recently have obtained a Tier 2 general visa.

My employer has a 3 month contract to get me started on , but I believe I might have to look for work myself once this contract ends to avoid further complexities with the visa etc.

My understanding has been that my employer/sponsor can contract out an employees services to other entities while the employee remains on the sponsors payroll.
I have recently been talking to recruiters and they kind of shy away when I let them know that I am on a Tier2 work permit and will contract via my sponsoring firm. Has anyone else been in a similar scenario. Is this something that only I am facing or is it a issue in general with recruiting firms.

Is it really hard (impossible) to find contract work while on a Tier 2 general visa? Will appreciate your comments and opinion.

Thank you,
Tier2Wurker

bsc2007
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India

Post by bsc2007 » Tue Dec 24, 2013 11:23 am

One of my friends had the same problem. They don't tend to entertain this kind of 'complexity' for some strange reason... :(

bluez
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Post by bluez » Tue Dec 24, 2013 4:16 pm

my first post here :)

mate, I have been on Tier 2 G for 18 months now. I did come across this when I have started my contract work. I do agree there are few agencies who do not entertain Tier 2 but there are loads of agencies who don't care as long as it is legal and proper WP.

Most importantly it depends on who you manage the conversation, try to hold the conversation by explaining your skills and why you are the best candidate for the role. Most importantly do not disclose your visa until the agent ask you, even if he ask you start saying that you have valid for 2 or 3 years (Whatever period it is valid) and it is Tier 2 G and I don't need any sponsorship. What I have found with my experience is most of the agents out there don't even know what VISA rules and their details. Only thing they would expect to hear is ILR or citizen or Tier 1. When you start saying other VISA they get worried and try to stop the conversation there itself. Hopefully it works out for you mate. I know how it feels when you were rejected for the first few times. I was there for a month in the situation hating myself for being on Tier 2. But at the end of the day I am happy about my decision. Good Luck to you. Hold your breath and try till the last minute. Pray.

Tier2wurker
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Post by Tier2wurker » Thu Dec 26, 2013 4:33 am

bluez wrote:my first post here :)

mate, I have been on Tier 2 G for 18 months now. I did come across this when I have started my contract work. I do agree there are few agencies who do not entertain Tier 2 but there are loads of agencies who don't care as long as it is legal and proper WP.

Most importantly it depends on who you manage the conversation, try to hold the conversation by explaining your skills and why you are the best candidate for the role. Most importantly do not disclose your visa until the agent ask you, even if he ask you start saying that you have valid for 2 or 3 years (Whatever period it is valid) and it is Tier 2 G and I don't need any sponsorship. What I have found with my experience is most of the agents out there don't even know what VISA rules and their details. Only thing they would expect to hear is ILR or citizen or Tier 1. When you start saying other VISA they get worried and try to stop the conversation there itself. Hopefully it works out for you mate. I know how it feels when you were rejected for the first few times. I was there for a month in the situation hating myself for being on Tier 2. But at the end of the day I am happy about my decision. Good Luck to you. Hold your breath and try till the last minute. Pray.
Hi Bluez,

Many thanks for the comment. Its indeed heartening to hear from someone who has been thru this! :)

Will be interesting to hear about how long was it before you landed your first contract. I start my hunt from mid January so any suggestions that you have will certainly be valuable.

Cheers,
Tier2Wurker

onlooker
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Post by onlooker » Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:38 am

I've been in the same situation for a few years. It tend to be banks and larger companies that have a problem with Tier 2 consultants, but not the majority of businesses.

Remember that you do not have to disclose your exact visa status to a recruiter over the phone. You can just say that you don't know what tier it is, it was made for you and you know that it's OK to do contract work. If they persist, you can say that you can find out later if you're interested enough. If they request that in an email, well, you can say it as it is or ignore it and if they call say you're no longer interested.

In practice this will almost never happen before the interview. And if it's after and the feedback is positive, they will be much more cooperative. If you don't make it to the interview, you would at least avoid being marked as a Tier 2.

In general, remember that talking to recruiters is not a genuine conversation, it is a form of ADVERTISING. Be confident, say absolutely anything that benefits you as you're not lying, and firmly avoid talk about anything else.

Good luck.

Tier2wurker
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Post by Tier2wurker » Fri Dec 27, 2013 5:55 am

onlooker wrote:I've been in the same situation for a few years. It tend to be banks and larger companies that have a problem with Tier 2 consultants, but not the majority of businesses.

Remember that you do not have to disclose your exact visa status to a recruiter over the phone. You can just say that you don't know what tier it is, it was made for you and you know that it's OK to do contract work. If they persist, you can say that you can find out later if you're interested enough. If they request that in an email, well, you can say it as it is or ignore it and if they call say you're no longer interested.

In practice this will almost never happen before the interview. And if it's after and the feedback is positive, they will be much more cooperative. If you don't make it to the interview, you would at least avoid being marked as a Tier 2.

In general, remember that talking to recruiters is not a genuine conversation, it is a form of ADVERTISING. Be confident, say absolutely anything that benefits you as you're not lying, and firmly avoid talk about anything else.

Good luck.
Many Thanks Onlooker. That's precious advice , will ensure that I do it correctly.

Is this mostly a teething kind of a problem or does it persist every-time you look for a new contract?

tier2user
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you just have to keeep trying

Post by tier2user » Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:51 am

You just have to keep trying. As per Tier2 work visa General category, one should not look for a job/contract again. Its the headache of the employer to find a suitable opportunity. Anyways, good luck. Better prepare for the worst because I was about to leave UK n I was in the same position. I was lucky enough to get a permanent position, which saved me from few issues.

Tier2wurker
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Re: you just have to keeep trying

Post by Tier2wurker » Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:09 am

tier2user wrote:You just have to keep trying. As per Tier2 work visa General category, one should not look for a job/contract again. Its the headache of the employer to find a suitable opportunity. Anyways, good luck. Better prepare for the worst because I was about to leave UK n I was in the same position. I was lucky enough to get a permanent position, which saved me from few issues.
Thanks mate , would also like to know how long should I look till I abandon the search? I was thinking it could take about a month or so , whats your opinion/personal experience been?
As staying in London without work is a considerable drain on the pocket as well..

onlooker
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Post by onlooker » Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:30 pm

Asking how long to find a contract on a Tier 2 is the same as asking how long to find a job. It all depends on who is looking.

I only had to look twice in three years and was successful in less than a month. There were some opportunities which I had to drop because Tier 2 issue arised, but not many.

It is always a good idea to check with your Tier 2 sponsor whether they have worked with a company and/or agency you are approaching. Sometimes they will already have established a relationship which will make things a lot easier.

Good luck.

Tier2wurker
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Post by Tier2wurker » Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:23 am

onlooker wrote:Asking how long to find a contract on a Tier 2 is the same as asking how long to find a job. It all depends on who is looking.

I only had to look twice in three years and was successful in less than a month. There were some opportunities which I had to drop because Tier 2 issue arised, but not many.

It is always a good idea to check with your Tier 2 sponsor whether they have worked with a company and/or agency you are approaching. Sometimes they will already have established a relationship which will make things a lot easier.

Good luck.
Thank you onlooker for your precious input. :)

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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by tier2user » Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:47 pm

Firstly, I totally agree with onlooker. secondly, you know there is no definite time because experience,skill, market timing matters. one thing consultants(start up companies who've licenses) who offer visa, they are exploiting few rules and sometimes as we want to continue working/stay in UK, we get to put a blind eye to the blind side. However, I wish you all the very best Tier2wurker

Venkatp
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Venkatp » Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:45 am

Hi All,

Can someone share any known consultants details who are OK to proceed with Tier 2 General visa candidates.

Thanks.

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Frontier Mole
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Frontier Mole » Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:38 am

Tier 2 does not allow the supply of labour only to third parties so that is why agencies do not entertain t2 candidates. Those that do are taking a massive risk as they now get fined upto £20k.
UKVI are now tasking this type of abuse far more readily on two fronts. Vists to the agencies to fine them and the revocation of the Tier 2 sponsors licence thereafter. Curtailment of the "employees" visas then follows.

If you hunt this forum you will see a couple of recent posts all pointing to this.

onlooker
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by onlooker » Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:17 pm

It may not allow "supply of labour", but it does allow supply of company's services on customer's premises. If the company is, for example, an IT consultancy, it may very well provide software development services by posting its developer on the client's site. The contract does have to be direct (no agency in between) and a HO auditor may turn up on site. But this in itself is by no means a breach of immigration law. One consultancy I know briefed their consultants pretty thoroughly on this and covered their backs with additional paperwork and a staff compliance lawyer.

That said, going this route is NOT a good idea for most people at this time. One reason is that it has become very difficult to find companies that will accept contract terms required to make it work. Recruiters will often not even put you forward as they did a few years ago. Another issue is the much higher than average risk of losing your sponsorship because the sponsor or some other employee of theirs does something wrong and their license is suspended or revoked.

However, if you are sure that you can swing the contract on your terms and get another sponsor quickly if a problem occurs, it is definitely something to consider as you can make 50-70% more than being an ordinary permanent employee.

neo167
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by neo167 » Sun Nov 23, 2014 1:01 am

As per the new guidelines Nov 6th, sponsor company should have direct contract with the client and not the recruitment agency.

This clearly is a HUGE disadvantage, since its almost impossible to get in direct touch with a client for contracting. I know there are ways to do this via Linkedin etc. but that is too limited.

Earlier, this agency route was atleast okay and there would had been many agenices ready, but after this rule, it seems these agencies will not entertain at all.

So it will be a very very risky decision to still go for such umbrella company sponsoring from here on. This would also apply for those who already have been place by these agencies. These guys may see the difficulty soon or may be at the time of renewing the contract.

An applicant must not
be:
 An agency worker, hired to a third party to fill a position with
them, whether temporary or permanent, regardless of any contract
between the sponsor and any employment agency or employment business.
 Contracted to undertake an ongoing routine role or to provide an
ongoing routine service for the third party, regardless of the length
of any contract between the sponsor and another party

neo167
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by neo167 » Sun Nov 23, 2014 1:01 am

As per the new guidelines Nov 6th, sponsor company should have direct contract with the client and not the recruitment agency.

This clearly is a HUGE disadvantage, since its almost impossible to get in direct touch with a client for contracting. I know there are ways to do this via Linkedin etc. but that is too limited.

Earlier, this agency route was atleast okay and there would had been many agenices ready, but after this rule, it seems these agencies will not entertain at all.

So it will be a very very risky decision to still go for such umbrella company sponsoring from here on. This would also apply for those who already have been place by these agencies. These guys may see the difficulty soon or may be at the time of renewing the contract.

An applicant must not
be:
 An agency worker, hired to a third party to fill a position with
them, whether temporary or permanent, regardless of any contract
between the sponsor and any employment agency or employment business.
 Contracted to undertake an ongoing routine role or to provide an
ongoing routine service for the third party, regardless of the length
of any contract between the sponsor and another party

neo167
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Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 10:08 am

Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by neo167 » Sun Nov 23, 2014 1:02 am

As per the new guidelines Nov 6th, sponsor company should have direct contract with the client and not the recruitment agency.

This clearly is a HUGE disadvantage, since its almost impossible to get in direct touch with a client for contracting. I know there are ways to do this via Linkedin etc. but that is too limited.

Earlier, this agency route was atleast okay and there would had been many agenices ready, but after this rule, it seems these agencies will not entertain at all.

So it will be a very very risky decision to still go for such umbrella company sponsoring from here on. This would also apply for those who already have been place by these agencies. These guys may see the difficulty soon or may be at the time of renewing the contract.

An applicant must not
be:
 An agency worker, hired to a third party to fill a position with
them, whether temporary or permanent, regardless of any contract
between the sponsor and any employment agency or employment business.
 Contracted to undertake an ongoing routine role or to provide an
ongoing routine service for the third party, regardless of the length
of any contract between the sponsor and another party

goldsurfer
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India

Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by goldsurfer » Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:26 am

neo167 wrote:As per the new guidelines Nov 6th, sponsor company should have direct contract with the client and not the recruitment agency.

This clearly is a HUGE disadvantage, since its almost impossible to get in direct touch with a client for contracting. I know there are ways to do this via Linkedin etc. but that is too limited.

Earlier, this agency route was atleast okay and there would had been many agenices ready, but after this rule, it seems these agencies will not entertain at all.

So it will be a very very risky decision to still go for such umbrella company sponsoring from here on. This would also apply for those who already have been place by these agencies. These guys may see the difficulty soon or may be at the time of renewing the contract.

An applicant must not
be:
 An agency worker, hired to a third party to fill a position with
them, whether temporary or permanent, regardless of any contract
between the sponsor and any employment agency or employment business.
 Contracted to undertake an ongoing routine role or to provide an
ongoing routine service for the third party, regardless of the length
of any contract between the sponsor and another party

Hi Guys,
I am just about to apply for a T2 visa , arrive in UK by mid Jan and start looking for contracting jobs. My consultant says he will line up interviews but I am guessing that he will use the same websites to market my CV and get me interview calls.
Now reading all posts in this topic has made me very skeptical about the whole thing.Please advice if it will be hard to get a contracting job via this route.

malar82
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by malar82 » Wed Nov 26, 2014 1:35 pm

I just hate this Tier 2 General Visa.. I don't know who is the creator of Tier 2. Seriously my mind f**ked.. I'm really fed-up..

Tier2GeneralIT
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Tier2GeneralIT » Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:48 pm

Hi Folks,

What is status now on contract jobs pls? I am going to apply for Tier-2G and your advice would be highly beneficial to understand the situation and decide accordingly to come to the UK or not.

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Frontier Mole
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Frontier Mole » Thu Feb 19, 2015 11:36 pm

If you mean contracting as in solely the supply of labour only services to third parties then that is illegal under tier 2. It is simple equation. If you are 100% directed 100% of the time in the supply of a service in a defined outcome in a defined time scale by the Sponsor then that is fine.
Anything less than that is the supply of labour and is not allowed under tier 2.

tier2visa11
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Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by tier2visa11 » Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:24 pm

hi, my company can sponsor you the tier 2 General visa if you have a contract job, if you meet this requirement, please PM me for more details.

Wanderer
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Ireland

Re: Finding contract jobs while on a Tier 2 General visa

Post by Wanderer » Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:53 pm

tier2visa11 wrote:hi, my company can sponsor you the tier 2 General visa if you have a contract job, if you meet this requirement, please PM me for more details.
Which is illegal, this is most likely a scam. Avoid.
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