Tier 2 and RLMT for PhD level job - existing employee

Hi everyone,
Newcomer to this forum and have been combing through the available guidance on gov.uk and hoping to get thoughts on a few questions.

My current T5 visa expires in 6 months and I'm looking to shift to a T2 at some point. I'm an existing employee for a large department in the civil service, so obviously everything needs to be done properly.

1. I'm reasonably confident that my job is a PhD level job. It's a niche area so the job title won't be found in the SOC, but is very much consistent with the job description. How do we make the determination that it's the correct job classification? Is there anything else that needs to be provided apart from the job description?

2. I'm aware I still need to go through the RLMT. My business unit is already going on a recruitment exercise to hire an additional person in my current role. I thought I could use this as an opportunity to put my role through the RLMT. I would assume this means they need to advertise 2 roles rather than 1, so my questions are:

a) Would I need to apply for my own job and go through the entire application/interview process? I had to originally write a detailed proposal and go through multiple interviews.

b) If a suitable candidates are found during the RLMT (i.e. they find people more suitable than me), could they hire just 1 but not the other? This is because my role wouldn't actually be vacant till 6 months time when my T5 ends.

I'm aware that PhD level jobs have advantages in the RLMT but I'm not counting on anything. Would be grateful for any thoughts

Are you here as T5 YMS?

If yes then the whole RLMT would apply from the start and you have to return home to apply for a Tier 2 visa.

If the role is classed a a PhD role, it still has to meet a SOC that allows RLMT exemption. So it is important that the SOC is known.

Would you have to interview etc all from the start - yes. If an individual was found from the settled work force they would take precedence over you as long as they meet the minimum criteria. Even if you are more qualified etc.

As a Government Department you will have to go though a whole series of protocols that are different this time round for a substantive full time role.

My experience of this process mixed with Tier 2 suggests it is onerous and very drawn out.

Frontier Mole wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:51 am

Are you here as T5 YMS?

If yes then the whole RLMT would apply from the start and you have to return home to apply for a Tier 2 visa.

If the role is classed a a PhD role, it still has to meet a SOC that allows RLMT exemption. So it is important that the SOC is known.

Would you have to interview etc all from the start - yes. If an individual was found from the settled work force they would take precedence over you as long as they meet the minimum criteria. Even if you are more qualified etc.

As a Government Department you will have to go though a whole series of protocols that are different this time round for a substantive full time role.

My experience of this process mixed with Tier 2 suggests it is onerous and very drawn out.

Hi Frontier Mole, yes I am on a T5 YMS and am aware of the requirement to return home to apply.

Would you mind sharing what you found particularly onerous in your experience? Is there anything that I should pay special attention to or raise awareness of?

I guess my immediate focus is on the RLMT - based on the guidance I found on 'supporting evidence', government already keeps records of most of the things it asks for (job descriptions, length of advertisement, scoring of applicants etc).

Do you have an advice on how to manage the RLMT process? i.e. should they be doing anything differently from a normal recruitment exercise?

The Government Recruitment Service GRS is the usual place for substantive external Civil Service roles to be advertised and managed through.
The first round of recruitment will automatically exclude you from the process as it will sift you out as not meeting the criteria- you are not settled in the UK. So if someone is deemed suitable then you are out the race before it even starts.
The question is - is your Department going to find any other suitable candidates with your skill sets? If there is a suitable candidate they are not likely to buck the system because the checks and balances they have to meet are not going to let them pick you over a settled suitable candidate. Hence it becomes an onerous system that is not designed to get people in the role quickly or search readily for overseas talent.

Assuming no suitable candidate is found then the Department will then us their Tier 2 licence to request a restricted COS. Once issued it is back home to apply.

Is there anything you need to look out for - no - that is for your employer to deal with the matter.

GRS are very risk adverse and cautious so it is not a simple matter to go through the hoops to get to a point where a COS is readily issued.

Don’t get disheartened it can and does happen, it just takes a long time.