Right to Abode/Work Permit Accounting Sponsors?

[raniwza]

Hi

This year will be my 8th year in the UK under student/spouse visa. I have 2 years of UK accounting experiences and managed to get exemptions for ACCA from my first degree accounting experience in the UK.

I am calling for help for advices that can enable me to obtain work with employers willing to sponsor a work permit. Please can anyone advise which accounting firms/companies that have sponsored work permit(s) before. Any links/help to find recruitment agencies that will be willing to help somebody who requires work permit would be really appreciated. This is because all of the recruitment agencies I have approached have refused to represent me because of the requirement for a work permit despite the fact that they have said my CV was impressive. Please kindly visit:

I feel that it is a bit unfair and feel that I have been discriminated against when recruitment agencies have treated me in such a way after informing me that they cannot take me on even though my background(s) is better than the other candidates they have.

On the other hand, I would be really grateful if anyone would be able to advise whether I am able to get the right to abode because I found out that my mother was born in Penang in 1952, under the British colony and I was born in 1979, before 1983 and I am a commonwealth citizen. I found a link to the Home Office:

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en ... tonly.html

and I discovered this:

6.5 Malaysia

6.5.1 The Federation of Malaya was formed on 31 August 1957 of 9 Malay States (Protected States) and the colonies of Penang and Malacca. British protected persons lost that status on independence but there was no provision for the loss of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

6.5.2 North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore joined with those states to form the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. The Malaysia Act withdrew citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies on basically normal grounds but did not affect existing citizens of the Federation.

6.5.3 Therefore there was no provision for loss of CUKC for people who acquired that status by their birth or connection with Penang and Malacca before 31 August 1957. A person born there or legally descended from a father born there may have had an automatic claim to citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies - now they are mainly British Overseas citizens.


For http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front ... 1067826#Q4

I found out that:

How do I know if I am a Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode?

You will have the right of abode as a Commonwealth citizen if you have been a citizen of a Commonwealth country up to 1 January 1983 and, immediately before that date:

you were a Commonwealth citizen with a parent who, at the time of your birth or legal adoption, was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and had their citizenship by being born in the United Kingdom, or
you were a Commonwealth citizen and are, or were, the wife of a man with the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

Pakistan and South Africa were not part of the Commonwealth before 1 January 1983 and their citizens have no right of abode under this provision.


Please help ASAP because I do not want to study ACCA full time for the next 2 years then get a PR after a 10 year legal stay because I feel there will be plenty of time wasted if I don't accumulate work experiences at the same time.

Many thanks and kind regards,
Azwinar

[infoatltd]

I can see that you worked more than two years on a full time basis.

I hope that your immigration status was not a student one at the relevant times as this is clearly a severe breach of your conditions of stay and can lead to your removal from the UK.

You are only allowed to work full time on a student LTR during holiday time. Otherwise you are only allowed to work no more than 20 hours per week.

You also have no right of abode as you were not a citizen of the UK and the Colonies at the time of your birth.


I would suggest you encourage prospective employers to apply for TWES permit as this is much easier to get. It will also not harm your potential ILR status as clearly you intend to apply under the 10 year rule.

[raniwza]

Hi

My first year accounting experience was part of my first degree course (student workplacement) therefore that was purely legal as part of the course and my second year accounting experience was when I was on a spouse visa therefore I could work full time. But I am switching to a student visa now and hope to gain sponsorship on work permit instead if I could. My work at UCI started off as a part time, then full time under the spouse visa after I have finished my MSc exams in May/June 2004. I have kept myself busy since but now I am out of job and worried now although I still get family help to do ACCA full time if I have to. I still wish to be a fully qualified accountant.

Nevertheless, I can still work 40 hours per week under student visa outside term time and that is in between 3 months of the ACCA course and like summer/xmas breaks.

Please advise where I can get access to willing employers? Any ideas on the best solicitors for the right of abode issue?

Thanks, Azwinar

[raniwza]

Hi

Thanks for advice(s). I do really appreciate this. About the right to abode, I have been informed that they are Malaysians from Penang that managed to get the certificate of entitlement because their parents were under the UK colony time but not them. I need to find solicitors who have dealth with similar cases for help because I heard it is tricky.

As long as they are employers willing to sponsor, I will go for TWES, no problem. But currently, it seems to be that 99% of employers refuse to get a work permit for potential employees especially when accountancy is not a shortage area. I am really stucked.

Thanks, Azwinar.

[infoatltd]

The way you present your immigration status 'Right to work: No...' will almost certainly deter any potential employer.

Instead you should say something like "I am eligible for a TWES Workpermit for this position. I will arrange and pay for a professional immigration adviser to obtain it"

If agents or employers ask you why can't you arrange it today, tell them permit is specific to named employer.

I can recommend Paul Simon Solicitors from London: www.plsimon.co.uk . They are experts in all immigration aspects.

[raniwza]

Hi

Thanks for the advices. I will remind myself to mention that to potential employers. It is really clever. Nevertheless, I am afraid some recruitment agencies do check my passport and they will not like the words 'work has to be authorised'. The agencies in Manchester are quite awkward when it comes to not having a work permit ready. But why ask whether I have a work permit because the new employer has to re-apply one anyway because the change of employment?

I will contact the solicitors and find out if I can get help with the right of abode. I know my uncle was the first Malaysian to study in the UK and my other 2 uncles & families have been a PR in the UK since the 1960s although these may not help. Thanks for this contact detail!

For Malaysians and anyone who have more info on right of abode and sources of employment I would welcome and appreciate for any more help.

Many thanks, Azwinar

[raniwza]

Hi

Further to my investigation, I found another link that confirms that these 2 states are UK colony.

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en ... bode-D.pdf

Please can anyone with right of abode knowledge help me!

Azwinar

[ianwong]

Azwinar,

Did u manage to acertain whether you have a right of abode as your parents were CUKC from solicitors/advisers?

[raniwza]

Hi

I have not been able to find positive responses from my enquiry. So I have secured myself a job and my employer has just submitted the work permit/training application. Given I have been in the UK for 8 years, having student & dependant visa at points of time, I will only need 2 more years to obtain a PR. But I have all the authenticated documentations of my grandmother's, mother's and my birth certificates proving I am a Penang (British Colony) descendant.

Have you got any good idea/link to obtain the right of abode? Unfortunately at the moment I am hoping to get in touch with no win no fee solicitor.

Thanks
Azwinar