Ukrainian Graduate Seeking Employment in UK

[bred]

I met my girlfriend in Summer 2006 while we were both working on rollercoasters in Ohio! I have visited her in Ukraine twice and she spent 6 weeks with me in Summer 2007 on a tourist visa, during which time we stayed at my parents house. In Spring she graduated with a degree in International Economics from Kyiv National University of Economics (with red diploma, like a 1st) and is currently studying for a Masters there in International Financial Management (in Ukrainian though). She is 21 years old. After she has completed the Masters she would like to come to the UK to work in finance/accounting. She has excellent English and will not have any problems getting a sufficient score on the TOEFL test. However, she has not yet had any employment in Ukraine (I don't blame her with all her studies and the wages over there) and so I don't think she can qualify for the HSMP.

My parents have said that if necessary they can provide documents necessary to show that my girlfriend could be dependent on them for funds and accomodation (I am only 20 years old and a student myself). However, this would only be a temporary solution and I am unsure as to what her status could be changed to after she had started work, or whether the documents from the sponsor would be enough for the Kyiv Embassy to grant her a visa considering that she no longer has any strong ties to Ukraine (in the Embassy's eyes).

What advice could anyone give us regarding my girlfriend getting clearance to work in the UK? I have spent a fair bit of time searching the web for information but it, so far, hasn't been very encouraging.

My dad works for HBOS and he said that the HR people told him that to enter one of their graduate schemes a visa until at least September 2011 is required. HBOS list in their website FAQ that they cannot assist in the obtaining of a work permit but UKvisas says that it is impossible for an individual to apply for a work permit themselves.

...Is it even possible for a non EEA citizen to get a work permit?

We are very close, but hopefully there is some way of her obtaining permission to work in the UK without being married to a UK citizen?

As you can see I am quite confused. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Brendan

Edit: I searched the message boards here and someone has said: "in order to get a Work Permit to employ someone it needs to be shown by the employer that they cannot fill the position from within the UK, or anywhere else in the EEA." Is this true then? According to http://www.Named OISC advisers.com/page288.aspx there is a shortage of actuaries, a field in which my girlfriend has interest, but this is not encouraging news...

[Wanderer]

To be honest mate I'd get her over her as a student, FSU degrees aren't highly regarded in UK or anywhere cos of the corrupt way they can be obtained. This coupled with no work experience is gonna make a WP almost impossible.

Get a student visa, convert her Ukrainian Diploma to a UK degree. and go from there.

Aslo as an ex-accountant I am reasonably sure there is almost no correlation between UK Accountant standards and those in FSU sorry to be so negative.

Having an FSU gf myself I know how frustrating all this is. My gf is at uni here and her degree from Russia gained her one year exemption from UK degree.

[bred]

Thanks for your reply. However, my girlfriend doesn't have much money (and she didn't buy her degree) so studying here isn't really an option. She has considered studying in Sweden as there are a lot of good scholarships there but Masters programmes take two years, which is a bit off putting. She will gain some work experience from her placement(s) during her Masters programme in Ukraine but obviously not much. The situation is a real pain particularly as she is so intelligent, having won Olympiad medals in English and top marks in Maths, as well as her highly deserved Red Diploma. It is just so unfortunate that the rich can buy what she had to study hard for.

So there is no hope unless we get married or she gets herself another Masters in Sweden? Perhaps there is a lack of awareness in the UK regarding the possibilites to pay your way through the Ukrainian education system?

And is this claim about not being able to get a job anyway unless there is no one in the EEA that can do it true? That makes it sound like the door is firmly closed to all Ukrainian nationals anyway! Can't be entirely true, surely? Can someone please clarify this?

[avjones]

And is this claim about not being able to get a job anyway unless there is no one in the EEA that can do it true? That makes it sound like the door is firmly closed to all Ukrainian nationals anyway! Can't be entirely true, surely? Can someone please clarify this?

That isn't a claim, them is da rules!

She has only 2 ways of getting here on a work visa - either HSMP, or a work permit. She can't apply for a work permit, an employer has to do so on her behalf, and one of the things the employer has to show is that no EU national is available to do the job.

You might also have trouble even on a spouse visa, because you need to show you can support yourselves.

[bred]

That isn't a claim, them is da rules!

Ok, so it is a valid claim!

one of the things the employer has to show is that no EU national is available to do the job.

That sounds like a near impossible task. So in practice no one from outwith the EU gets legally employed in the UK?

My parents are very supportive so I don't think the spouse visa would be a problem (unless you are saying I need to be able to financially support myself without the aid of my parents?) However, I was hoping my options wouldn't be getting narrowed down to that, at least not so soon.

[avjones]

That sounds like a near impossible task. So in practice no one from outwith the EU gets legally employed in the UK?

My parents are very supportive so I don't think the spouse visa would be a problem. However, I was hoping my options wouldn't be getting narrowed down to that, at least not so soon.

Some people do - there are occupations which are on the shortage list, for example, which makes it easier.

Third party support for a married couple isn't allowed under the Immigration Rules, so supportive parents only take you so far.

[paulp]

That sounds like a near impossible task. So in practice no one from outwith the EU gets legally employed in the UK?

Quite a few people get jobs on work permit. It can work out if she finds an employer who wants to do the paperwork for her.

The employer will have to show to the home office that they have advertised the job, usually nationally, and explain why the other EU nationals shortlisted/interviewed are not appropriate.

[Wanderer]

That isn't a claim, them is da rules!

Ok, so it is a valid claim!

one of the things the employer has to show is that no EU national is available to do the job.

That sounds like a near impossible task. So in practice no one from outwith the EU gets legally employed in the UK?

Outwith! I haven't heard that word since I left Scotland - cheers mate!

Plenty of folks get WP's, shortage jobs, those with very specialists skill and loads of experience. Really, straight out of uni chances are limited...

Where I work I think at least half are on WP, Indians, very skilled blokes, none straight out uni.

Udachi vam, i davai poka!

[sakura]

bred,

Her options are WP, HSMP or student visa. If she's so smart, she should look for scholarships and the like, ALL over the EU - no need to limit it to the UK. Sweden, Germany, Switzerland (EEA country), France and of course the Rep. of Ireland have English language programmes she could study for. This would be a big foot in if her problem is that her degree isn't much recognised (without work experience). If she does study in the UK, she gets an additional 12 months to work (24 months in Scotland) full time with no restrictions on hours/types of job (except I guess prostitution, money laundering, etc!).

WP would be hard for a new graduate and there's a glut of financial grads here anyway, methinks. HSMP would be out, too, because she has not worked enough to earn the qualifying amount over the last 12 or so months.

If YOU want to help her - it's marriage, out and out and no other way. But even then, it'll be hard to prove you can support her when you're a student yourself (probably getting help from parents/student loans?). So there is nothing else that can be done.

To be honest, hundreds of thousands of non-EEA nationals work in the UK on a WP or HSMP - it is hard but not impossible. But - let's be fair - with no work experience how easy do you expect it to be? It is not....but if her field is a shortage one, then she should really try and get work experience, as that might help when she finishes her master's.

I highly recommend she spends time either looking for a job outside the UK (might be easier) and/or studying in the EEA. She is still young and should widen her options.