- Have Savings and Supportive Relationships: It's worth noting that some employers do not cover visa application fees. With a yearly Immigration Health Surcharge of ￡1,035 and an application fee of ￡1,639 for non-shortage occupations, if your employer issues a five-year Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), that's roughly ￡7,000. If your family would be applying as dependents, there are even more expenses to consider. Therefore, it's important to have sufficient savings or supportive relationships that can provide financial assistance.
- Clarify Assumptions: When I received my three-year COS for my Business Analyst role, I assumed that it fell under the shortage occupation category. This was supposed to reduce the application fee from around ￡700 to ￡400. However, after spending around ￡2,500 on the application, I received a notification stating that I had made an incorrect payment and needed to re-apply, voiding the initial application and requesting a refund. Upon re-application, with nearly ￡3,000 spent on a fast-tracked process, I received another notification a few months later from the Home Office, requiring an additional ￡200 to top up the application fee as my job did not qualify under the shortage list. These mistakes could have been avoided if I had clarified my assumptions beforehand.
- Join Communities: As you'll soon realize, this isn't yet home. It may take a couple of years before you fully grasp the system and know where to seek help independently. Communities provide aggregations of people with diverse experiences, some of whom may have encountered similar situations or know someone who has. They serve as bridges between where you are and where you want to be. Engaging in these communities by asking questions can bring clarity and diverse perspectives to issues you may otherwise be clueless about. Whether it's the Outliers Network,
Black Professionals United Kingdom
BYP Network
, or
BA Sphere
, find a group to be a part of.
- Have Conversations About Sponsorship: If your current employer isn't sponsoring you, but you've checked the list of organizations licensed to sponsor workers and they're on it, it might be worth discussing your case with your Line Manager or HR. Some employers may not be familiar with the sponsorship process and may require guidance, especially if they've predominantly hired individuals with other visa types in the past.
- Apply for Jobs Quantitatively and Qualitatively: The job market in the United Kingdom, like many developed economies, is increasingly competitive. Therefore, one way to break into the corporate space is to apply for positions both abundantly and selectively. While it's important to tailor your CV for opportunities you feel highly qualified for, avoid becoming emotionally attached to any single application, as there may be numerous equally qualified candidates vying for the same position. Consistency and perseverance are key. As Winston Churchill famously said, "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
||Finance||Tax||Compliance || strategist ??
6 个月Great advice!
Data Analyst | Business Analytics | Management Associate |Digital Transformation
6 个月Thank you very much for sharing. It’s very useful