Immigration to Europe

2006-07-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Immigration to Europe. In this website, I am writing my experiences about living in, immigration and visa to European countries. If you are thinking to study or work or permanently settle in one of the countries stated below, you will find the immigration information in these pages very helpful. I tried to summarise the key immigration issues for these countries, such as being an immigrant, immigration schemes and programs, studying and working opportunities :

Immigration to United Kingdom
Topics: Being an immigrant in the UK, Study in the UK, Work in the UK (Work Permit, HSMP, Scotland Scheme, Ankara Agreement)
Immigration to Ireland
Topics: being an immigrant in Ireland, Irish Work Authorization Scheme, Irish Work Permit, Study in Ireland
Immigration to Belgium
Topics: being an immigrant in Belgium, Work in Belgium, Traineeship in Belgium, Study in Belgium
Immigration to Holland (Netherlands)
Topics: Work in Holland, Dutch policy for highly skilled migrants,
Immigration to France
Topics: Work in France, Study in France

Getting EU Passport; European Citizenship Laws

Work in France

2006-07-19T04:09:00.001-07:00

Frankly speaking, if you dont have rare skills that a French company would die to recruit you, I wouldnt try hard to find a job in France, as working permit for non-EUs is really so difficult... And indeed, like many continental economies, French economy seem to get worse, and more and more unemployed people. You need links for jobs in France? As I dont especially know a special site, just type "jobs in France" at google! (See the google search bar at the bottom of this page)

Since France doesnt seem to need more immigrants, even skilled ones, they dont have any special immigration program for skilled non-EUs, so I wont be able to suggest one!

And what Guytal says... (Thanks for your helpful comments!)

France? You probably have to go against the grain of mainstream media on both side of the channel to try and approach what it is to live in France.

a) I would disregard the language issue. We don't want a world where everybody wears the same clothes, eat the same food and speaks one language. You want to immigrate to a country? Learn the language. Emigrants, real emigrants, not the people buying second houses for summer because they've made a big pile of money in the country they were born, do learn the language. They've been doing it for hundreds of years. So please ditch the "they don't speak English". Or else try and realise how many people speak Spanish, Chinese, try on the internet.

b) Talking about France without mentioning the diversity of its culture is like talking about USA without mentioning the omnipresent military world (guns, army, manufacturers, security companies, violence, death penalty, international state terrorism to name but a few). There aren't many countries where arts are funded that much by the State, try Conservatoire de musique, MJC, movies shown every summer on free outdoor sessions around Paris and in other big cities, there aren't many countries where children are taught how to write (not type) properly at school. France is one of the very few countries that does not allow religion to interfere with the school system. Public State School in France is free and cares for the vast majority of children in France, no pack lunches, no fizzy drinks vendor machines, far less obesity than in the Anglo-Saxon world.

c) Work. That's the interesting issue I reckon. Me and my wife fled France for that very reason. Very bureaucratic, a lot of paperwork, it's not as flexible as other countries to change jobs, let alone finding one. Reasons are found in the history and I'm not going to dig these out but basically, leaving aside the "like the rest of the continent" which stinks of standard brain wash in the British media, France is not an El Dorado of work. As interesting as Paris is when you have a job, I've travelled to quite a lot of places around the planet and never been to a city displaying such a variety of places to eat, movies to see, plays to watch, architecture, museums etc, Paris is not a very pleasant place when you're out of work. Is there any pleasant place when you're out of work?

d) Health. I think this is another major issue you want to consider when thinking about France. Consider how many Brits are sent to France each year to get a treatment, look at the figures of the UK government constantly trying to demolish what's left of the NHS, check how many nurses we have in England, the average waiting list for a scan, the average screening period for breast cancer, the list goes on and on.

e) And since this comment as all of the others apparently are written in English for people who want to emigrate on the basis of English language, I would just like to make a little correction to the view expressed by one of our bloggers on the English choice: England is racist. It's not the official voice. You can't write it in any of the "normal press" but from the Daily Mail to the Telegraph, from the Times to the Independent, England is racist. The big difference with other countries I've visited is that you're not supposed to discuss it, it's hidden. The British never lost a war, the British has educated the whole planet, the British colonised to help, the British has got some family bond with God. I've been living in UK for eight years. Of course you're always a foreigner but it doesn't stop there. UK is racist. And in case you don't know, your foreign language is called mingo here...And it’s rude to speak in a different language!

I'm not very good at browsing the internet so I won't provide this answer with lots of links to try and steer people towards France. It's neither my point nor my goal. France is not a perfect country. But, if you have the chance to already have a job you can keep there, or if you know you can find one for sure with your qualifications, and if the ancient meaning of the word Freedom (before it started to mean crusade, war, economic war, racism, US empire, planet systematic demolition, junk food, junk lives) means something to you. Go to France, learn the language! And do discover that unlike the main stream motto shovelled down the throats of Brits from a very young age, France is beautiful, because of French people.

Study in France

2006-07-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

What I would do is, if I am a non-technical degree holder, I would go to France just to learn French which is the second common language in social science environments... At least spending 6 months in a language course in France would be lovely at Alliance Française which have got affordable prices.

But if you want to study some MA or BA degrees, check this wonderful site which gives all English-taught programs as well : http://www.edufrance.fr/en/

Study in Holland

2006-07-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

In terms of studying, Holland is a good destination; I think Dutch education is one of the best in Europe. Such a small country have lots of universities and research institutes. Moreover, you can also find low tuition fees there, but one you are non-EU tuition fees are doubles in some places. But again, they are not that high, all depending on the type of courses which range from 2000 euro to 20.000 euro. The best place to start looking for list of courses is www.nuffic.nl : you will find everything there, so I shouldnt duplicate... Such a wonderful and helpful website; very worthy to check.

Dutch Policy for highly skilled migrants

2006-07-19T04:04:00.001-07:00

As of 1 October 2004 the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will gradually introduce a policy of one helpdesk, one procedure and one permit for highly skilled migrants.

An important condition for admission as a highly skilled migrant is that the employer has concluded an agreement with the IND. First of all, the IND will conclude agreements with employers with whom the IND already concluded covenants for the accelerated procedure for a temporary entry permit (MVV procedure). Requests from other companies and institutions to conclude an agreement with the IND will be dealt with as of 1 January 2005.
A highly skilled migrant is a migrant coming to the Netherlands for the purpose of employment, earning a minimum gross income of 45,000 euro, or 32,600 euro if the highly skilled migrant is under the age of 30. The income criterion will not apply if the person in question will be employed as a doctoral candidate by an educational or research institute, or to postgraduates and university lecturers under the age of 30.

Employers wishing to employ a highly skilled migrant are no longer required to have a work permit and hence the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has sole responsibility for the implementation of the admission procedure to the Netherlands and the Dutch labour market.

Permits for highly skilled migrants are granted for the duration of five years if migrants are or will be holders of employment contracts for an indefinite period. Holders of employment contracts for a definite period are granted permits for the duration of their contract, with a maximum of five years. Companies and institutions have a duty to comply with certain obligations, i.e. to submit complete applications, to report relevant changes and to provide for the employee. The government shall make every effort to deal with these applications as soon as possible, but within two weeks at the latest.
Undergraduate students are not considered to be highly skilled migrants. They will be granted residence permits for the duration of one year, subject to annual renewal. For the admission of undergraduates, educational institutes may continue to apply the accelerated MVV procedure. After graduation, students will be granted a three-month grace period in which to find employment as a highly skilled migrant.

*from http://www.ind.nl/EN

Work in Holland

2006-07-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

However, I have noticed and heard that Dutch economy is not that good nowadays. I see many Dutch immigrants in Ireland, coming to find a job. It is true that it is not easy to find a job and accomodate in Holland even for Dutch people. But again this depends always on individual circumstances.

But I remember that even looking for some language jobs, some recruitment agencies were asking if I have right to work in Holland and when I said I am a non-EU, they were telling me that having a work permit is too difficult in Holland... But anyway, you need links for jobs in Holland? As I dont especially know a special site, just type "jobs in Holland" at google! (See the google search bar at the bottom of this page)

But, Dutch government developed a new policy allowing skilled immigrants to work. Simply, once you have got a job offer with a salary of more than 32.000 euro (28.000 euro if you are going to work in a research institute). If the contract if permanent, they give you a 5 year residence at the end of which you apply for citizenship, if you are able to speak Dutch by that time.

Study In Belgium

2006-07-19T03:59:00.001-07:00

MA programs cost between 500 – 3000 Euro in Belgium, but of course you can find more expensive ones too. But many programs cost around 1000 euro, and almost cheapest level in the EU. And moreover, Belgium doesn’t discriminate non-EU citizens for charging tuition fees; same fee for EU or non-EU citizens. Especially if you speak French, you have much broader selection and opportunities after you finish your studies. Please see below for the list of universities which have some programs in English, I made the list of those which are worth to look for :

Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Antwerp - University of Antwerp
Ghent - University of Ghent
University of Liege
University of Louvain-la-Neuve
Katholieke Universiteit Brussel

Scholarships by universities are almost not existing, if you don’t find something in your country. But, if you have 10.000 euro in your pocket, go for it. Life is not so expensive there. I had stayed in the middle of Brussels (Schuman, EU area) by paying 300 euro a month including everything in a tiny small studio.

But, I can give one link for students from developing countries. Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) gives really lots of scholarships to the developing countries for MA/MS degrees (one year for English and other year for French-taught programs).

Traineeships in Belgium

2006-07-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

Actually, the opportunities to have work experience in Belgium (I always mainly mean French speaking part, especially Brussels) are not limited, considering hundreds of international organizations and headquarters of many companies. For example, I did traineeship in the European Commission; look at here to apply for that. I would advise you to browse the websites of a list of international organizations for traineeships, if you have a non-technical degree. And more specifically, you will love this site : http://www.eurobrussels.com/ which lists all the current traineeship or full-time opportunities, including international organisations.

And the work permit formalities for non-EU trainees are easier, such as they require your monthly allowance to be around 900 euro, but they also require you to leave Belgium after your traineeship finishes.

Work in Belgium

2006-07-19T03:58:00.001-07:00

It is a very difficult thing to work in Belgium if you are a non-EU. You should find an employer who should be so eager to get your work permit. But for IT stuff things would be easier like in many countries. The bottomline is that you should really be in demand or it should almost be impossible to find an employee like you. As I remember, your monthly salary cant be less than 2300-2500 euro. Once you get the work permit, it can be renewed every year. But what I experienced is that employers would not consider you if you are a non-EU, as there are already many EU citizens or immigrants eagerly looking for job. And don’t forget, Belgium doesn’t allow even new EU citizens to work, even millions of EU citizens (I mean Polish, Slovak, Czech, etc) are obliged to have a work permit. Therefore, I wouldn’t prioritise a country like Belgium for directly looking for a job.

Being An Immigrant In Belgium

2006-07-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

I will say much more positive things about Belgium than UK or other countries. Belgian society, I should admit I mean French-speaking part in most of the cases, is so lively and does not have visible prejudice towards immigrants. It is easy to make friends, and you almost feel as one of them! I always enjoyed my time there and had made dozens of friends during 5 months in Brussels. You will feel accepted there, wherever you are from, of course if you don’t behave like an alien. And you will even have a Belgian girl friend, if you are not an ugly guy like me (!). Some instances from my life there :

With my very poor French, I remember having no problem of communication with most of Belgians. I had never had any problem to buy so delicious waffle there which is one of the many delicious things there!

Every time I went to the Irish pub near Schuman, at Maalbek station in Brussels, I had so lovely time with meeting many people!

I can never forget the nice smell of Brussels! Yes, strange but true, Brussels has its nice fresh smell. You will realize it in Spring nights!

Brussels is a multicultural city; you can find everything there… You must try delicious Turkish kebaps in St. Johns.

You have nothing to do that weekend? Just go outside, keep walking, and you will see some activities that you can watch or participate!

Study in Ireland

2006-07-19T03:50:00.001-07:00

Studying in Ireland would be a good idea and have pluses and minuses. Pluses : English speaking environment, more chances to stay as Irish employment market is quite good, cheap living in other cities than dublin, reputable universites, warmer people around. Minuses : whethear!, a nice Irish accent!, expensive living in Dublin, expensive tuition fees...

Frankly speaking, since I dont have a specific experience in studying in Ireland, I would only give you List of universities in the Republic of Ireland. But, you might also consider some part-time courses apart from a full-time expensive courses; check Night Courses which gives you hundreds of courses which are affordable and less time consuming; you can even get a good degree with them while you are working here ;-)

Irish Work Permit

2006-07-19T03:50:00.000-07:00

A Work Permit (WP) is much more difficult to get: - First you have to get an Irish employer to offer you a job and to apply for the WP for you (you cannot apply on your own behalf). - The job that is open must first be offered to everyone in Ireland, then the EU before it can be offered to you. The employer does this by registering the vacancy with FAS (the Irish employment people) for 4 weeks so that every eligible Irish citizen and every eligible EU citizen has a chance to get the job before you. This is to ensure that non-nationals are not being brought into the country to work when an available Irish/EU person can do the job instead. - Once no other person in the entire country/EU has applied for the job opening, it can then be offered to you. - The employer submits an application form & pays for the permit (currently 500.00 Euro per year) - It takes 8-10 weeks for the application to be processed and you cannot work while you are waiting. - The permit will be sent to your employer, you must then present yourself with the permit to the immigration department at your local Garda station or at the national immigration dept in Dublin to have you details listed, passport stamped and you get a small, immigration id card (credit card size). It is vital that you register with the Garda when you arrive as you need the passport stamp to renew your passport next year. - You cannot change jobs on the same WP as one permit is given for your name per employer. If you want to change jobs, you must get a new permit for that new employer. - All correspondence regarding your WP is between your employer and the government. Check out all above on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment It has been announced recently that a new immigration department will be introduced in Ireland to deal with all issues of work permits/authorizations, citizenship, asylum etc called the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) but I'm not sure when that is offically starting. So, right now, all work pemit info is on the DETE website and citizenship/naturalization is on www.justice.ie

For naturalisation, applying for citizenship, you need to work for 4 years as a work permit or work authorisation holder. You make an application and wait about 2 years for the outcome, as I heard there are only a few people working on naturalisation applications in the Irish department.

Irish citizenship through your grandparents : You can get Irish citizenship through your grandparents. Check out www.oasis.gov.ie (The Irish government info website) for details. Click on 'Moving Country' link, then 'Migration & Citizenship' then Irish Citizenship through Birth or Descent' for full directions. You will have to register your birth in the Foreign Births Register to move forward. Check out the local Irish embassy/consulate in your home province or the head office/embassy. Give them your details and I'm sure they will be able to direct you to the formal procedures you have to go through (documents needed, timeframe it takes to process.....)

Irish Work Authorization Scheme

2006-07-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

There is a program set up for non-EU people who are specialized in an area of the workforce that is particularily understaffed here (IT professionals, Dr, nurses, engineers...) called the Work Authorization scheme. Basically, you get a job offer from a legitimate Irish employer, apply for a Work Authorization in your home country from the Irish consulate/embassy, pay your fee and you can come over. You need:

• A completed application form;
• a job offer and contract from an employer in Ireland corresponding to the designated skills category in which he/she claims to be qualified, stating the starting date and pay and quoting the employer's Registered Number for Tax Purposes and the applicant's passport number; (NB: The employee must be directly employed and salaried by the employer in Ireland. Job offers from recruitment agencies, agents, intermediaries or companies who intend to outsource the employee to another company will not be acceptable under the scheme)
• a passport valid at least until the expiration date of the relevant Working Visa or Work Authorisation;
• two photographs
• a visa application fee of €100 or equivalent (not charged in the case of a number of nationalities) or a Work Authorisation application fee of €50 or equivalent
• the original copy of the applicants’ relevant qualifications. NB: only qualifications that have been awarded by a recognised third level institution will be accepted under the Work Authorisation or Working Visa scheme.
Information and Computing Technologies:
ICT Professionals:
• applicants must have the minimum of a degree in the Information and Computing Technology field from a recognized third level institution.
ICT Technicians:
• applicants must have the minimum of a diploma in the Information and Computing Technology field from a recognized third level institution.
The following will not be sufficient:
• work experience in that field.
• qualifications from bodies such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, etc.
Construction Professionals:
Architect:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in architecture.
Architect Technician/Technologist:
applicants require the minimum of a diploma in Architectural Technology or equivalent.Construction Engineers:
• this generally relates to civil engineering and applicants require the minimum of a degree in civil engineering.
Note: Applications maybe considered in respect of other engineering categories such as mechanical or electrical engineers only where the job offered is part of a clearly defined construction project.
Engineering Technician:
• applicants require the minimum of a diploma in Civil Engineering Technology or equivalent.
Quantity Surveyor:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Quantity Surveying.
Building Surveyor:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Building Surveying.
Town Planners:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Town Planning.

Some rules: To be considered for the Information Computer Technology route, you must have a minimun of a degree (to be an ICT Professional) or a diploma (to be an ICT Tech) from a recognized 3rd level institution, just having work experience or a qualification from Microsoft or IBM won't cut it. You can work up to 2 years on WA and have mobility within the Irish market & can change employers as long as you stay within the same sector of work (ie working as a IT professional in Dublin and moving to work as an IT professional in Cork.)

Your spouse/children can come over once you have gotten the WA, only after you have been here 3+ months. You must be able to prove that you are in legal employment & are able to support your family. If your wife would like to work, she can get a Work Permit. Depending on what type of WA you have (what job category you are in), she may be able to avail of a more easier route for the Work Permit (she wouldn't have to have her job advertized by FAS, she could get a permit in a category that would otherwise be ineligible for a permit and be exempt from the fee). This is only offered to spouses to WA holders on specific WA categories.

All will be revealed on the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website at www.entemp.ie. click on International Workers, then onto Fast-track Work Authorization and you can download an info packet there. I haven't heard of age or nationality being a problem with this route, I think it's basically the skills that are important here.

Well, as you are not a EU citizen, you can get either a work authorization (or work visa, if you are from a visa-requiring country) or a work permit. The work authorization is the better option as it is more easily accessed & has fewer rules/regulations atttached, but you must be in a very select career group to apply:

I'd advise you get your documents (both yours and your wife) sorted out, have everything ready well beforehand. Contact the Irish embassy with your specific questions and your personal situation in order to get a proper understanding of what your legal options are for moving over here. You don't want to miss out on any new regulations &/or rules that may have introduced that are not on the website yet.

Work in Ireland

2006-07-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

Working in Ireland can be quite easy or very difficult depending on what your individual situation is. The easiest route would be if you have an Irish spouse, parent or grandparent (and sometimes great-grandparent) If so, you could apply for Irish citizenship through your connection to them and be free to come over as you wish. Alternatively, if you have a similiar connection to any other EU country, as all EU nationals are free to move/work/live throughout the EU without any further hassle or permission. Check out the Dept of Justice here in Ireland at www.justice.ie . They handle citizenship.

If not, your options would be either a Work Authorization (WA) or a Work Permit(WP). Both are legal permissions to work in Ireland but vary in their regulations. Assuming that you are a citizen from the States, you don't need a visa. The WA is given to a very select group of the workforce that the Irish government feel is lacking here in Ireland. It is applied for and paid in your home country embassy before you come over. I think that basically all you need is a valid job offer from an Irish employer. It is available only to certain 'job descriptions' that are listed by the Irish government. Currently, the list includes Dr, nurses, town planners, engineers, architects, and some IT. It is valid for 2 years and can be renewed. The important factor (or what I believe to be the clincher) is that you can move throughout the work force anywhere in Ireland on a WA as long as you stay in the same sector of work (ie: a engineer in Dublin can move to a engineering position in Waterford). You cannot do this on a Work Permit (WP). Check out all on WP The Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Being an immigrant in Ireland

2006-07-19T03:47:00.001-07:00

Irish people are very warm people indeed. You wont have much trouble to chat with them, they are easy going though you are a foreigner. I would say they are much warmer and accepting than English people. You are less "other" here in Ireland. However, people talk about a distinction between Dublin and other cities. Being a metropolitan and busy city, Dublin hosts a variety of nationalities and less typical Irish people. Irish people in Dublin are more reserved than the other cities. Maybe, Dubliners have been less ready to accept all these immigrants and someway have not developed a certain way of treatment towards immigrants. Therefore, someway I feel a bit hesitancy in Irish dubliners to completely accept immigrants among themselves. But just a simple observation; I am able to see lots of peer groups or couples which have got Irish and immigrant parties.

And I should also note that Dublin is a small city where you can easily see your friends or colleagues coincidently in the streets... They say Dublin is too expensive, though I dont agree completely as I remember my stay in the UK where I was paying 400 pound for flatshare, here I pay 450 euro for an old (though not so clean) studio flat. But it is also a fact that Dublin was not ready to host all these newcomers; most of the houses are quite old and you have to pay a fortune to stay in a modern flat... But if you are a couple, you can afford renting a decent flat for 2 people by paying 1200 euro.

One of the most annoying things, for me being a non-EU, has been immigration procedures. I got my Work Permit and then Entry Clearance in London and came to Ireland. My photo was taken at the airport in a height-scaled wall, I felt like a criminal! Anyway the officer was kind but I didnt feel like a celebrity as well! Then I had to go to GARDA (Police) to get my residence card and my photo was taken and was interrogated a bit and got it for one year. Then I went to Tax office to get PPS (tax registration number), and again interrogated for my WP document and got it in one week. Then I was also told, I need to get a multi-entry visa if I will leave-come back Ireland!!! That is what I totally didnt understand, because now I had to go to Garda office at 5-6 am to queu for 4-5 hours to pay 100 euro to get visa again!! 3 pages in my passport were already full with their stamps (Entry Visa from Irish embassy in london, Stamp of Immig offic at airport and then Garda leave to remain stamp) and now 4. page was filled with a multientry visa! I guess Irish authorities havent noticed that they alienate those skilled people more and more by making unnecessary procedures. I am sure many immigrants feel alienated more and reminded that they are a `foreigner`!

One guy in www.immigrationboards.com was telling that Ireland seems to want foreigners to help the economy, but is also wary of them. Especially so, if you do not look 'EU". Anyway, they plan to introduce Biometric IDs for foreign nationals, with fingerprints in it. So, your biodata will not be distinct from their Criminal database. Check out the Minitry of Justice, Immigration Departments' website...on the proposals + whitepapers. The long queues at the Garda HQ in Dublin..well, I have seen it. Some of the staff there are an unpleasant lot, though you do find many decent ones. My advise, if you have a chance to work in UK, France, USA, Canada or even Germany, go for it. These countries have a mature outlook towards foreigners or immigration." Yeah, this is his point of view, judge it yourself ;-)

Current affairs can be read on the newspaper webiste www.unison.ie and accomodation can be found on www.daft.ie . Also, www.movetoireland.com can help with the questions of bank accounts, tax, driving licences.....general living in Ireland day to day details. The Immigrant Council which provides a free information and legal advice service Irish Immigrant Council might also be helpful to pursue for your immigrant rights.

Ankara Agreement

2006-07-19T03:37:00.000-07:00

Ankara Agreement is special to Turkish citizens who is residing legally or illegally in the UK. But it has turned out to be an “arap saci” (complicated) as unfortunately we know that many guys have been abusing it… Its main logic is, referring to Ankara Agreement made between Turkey and EU countries, if you can prove that you can contribute to British economy as a self employed person, Home Office gives you a 1 year leave to remain and at the end of 1 year you have to prove that you have been contributing without working for an employer. But I heard many guys taking this visa by arranging papers and working in a kebap shop with hand-in money. The real problem with this type of stay is, this program’s future is too obscure and I haven’t literally met someone who got 3 year extension. But if you are serious in self-employment and confident in your self-employable skills, then go for it, you will get, before they stop it due to a mass of its abusers. You can find more information about it in the following links (by the way I think I deserve your thanks here, as it was difficult to find this link ; you really have to spend much time to find it!).

UK Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme

2006-07-19T03:36:00.000-07:00

If you studied in any British university in an engineering/IT field, then you can ask to stay 1 year more to work after you finish your degree. To be granted leave under the scheme, applicants must:

- have successfully completed a degree course (with second class honours (2.2) or higher), Masters course or Ph.D on the relevant list of DfES approved physical science, mathmatics and engineering courses at a UK institution of Higher or Further Education.
- intend to work during the period of leave granted under the scheme
- be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds;
- intend to leave the UK at the end of their stay (unless granted leave as a work permit holder, highly skilled migrant, business person or innovator)

Working in Scotland Scheme

2006-07-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

Scotland is one of the fast developing regions in the UK and they need more immigrants than England. Wheather would not be nice in many Scottish cities but Scottish people are warmer than English ones, believe me. So, the Scottish authorities got a special regulation to make some students, who studied in Scottish cities, stay and work for 2 years in Scotland. The key thing is to be a graduate of a Scottish university, then they give you the permit to work for 2 years. So if I were you, I would choose a Scottish university to study Master, at least to have some working experience.

To be granted leave under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme you must:

• Have been awarded an HND, or a UK recognised undergraduate degree, Master's degree or PhD by a Scottish institution of Higher or Further Education.
• Have lived in Scotland for an appropriate period whilst studying for your HND, degree, Masters or PhD.
• Intend to work in Scotland during the period of leave granted under the scheme.
• Be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants without recourse to public funds.
• Intend to leave the UK at the end of your stay, unless granted leave as a work permit holder, highly skilled migrant, business person or innovator.

UK HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Program)

2006-07-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

It is a point based immigration system where you have to score 65 with all what you have that might convince immigration officers. If you have at least 4 years of working experience in a field that might enable you to find a relevant job in the UK, then try your chance. You can be skilled in any field, not just IT or technical stuff. I know social science people who were accepted. And also if you are not older than 28, the criteria is eased for you, such as they give you extra 5 points and they expect not a huge working experience. Once you are approved, they give you a 2 year permit, and if you find a job or prove you looked for sufficiently, they give you 3 years more leave to remain and at the end of 5 years you get indefinite/permanent leave to remain and citizenship after 5th year. See some more highlights below :

- If you are under 28, as the highly skilled migrant program (HSMP) have different criteria depending on whether you are aged over 28 or under 28;

- Skilled migrants with tertiary qualifications - the higher your degree the more points you are awarded under HSMP;

- Work experience - you gain more HSMP points if you have many years of high level work experience;

- Past earnings - you gain more points if you earned a high income in the last twelve months relative to other people in the same country;

- In a few rare cases HSMP points are also awarded if you have an achievement in your chosen field;

- You may also score bonus points if you are a skilled migrant seeking to bring your spouse or partner who also has high level skills and work experience with you.

UK Work Permit

2006-07-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

You must find an employer who should be desperate enough to apply for a WP, and he should be ready to pay like at least 25-30 ₤ a year (there is no specific salary requirement but everybody knows that Home Office hardly gives WP for jobs below 25.000 ₤ a year). The good thing about UK WP is it can be got even for 5 years. So you don’t need to renew it every year like in Ireland or many other European countries. And after the 5th year, you get “indefinite leave” (means right to live permanently) and after 6th year you get citizenship.

Work in the UK?

2006-07-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

As I explained above, you can work 20h per week while you study, and even full-time! So keep being wise. But if you choose a high ranking (means they make your time unnecessesarily difficult), it wouldn’t be a good idea to work hard…

Ok lets turn to our main topic. How can you work in the UK? Check this for a variety of Schemes and Programmes. I will highlight most common ones. By the way, don’t forget you contribute to the economy but until you become a permanent resident which takes 4 years, you can never and never claim social benefits (such as unemployment benefit, job seekers allowance) except healthcare and services that you pay. And never try to get any social benefit, as this is against immigration rules.

Study in the UK?

2006-07-19T03:31:00.000-07:00

As I said, UK is the most expensive country in terms of education. An MA costs around 7-8.000 ₤ which is around 15.000 $ or 11-12.000 euro, for non-EU citizens, and around 3.000 ₤ for EU citizens (Bulgarian and Romanian friend, you must wait for 2007!). And if you are coming just for learning English, you can find some institutes which charge 300-400 ₤ per month. See EducationUk to find scholarships ranging from boarding school to postgraduate level. The site also has information on fees for all types of courses and how much studying in the UK is likely to cost.

High ranking universities are good in your CV but if you find a UK university name enough in your CV, go for lower ones, as they don’t pressurize you like the high ranking ones. For example, I was so comfortable to do my MA at Liverpool John Moores University and I had much closer relations with my professors there, who taught me a lot. And especially if you are willing to work while studying (don’t forget you can work 20 h per week during study times, and full time during holiday times; indeed you can work even more than 20 hours in certain times, as the UK is not that much strict in applying this rule; see below WORK section for further explanation).

Finding a job during studying is not so difficult, just spend 1-2 days looking for it, you will find it if you don’t have a specific preference. And search market well, the wages vary from 5 ₤ ph to 9 ₤ ph, for example I know some factories pay 8-9 ₤ ph.

When you go to the job agencies, they will ask your passport and National Insurance Number (NIN). If you don’t have NIN yet, you write a temporary one yourself! How do you create a NIN yourself? It is easy : lets say you are a male, born on 21 September 1980, then your temporary NIN is TN210980M (TN: temporary number, M : male), and vice verca! See Applying for a National Insurance number for detailed info.

But you cant get NIN without starting a job, part-time or full-time. When you start working you take your payslip and call the tax office for getting an appointment.
But you must keep calling them a lot, as it takes some time to get appointment. There, you submit your payslip and passport, and of course tell that you are working part-time (not more than 20 h pw in your payslip) if you are non-EU. Then, your NIN comes to you within 1-1.5 month, meanwhile you keep working.

While you study you can keep looking for permanent jobs. But, I should be honest; your success depends mainly on the state of the market. You should be a technical person (IT, medicine, nurse, engineer, etc.) to be luckier. But, if you have a non-technical degree, don’t give up, keep searching, as I did and got as a social degree holder! Read below for further info on working regulations.

Being an immigrant in the UK

2006-07-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, everything sounds great when you prepare your luggage on your way to the UK. Most of guys, keep imagining a wonderful world there and a world of opportunities. Is it really gonna be like that? I don’t say exactly neither yes nor No. Read my reflections.

The UK society is more like a reserved society; it is not easy to make British friends, and girl/boy friend as well, especially if you are somewhere from East. I have hardly met a foreigner who has got more than one British friend. Everyday, the second page of asparagus newspapers are full of some biased news about immigrants including the new Eastern European ones, especially those coming from non-white countries. Indeed, English people see themselves as a different nation, and they see you exactly as an “other”. But you shouldn’t confuse; they are not racist at all and racism is a big crime/bad reputation in the UK. They, almost never, discriminate you in terms of official/employment procedures; I have always felt comfortable claiming my right in this country as if I was a citizen, and they were always kind. But what I mean being “other” is in terms of social engagements such as being a part of a peer group or having a relation, etc. So, UK is great in terms of being an official member or citizen of the society, but not that great in terms of being a boy-friend or that cute guy living in the corner corner, who is good company in a night out or in a friendly dinner. You will always be that Pakistani, Indian, Turkish, Arabic or Brasilian guy living in the corner of the street, and you will feel all the prejudices attached to your nationality. Therefore, I bet 90 % of you will be such an “other”, if you don’t have unusual pecularities. So think about it, and don’t expect a very accepting group of people in the UK.

And by the way, they don’t try to understand your accent easily. You must really speak in their local accent or native English to have no problem in conversation with local people (London might be different, as their English is really English!). See below some examples, that always gave me painful laughs in talking to English people :

- Once I was in a café, I asked the girl if I could buy cigarette there, and she explained me very well where the taxi station was! (I have never understood how she managed to understand if I wanted a taxi

- Every time I went to the same shop to buy large yorkshire tart (that is one of the rare delicious things in the UK, by the way), I had to repeat it 2-3 times, for 6 months! So, I became specialized in saying “can I have a large yorkshire tart please?”.

- Second day in the UK, I wanted to buy a mobile connection, I asked the shop man to repeat what he said about the mobile phone, and everytime he did he never eased his accent or slowed down his speed, so I said bye to him, who said bye to me too.

- I was walking in a narrow pedestrian way, where a guy hit me and said “….”., I said “sorry”, but later on my friend told me that “….” meant a very hard bad word!

2006-07-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

UNITED KINGDOM

2005-08-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

At the beginning, UK sounds like a nice idea for education and work, as it is the motherland of English, the language of the world. That sounded same to me, and getting a chevening scholarship (www.chevening.com) I have found my way to Liverpool. I wouldnt go to the UK if I needed to pay, to be honest, as the tuition fees are very high. Anyway, now let me focus on a variety of ways to go to the UK and moreover to stay there. But firstly I will discuss if you might like to live there.

Being an immigrant in the UK
Study in the UK
Work in the UK
UK Work Permit
UK HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Program)
Working in Scotland Scheme
UK Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme
UK Ankara Agreement

British Citizenship Law

IRELAND

2005-08-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

I can say that it is easier to find a job in Ireland, as there is an economic boom here. They are building everywhere, Ireland is getting richer and richer by foreign investment. Many American companies have preferred Ireland to base their European operations, and so they needed lots of personnel as well. I see lots of European and non-European immigrants in Dublin, and Eastern European people in every corner. But let me eloborate if this is a good place to live and what is the perception of locals about immigrants.

Being and immigrant in Ireland

Work in Ireland

Irish Work Authorization scheme

Irish Work Permit

Study in Ireland

Irish Citizenship

BELGIUM

2005-08-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Belgium is the heart of Europe and it has got one of the easiest naturalization paths in Europe. You need to live there for 5 years to apply for citizenship. Here, MediaVisa.net said "Unfortunately the years spent in Belgium as a student are no longer taken into consideration to obtain belgian nationality. The applicant is now required to have indefinite stay in Belgium to qualify for naturalization. And in terms of studying, the tuition fees are generally quite low and it is also possible to find universities, which offer programs taught in English.

Being An Immigrant In Belgium

Work in Belgium

Traineeships in Belgium

Study In Belgium

Belgian Citizenship Law

HOLLAND

2005-08-19T01:13:00.000-07:00

Holland is really a lovely country, with its tolerant people. I had spent a lovely month somewhere near to Leiden. Everywhere is green and full of water canals... You might easily feel as if you are dreaming, if you it is your first time in this country. Everybody speaks English and welcomes you.

Work in Holland

Dutch Policy for highly skilled migrants

Study in Holland

Dutch Citizenship Law

FRANCE

2005-08-18T02:36:00.000-07:00

France is one of the difficult immigration countries. And to be honest, I would say French society is that much accepting. Though they have such a lovely language and culture, if you are not an easy going with a less accepting society, it might be a difficult life there. And if you dont speak French, then you got the trouble as just a few French people speak English... Though, that might be a good motivation to learn this lovely language...

Study in France

Work in France

French Citizenship