Working in the UK after your studies: a guide to employment and work visa routes Jane O Loughlin International Student Adviser

Transcription

1 Working in the UK after your studies: a guide to employment and work visa routes Jane O Loughlin International Student Adviser International Student Advisory Service

2 Overview Your Tier 4 visa Tier 2 General Tier 4 DES (Doctorate Extension Scheme) Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange International Student Advisory Service

3 Tier 4 work permissions Students studying at degree level are permitted to work 20 hours per week during term time, full time during vacation periods: UG students vacation periods as per University calendar PGT students winter/spring vacation NO summer vacation PGR students 6 weeks annual leave per year to be agreed with School Students studying below degree level are permitted 10 hours per week during term time, full time during vacation periods Students are permitted to work full-time once they have completed studies, providing they do not take a permanent position Tier 4 students cannot be employed as: A doctor or dentist in training A professional sportsperson, coach or entertainer International Student Advisory Service

4 Work placements under Tier 4 Full time work placements are permitted if: The placement is an assessed and integral part of the programme The student will remain fully enrolled on a leave of absence for the duration of the placement The placement is no longer than 50% of the programme, except for where a longer placement is a statutory requirement Students can do full time work placements/internships during vacation periods or at the end of their studies Students cannot take an interruption of studies to undergo a work placement If a student wishes to take an IoS for a work placement the University must withdraw sponsorship of their visa and they will need to seek alternative immigration permission to do the placement International Student Advisory Service

5 Prohibited work Tier 4 students are prohibited from self-employment and business activity Business activity is defined as: working for a business in a capacity other than an employee in which you have a financial or other significant beneficial interest. This would include the following: setting up a business as a sole trader or under a partnership arrangement and that business is either trading or establishing a trading presence; being employed by a company in which you hold shares of 10% or more (including where the shares are held in a trust for you); or working for a company where you also hold a statutory role, such as a director. Students can check with HMRC as to whether their activity is selfemployment, but usually includes freelancing International Student Advisory Service

6 Volunteering and voluntary work Students can volunteer without restriction under Tier 4 Students can undergo voluntary work within their working restrictions Factors that may be taken into account when considering whether it is voluntary work or volunteering are: Voluntary workers will usually have contractual obligations to perform the work (e.g. to attend at particular times and carry out specific tasks) with the employer being contractually required to provide the work the contract does not have to be written. The worker is usually remunerated in kind. Students who are volunteering do not have a contract, they must not be a substitute for an employee and they must not be doing unpaid work i.e. receiving payment in kind (although they are sometimes reimbursed for reasonable travel and subsistence expenses). Volunteers usually help a charity or voluntary or public sector organisation. International Student Advisory Service

7 Tier 2 General Aim: to permit graduates with a relevant offer of employment to remain in the United Kingdom. Benefits (for those switching from Tier 4 inside the UK): unrestricted sponsorship no EU/EEA resident labour market test Requirements: Employer must be UKVI Tier 2 licensed Minimum salary 20,800 or industry minimum for the occupation, maintenance and English language requirements Must switch within 28 days of the expiry date of T4 visa and from within UK You must have been awarded your qualification (except PhD students) Qualification must be Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate level International Student Advisory Service

8 Tier 2 General Scoring the 70 points: Sponsorship, Academic qualification and switching from within visa validity date: A COS (Certificate of Sponsorship) from a sponsoring employer, letter from University/Graduation Certificate, passport and visa: (30 points) Salary Requirement: 20,800GBP+ or industry minimum: (20 points) English language requirement: (degree achieved from academic qualification from UK institution will meet rules): (10 points) Maintenance: 90 days of minimum balance of at least 945GBP or employer can certify maintenance: (10 points) Duration of visa: 3 / 5 years + 14 days or length of COS sponsorship if shorter Extensions are possible but further restrictions apply International Student Advisory Service

9 Approaching employers Ensure that you know about the concessions for Tier 4 students Include information about your Tier 4 work permission, and the Tier 4 concessions in your cover letter Make sure you and your employer are well organised so you can apply for Tier 2 on time International Student Advisory Service

10 Tier 4 DES (Doctorate Extension Scheme) 12 month work visa for PhD or doctorate level students Must have current leave in a category which allows switching Must apply before completing your course, within 60 days before course end date (final thesis submission) Financial requirement: 2,030 for 28 days prior to application OR official financial sponsorship Must apply from within the UK International Student Advisory Service

11 Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Aim: to allow UK graduates with an exceptional business idea or innovation to remain in the UK to set up a business Benefits: Allows 2 years to enable graduate entrepreneurs to set up a business, while permitting part time work. Requirements: Institution must endorse the business idea and support through a structured process. Number of endorsement opportunities: 20 per year for University of Edinburgh Graduate Entrepreneur must reapply after one year, showing progress with business idea. UoE s Edinburgh Research and Innovation will select candidates: not an open competition. Maintenance funds requirement of 945GBP for 90 days International Student Advisory Service

12 Tier 5 (GAE) For those coming through approved schemes to share knowledge, experience and best practice Up to 24 months Type of activity: Work experience (e.g. volunteering/internship) Research programme (specific research projects at a HEI or other publicly funded research institution) Language programme funded by overseas government Formal or practical training in science or medicine Must have Tier 5 sponsor Financial requirement: 945 over 90 days in bank account International Student Advisory Service

13 Tier 4 Student visa Remember: you can work full time on a temporary basis once you have completed your studies and while you are awaiting graduation. You will be able to work full time until the expiry date of your visa, providing the job is not a full time, permanent job. International Student Advisory Service

14 Closing comments Be informed: find out what you might be eligible for and check out the regulations for that visa. Be prepared: look into your work options, use the Careers Service, get involved in the University s innovation process - as early as you possibly can if you leave it until the end of your studies, you have almost certainly left it too late. International Student Advisory Service

15 We re Here to Help International Student Advisory Service The International Office The University of Edinburgh 33 Buccleuch Place Edinburgh, EH8 9JS Website: Blog: Follow us on International Student Advisory Service

16 Working in the UK for Chinese Students

17 What will we cover today? Graduate recruitment in the UK for Chinese students Standing out Using your CV Returning to China

18 How does UK graduate recruitment work? Big companies Large scale graduate recruitment schemes Usually online application Already closing Good option for those on a Tier 4 visa (Home Office list of sponsors) Smaller Companies Possibly only 1 or 2 vacancies a year CV & cover letter or application form Speculative application Both types of opportunity can be accessed through MyCareerHub

19 Where are the jobs? Top sectors advertising vacancies on MyCareerHub last year were: 1. Business, consulting and management 2. Information Technology 3. Marketing, advertising & PR 4. Information, research and analysis 5. Accountancy, banking and finance

20 What do employers want to know? Can this person do the job? (skills) Do they want the job? (enthusiasm/motivation) Will they fit in? (team member) What s in it for us? (benefits to the organisation)

21 Think about your motivation

22 How is your English? To be successful in the UK job market you will almost always need excellent English language skills Ideas to improve: read newspapers, watch TV, listen to radio, volunteering, join clubs and societies, get a part-time job Tandem is the Students Association s language exchange programme

23 How do companies assess you? Grades ( Online testing Application form CV and cover letter Telephone/video interview Assessment centre Face to face interview

24 Discussing your visa situation with employers You may need to educate employers on misconceptions around hiring international students. We have a guide for employers you can access through our website We also have sample text you can use on a cover letter

25 Capitalising on your International Experience Think about when you arrived in Edinburgh How have things changed? Are you different? What can you bring to an employer?

26 Start NOW!! Graduate schemes are open NOW! Starting to close already

27 It s competitive... Spend time on your application Be clear on your motivation Be flexible in the type of work you will accept and the location Have good verbal and written English Be prepared to make speculative enquiries Build your skills in other ways Make use of the Careers Service

28 CVs

29 Before you start.research the vacancy The role Job description / person specification Green Folders AGCAS Occupational Profiles Career / personal contacts The organisation Recruitment literature Website Contacts / presentations Media / background information

30 Before you start.what can you offer? What have I done? - academically - work experience (paid/voluntary/relevant or not) - interests/activities (inc societies/club membership) What have I learnt? - what skills/qualities have I developed? - what insights have I gained? - what is my level of expertise? - what can I bring to the job personally?

31 The Basics Maximum 2 sides A4 Use high quality paper When ing your CV, send as a PDF if you can Reverse chronological order Layout avoid large chunks of unbroken text use bullet points or line spaces to break it up white space can be as important as text bold and large characters are clearer than underlining and CAPITALS Balance allocate space according to relevance fill the prime selling space with the hottest material

32 The Basics Personal Details Education Work Experience Extra curricular Skills Interests Example CV

33 What could you include? Education Reverse chronological order. Include dates University qualifications what is relevant? modules, dissertation, outside subjects studied? transferable skills gained why is your degree/masters/phd unique to you? Sell it! Pre university qualifications How long ago? How much detail? Academic awards and prizes

34 What could you include? Experience Paid work, internship, summer job, voluntary work Include job title, employer name, dates THINK - what is most relevant to the position you are applying for? Relevant experience first, then other experience Include key responsibilities, achievements and impact, relevant skills gained Use active verbs!

35 Active Verbs achieving adapting addressing administering advising analysing anticipating arbitrating arranging ascertaining assembling attaining auditing budgeting building calculating checking classifying coaching collecting communicating compiling composing computing conceptualising conducting conserving consolidating constructing controlling coordinating counselling creating deciding defining delivering designing detailing detecting determining developing displaying disproving distributing diverting editing eliminating empathising enforcing establishing explaining expressing extracting financing formulating founding gathering generating guiding handling having-responsibility heading helping hypothesizing identifying increasing influencing informing initiating innovating inspecting inspiring installing instituting instructing integrating interpreting interviewing inventing investigating judging keeping leading learning lecturing lifting listening maintaining making managing manipulating mediating mentoring modelling monitoring motivating navigating negotiating observing obtaining offering operating ordering organising originating overseeing perceiving performing persuading piloting planning playing preparing prescribing presenting printing problem-solving processing producing programming projecting promoting proofreading protecting providing publicizing purchasing questioning realising reasoning receiving recommending reconciling recording recruiting reducing referring rehabilitating relating remembering rendering repairing reporting representing researching resolving responding restoring retrieving reviewing risking scheduling selecting selling separating setting shaping sharing showing solving sorting summarising supervising supplying synthesising teaching team-building telling testing training transcribing translating trouble-shooting tutoring understanding undertaking uniting upgrading using verbalising winning

36 Covering letter Business letter format Get a name! Correct ending (Dear Mr Jones Yours sincerely) Subject line (Re: Marketing Trainee Vacancy) Set context why you are writing: What you are applying for/ where you saw the advert and your current situation Explain why you are interested in this job with this particular organisation Highlight what you have to offer - draw attention to key evidence in your CV or application. Establish links between you and the job 1 side A4, typed (unless stated otherwise)

37 Example of cover letter positive opening paragraph invites you to find out more second paragraph flags up relevant experience and demonstrates enthusiasm and commitment identifies relevant transferable skills from previous experience (paras 3 and 4) Overview clear layout, purpose of letter stated, 5 brief paragraphs make it inviting to read Positive and confident summary and ending

38 Discussing your immigration status As a Tier 4 visa holder who would make a Tier 2 application inside the UK, I am exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test, and from restricted Certificate of Sponsorship, once I have successfully completed my studies. I am permitted to start full-time, permanent employment as soon as I have submitted a Tier 2 visa application.

39 The Careers Service Help with deciding what you want to do understanding UK recruitment researching career areas, including other countries making applications, including online resources, regular workshops and one to one feedback meeting employers at talks and fairs

40 Where to find us King s Buildings, Weir Building Central, 3 rd floor, George Square Library

41 Thinking of returning to China? 2015 (6 months after graduation) 6% of Chinese graduates working in the UK 45% working in China Companies will be recruiting over the coming months You can work in the UK temporarily immediately after your course ends without applying for a Tier 2 visa.

42 Returning to China: How we can help Resources on the Careers Service website and GoinGlobal (access via Myed) LinkedIn Alumni tool Vacancies on MyCareerHub currently 61 Resources on application process Use us for up to 2 years after graduating and by Skype

43 Tell us what you think Session name: Working in the UK for Chinese students