A UK Work Permit is granted by Work Permits UK for a job where the employer cannot easily find a suitable person working in the UK and the prospective employee has the required qualifications and or skills and experience.

The employer wishing to sponsor a UK Work Permit will need to show Work Permits UK that they are a viable business and that they have a genuine requirement that can be fulfilled by the prospective employee.

UK is facing shortages of qualified and experienced manpower in some sectors and therefore Home Office has designed various types Work Permits under which the UK Employers can sponsor a Work Permit for non-EEA national.

Work Permit Categories

The main Work Permit categories of the UK are listed below:

Business and Commercial Work Permits

The business and commercial arrangements allow employers in the UK to recruit people from outside the EEA who are going to be filling a vacancy that may otherwise be filled by a 'resident worker'.

Training and Work Experience (TWES) Work Permits

The training and work experience arrangements enable people from outside the EEA to undertake work-based training for a professional or specialist qualification, or a period of work experience.

Sportspeople and Entertainers Work Permits

The sportspeople and entertainers arrangements allow employers in this country to employ established sportspeople, entertainers, cultural artists and some technical/support people from outside the EEA.

Work Permits for Internships

The internship arrangements allow students from outside the EEA studying first or higher degree courses overseas to undertake an internship with an employer in this country.

UK Work Permits under GATS

The GATS arrangements allow employees of companies that are based outside the European Union to work in the UK on a service contract awarded to their employer by a UK-based organization. This is a special arrangement within the normal work permit rules made under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The company abroad that is contracted to provide the service needs to apply for the UK Work Permit.

Work Permit - Employers

The above work permits need the Employer Sponsorship and the Work Permit Holder is allowed to work with only one Employer.

HSMP Services Limited can help you in processing the Work Permits if you are an Employer based in the UK or a Company based outside the EU providing services on contract to a UK organization. Please contact us with your requirements.

The main types of employer sponsored UK work permit are:

• Tier 1 UK Work Permit - issued by Work Permits UK for professions that are on the Skills Shortage Occupation List. Tier 1 work permits in the UK require less evidence to be produced to prove that a person could not easily be found, as Work Permits UK have already recognised that there are a shortage of people in the UK with those skills.



• Tier 2 UK Work Permit - issued by Work Permits UK for those professions that do not fall into the Tier 2 Work Permit category.



• Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES) - issued by Work Permits (UK) for the purposes of training an individual. This is a shorter term working permit and further information can be found on our TWES Work Permit Page.



• Intra-Company Transfer - issued by Work Permits (UK), this Working Permit is designed to allow overseas employers to bring key members of staff to their UK office.

UK Work Permit Information for Employees

There are many ways by which you can live and work in the UK. Not all of them need you to have a job offer before getting a UK Work Permit or Visa. You are a valuable commodity and rules are changing all the time to help your move. Your family are of course also most welcome and can enjoy the same benefits as you in the UK.

The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme ( UK HSMP Visa ) was created whereby you can come to the UK to LOOK FOR work rather than having to find it first without being here. You will need to be highly skilled and should assess yourself to see if you have the minimum 65 points required ( with all associated supporting evidence ) to qualify for the HSMP visa. You are not tied to a single sponsoring employer and can also work for yourself as self employed.

Working HolidayMaker Scheme: If you are a national of a country belonging to to the British Commonwealth, the Working HolidayMaker Scheme may allow you up to 2 years to live and work in the UK. You are not tied to a single sponsoring employer and can also work for yourself as self employed. The Working Hoiday Visa does not count towards UK Residency, whereas the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (UK HSMP Visa and Employer Sponsored UK Work Permit do count towards UK Residency.

The EEA Association Agreement exists for Eastern European nationals to come to the UK to start a business without needing to invest large sums of money. If you are from any of the EEA countries and you can combine technical and business experience in a wish to start a business in the UK, the EEA and freelance pages will help.

These are major steps forward in allowing you, the talent, to come to the UK and make your career happen.