Hello top consultant community. I have a question regarding getting a work visa. I am an American, with a MBA from France, looking to work for a consulting firm in London. Do you have any advice about securing a visa to work in England? Have any of you successfully attained sponsorship from a firm?Thank for any help-Kymberli

Hi Kymberli,The only way to get a visa to work in England is via the sponsorship route. Unless you are a specialist in a particular area it will be pretty tricky convincing a firm to sponsor you as they have to go through a market test to prove that no-one else in the EU can do that job.I have gone through this process with a Big4 in UK and am currently awaiting the Certificate of Sponsorship.Do you have any relevant work experience you can try leverage?

Big Mac thank you for your feedback and congrats! I am a specialist in global retail markets, FMCG and supply chain ( in case you r NEW firm is looking! ) :)...I am not sure where or how to leverage this experience. Any advice would be helpful.

Hi Kymberli,(what a cool name by the way - very trendy/futuristic way of spelling it)Why not join an american company and then ask to get transferred to the UK? I would have thought it would be easy for an American to transfer here.

Hello,New rules are not very exciting to be honest. Tier 1 does not exist anymore so you have to be sponsored which means you have to stick to the firm for at least 5 years... Also be careful for Tier 2 ICT (inter-company transfer) - they've introduced new rules a few months ago - about minimal salary and you having to leave and not enter UK for a year after.. Better check with professionals. All possible but lots of trouble (I've done it but not with consulting firm)- staying in France might be a much easier option and better prospects (I assume you went to HEC or INSEAD)

It seems that all and sundry are just able to roll up at Dover or Heathrow these days and stay there as long as they like, so it can't be too difficult. I knew of one guy from Russia who came here on a company transfer then studied for a pottery course (yeah, really!) so that he could claim he was "highly qualified" and, lo and behold, he's still here 10 years on.

[quote]the law even today is very favorable for those with £££. [/quote]That should be the case![quote]It seems that all and sundry are just able to roll up at Dover or Heathrow these days and stay [/quote]I don't think this has ever been the case. When the missus and I decided that we will settle in the UK, getting a residence permit for me was a tedious process, despite being married to an English woman for a few years, having a solid CV, went to a UK uni, a job waiting (company said they will offer the role, subject to me gaining residence on my own). Then again, this was a long time ago, things may have changed now.Also, back then, on my passport, it was stamped, "No recourse to public funds". It was only years later, did I get "indefinite leave to remain", having earned it by paying loads of tax and bearing all sorts of racial insults for the indigenous population (even in Kew!!! where we live).This is why I believe all the nonsense about scrounging immigrants is just that - nonsense. Maybe from the EU??? But definitely not from across the pond, Asia, etc.

That should be the case!

So did I! :) The problem is that I am already in Europe or else I could join a firm in the States.Thanks thoughp.s. I wish I could take credit for the name but it was given to me:)

haha! Really? I could take a poetry class...basket weaving is nice also:)