I just thought of something

[dontpushme]

I've had a really hard time job hunting on UK job sites for two reasons. One, my field is pretty specialised, and two, a lot of the companies looking for GIS analysts are either offering contractual work or they only want EU applicants. My question now is, if I were sure I'd be going to the UK on a spouse visa and I'd be able to legally work in the UK, could I not email these companies and ask them to consider my application anyway? I mean, they wouldn't have to go through all the trouble of sponsoring a work visa for me or anything, right?

[Terpe]

If you were legally able to work the answer is YES just apply.
Employers are under big pressures not to actively seek non-EU employees without first exhausting every other route.

[gWaPito]

I agree with you Terpe but, that wont count in 'dont push me' case. She will be the wife of a British. That ruling wont apply to her. I would apply now if I were her, nothing ventured nothing gained.

[joebloggs]

I would have thought before anyone would offer you a job they want to see you have a right to work in the UK first

[Farmerg]

All companies in the uk are required by law to check if a applicant has a right to work in the uk. There's a £10000 per illegal worker fine so reputable companies are not going to over look this one.
Check this website for more info.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg...type=RESOURCES

[Farmerg]

This website has a list of appropriate documents to prove you are entitled to work in the UK.

http://listers.co.uk/Careers/Proof

[gWaPito]

I dont think anybody is disputing that fact. She just wanted to know whether its worth putting the sniffers out in the mean time. Surely there is no harm and it will give her valuable experience of the woes of job hunting in the UK for the type of work she is after. She got to get married, get a spouse visa and them a visit down to the friendly job centre to get a national insurance number. Many hurdles to be jumped, she knows all this. Still, nothing wrong in having a look round.

[Farmerg]

I've had a really hard time job hunting on UK job sites for two reasons. One, my field is pretty specialised, and two, a lot of the companies looking for GIS analysts are either offering contractual work or they only want EU applicants. My question now is, if I were sure I'd be going to the UK on a spouse visa and I'd be able to legally work in the UK, could I not email these companies and ask them to consider my application anyway? I mean, they wouldn't have to go through all the trouble of sponsoring a work visa for me or anything, right?

Dontpushme" asked My question now is, if I were sure I'd be going to the UK on a spouse visa and I'd be able to legally work in the UK, could I not email these companies and ask them to consider my application anyway? "
I think most companies would ask for poof of been able to work legally in the uk before saying that they would be willing to consider making a job offer.

My friend recently applied for a job, after waiting for four weeks of not been contacted he contacted the company to ask if the vacancy had been filled. The reply to his question was that the company had received over 2000 applications & that they were still trying to filter the list down to a manageable level before starting the interviews. I think that with the level of job seekers that most companies are binning any applicants that don't meet the criteria straight a way.
I don't want to put dontpushme off finding a job, I just think it maybe better to have the right paperwork / visas etc before applying.

I did not want to cause any offence, I was just trying to explain what was needed and why.

[gWaPito]

Im not offended, no way I hope you are not as well. Like she said It was just a thought. Like said, if she got nothing better to do Then why not look around, meaning just look, dont apply. Like you said, better to have all the required papers in your hands first. Not only that, many teachers have arrived from the phil thinking they can teach same as, only to be disappointed, being told they papers are not worth the paper they are printed on.

[Farmerg]

No I wasn't offended
Finding jobs seems to be twice as hard for foreign nationals in the uk, a Filipino I know who was training as a carer near London and she lost her part time job and now she can't find one. She needed both the money & a sponsor to continue with her coarse, the joke is that there are shortages in care workers across the country but no one wants to give her a job even though she has a visa that allows her to work part time as well as study.
I gave her the details of a care home near where I live as I know several staff had left & they were desperate for more carers but they told her they were not interested

[bruneicop]

Dontpushme.

As the field you are in is rather specialised Here is what i would do,

I would write to the companies within your field (be personal with them in the sense that educate yourself on what the particular companies are working on at the moment, see if you can find any projects that capture your mind) I am being general here as i dont understand everything that your job entails. try and find a contact name within each of the companies, (if this means phoning them up and trying to speak to them first then all the better.
ANyway, let them know that you are in the process of marrying a British national and that you are in the process of moving to the UK and will be available for employment. then detailing your academic background / job history within the field. (let them know as a spouse of a British natioanal you will not need sponsorship as you will have a national Insurance number etc.
Hopefully they will respond to you in writing, (which then you can follow up when you know definite dates for arrival in the UK)

Jobs are difficult to find, but if you make the right steps it can only help, I wouldn't do this unless you know roughly when you will be moving to the UK. (as the last thing you want is for someone to offer you the chance of employment and have to turn it down.
Good Luck, let me know if there is anything i can do.

[dontpushme]

This website has a list of appropriate documents to prove you are entitled to work in the UK.

http://listers.co.uk/Careers/Proof

Thanks! That's a pretty handy site, though I already knew I didn't have the necessary documents yet. I'll bookmark it anyway in case I need the information.

I dont think anybody is disputing that fact. She just wanted to know whether its worth putting the sniffers out in the mean time. Surely there is no harm and it will give her valuable experience of the woes of job hunting in the UK for the type of work she is after.

The woes of job hunting in the UK were what got me thinking of a spouse visa in the first place. I'm feeling a little pressure from my bf to get my ass over there and as far as I can see, employers looking for GIS professionals are few and far between over there. There are so many more openings here in the US, but my boyfriend's not here, is he?

I think most companies would ask for poof of been able to work legally in the uk before saying that they would be willing to consider making a job offer.

I'm not looking for a job offer. I just want them to be open to maybe hiring me in the future. Right now, I'm still in grad school, but after I graduate, I'll have 12 months to get a job with a company that's willing to sponsor my work visa. Add that requirement to the fact that I can only legally work in my field plus my field's not very well-known, and I've basically shot myself in the foot for working towards the wrong degree.

I gave her the details of a care home near where I live as I know several staff had left & they were desperate for more carers but they told her they were not interested

That's terrible! Did they tell her why they turned her away?

Jobs are difficult to find, but if you make the right steps it can only help, I wouldn't do this unless you know roughly when you will be moving to the UK. (as the last thing you want is for someone to offer you the chance of employment and have to turn it down).
Good Luck, let me know if there is anything i can do.

Thanks for the tips! I actually haven't considered the spouse visa too seriously yet. My bf and I are both in our 20s and neither of us is in a rush to get married. This thread was borne out of frustration at the abyssmal GIS job market in the UK. If I do end up opting for the spouse visa instead of the work visa, then I'm glad I asked my question here.


Update:
In the past, I got confused as to whether my bf preferred to bring me over to the UK on a spouse visa, which could make life easier in the short run and have me over there sooner than if I looked for a job first, or if he preferred that I move there on a work visa, obviously given that it may take me a couple years to find a company ready, willing and able to sponsor me. I talked to him a couple days ago about it and he told me that if it were up to him, he'd want me there as soon as possible. But he said he also felt that I would have an easier time finding a job in the UK if I had work experience in the US.

I have already warned him that I will most likely put my career first, at the expense of sleep, a social life and possibly our relationship. I've done it in the past and I'll try to stop myself from doing it again, but the risk is there. He seems to be okay with taking that risk. I don't think he realises that once I have a job, I'd want to keep it as much as he wants to keep his job. LOL. We'll see what happens, I guess.

[Terpe]

......I have already warned him that I will most likely put my career first, at the expense of sleep, a social life and possibly our relationship. I've done it in the past and I'll try to stop myself from doing it again, but the risk is there. He seems to be okay with taking that risk. I don't think he realises that once I have a job, I'd want to keep it as much as he wants to keep his job. LOL. We'll see what happens, I guess.

Wow. What a coincidence!!.
I did that with my first wife. She said OK No problem. After 5 years she gave me an ultimatum. Then another, then another, but kept spending the money and buying a bigger and bigger house etc. After 15 years she gave me a final ultimatum. My job or her. The next 5 years were "very difficult" to manage.
Finally I left.
The moral is :-
Think carefully about YOU want.
Never say never
No offence girl, God Bless

[the_ONE]

Try this agency - they are an IT specialist job agency, they have a fair amount of GIS roles - most are probably short term contract roles but often thats a useful route to finding more permanets roles.

http://www.generic-software.com/Careers.asp

There are probably many others just as good, but I've used them them in the past, they are pretty helpful.

[somebody]

You have had some good advice but just to say like others have said don't get to obsessed with your career there is more to life..

I know plenty of people who regret not getting a better balance earlier on.

If your in a specialist market and they need staff which they cant find then yes put the feelers out they will be interested. As long as your legal but a word of advice make sure you word it wisely and suss out the person at the other end.

People are worried of taking on some one who is not entitled due to the huge fines and also many feeling strongly about not employing locally but that's a debate for another day and I guess something you wont change..

But if you can layout the facts that in a year to 18 months as you intend to be with your future husband due to him not being able to leave the UK due to his own work commitments.. Are there likely to be any openings as you need to find suitable work in the country you need to move to.