Visa for Filipina nurse

[symonh2000]

Hi everyone,
My Filipina girl has just applied for a Visa to come to the UK to work and live. She is to be working in the NHS as a nurse.
How long would you expect her visa application to be processed? She has work permit already.
Thanks,
Simon.

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by symonh2000@Jan 14 2006, 09:10 PM
Hi everyone,
My Filipina girl has just applied for a Visa to come to the UK to work and live. She is to be working in the NHS as a nurse.
How long would you expect her visa application to be processed? She has work permit already.
Thanks,
Simon.

Quoted post

Hello Symon and Welcome to the Forum, youre pretty lucky that your Girl is coming to work as an NHS Nurse close to you, thats a great start for you, if she has a work permit on the skilled Migrant programme , should not take too long, that of course will be a matter for the sponsoring trust, they will handle the visa matters, I would take it its a forgone conclusion that she will obtain a visa in due course, Im Pete, one of the Moderators, and welcome you to the Forum, Keith Rob, whats your assesement of this ?

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by symonh2000@Jan 14 2006, 10:10 PM
Hi everyone,
My Filipina girl has just applied for a Visa to come to the UK to work and live. She is to be working in the NHS as a nurse.
How long would you expect her visa application to be processed? She has work permit already.
Thanks,
Simon.

Quoted post

I'm curious, as I thought the work permit was the actual visa?

How did she get hooked up with the NHS? My niece is interested in working in the UK, and she is a Filipina nurse too.

[walesrob]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Jan 15 2006, 12:51 AM
I'm curious, as I thought the work permit was the actual visa?

How did she get hooked up with the NHS? My niece is interested in working in the UK, and she is a Filipina nurse too.

Quoted post

Obtaining a Work Permit does not automatically entitle a person to get a visa - this has to be applied for at the British Embassy. I would assume this is just a formality considering the Permit has been issued.

Heres an interesting article related to the subject:

Personnel Today

[symonh2000]

Hi and thanks for the help. What happened was.. I met her a while ago on a dating website and we have been getting on really well ever since, when I met her she had already signed up with a agency over in the Philipines that would take care of all the paperwork etc to get her employed here. She has just applied for the Visa, but has the work permit already. I think her parents paid the agency for them to take care of everything, it's a pity because I have found out since that the agency is not really needed if you know what to do.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by symonh2000@Jan 15 2006, 02:17 PM
Hi and thanks for the help. What happened was.. I met her a while ago on a dating website and we have been getting on really well ever since, when I met her she had already signed up with a agency over in the Philipines that would take care of all the paperwork etc to get her employed here. She has just applied for the Visa, but has the work permit already. I think her parents paid the agency for them to take care of everything, it's a pity because I have found out since that the agency is not really needed if you know what to do.

Quoted post

Most of these agencies are illegal and immoral, and take a huge cut for themselves when they have no right to. Filipinos call the payment 'bans', the agency call it 'placement fee' and they seem to think it is a necessary evil if you want to work abroad. Sometimes it amounts to months or even years of the salary the applicant will be earning, but they are prepared to do it just to get out of the cesspit work situation in their own country.

[symonh2000]

I agree. Its a pity me and her did not meet before her parents paid for this agency, then I could have sorted something out for her, and saved her family some money.
Just out of intrest how would she stand if she left the job once here and found another employer so she did not have to pay further agency fees, as I know of 2 companies that activley seek foreign workers, who would happily take her on.
Thanks,
Simon.

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by symonh2000@Jan 25 2006, 01:49 PM
I agree. Its a pity me and her did not meet before her parents paid for this agency, then I could have sorted something out for her, and saved her family some money.
Just out of intrest how would she stand if she left the job once here and found another employer so she did not have to pay further agency fees, as I know of 2 companies that activley seek foreign workers, who would happily take her on.
Thanks,
Simon.

Quoted post

Simon if your GF came to UK on a work permit, the work permit is only valid for that employer, to change the employer on the work permit, she would need to contact the DWP in Doncaster to change it, however i must warn you, that would most likely be unsucessful, and I quote a case about 2 years ago, when 3 Filipino Nurses arrived in UK on work permits which are valid for 2 years, they then left their employers after 1 year and took up employment at a Learning disability centre, after 6 weeks, they were ordered to release the Filipinos, as there work permits were denied.

Work permits are normaly issued for the OCW to work with 1 employer, if they wish to leave they must return to the Philippines and re-apply with a different employer.

However I do know of care agencies in London that turn a blind eye to this, and take them on anyway, so its up to your GF if she wants to remain then she takes her chances.

[Admin]

...and if she is discovered doing something she wasn't authorised to they may kick her out, and she won't get back in.

[symonh2000]

Hi thanks guys. So basically this agency has her by the wotsits. She is actually applying for a permanent Visa. Can the authorities really expect her to stay in one job for the rest of her career?
Simon.

[Admin]

Yes This is the UK...land of the free