Ever worked with someone that started off at the same pace as you, but after a brief stint overseas… wham! They now earn significantly more than you and to top it off, they’re your new manager.
There’s no denying it that working overseas can be great work experience and great for your pay packet.
It shows that you’re not afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, you’re flexible, and will have been exposed to different professional environments, practices, regulations and cultures.
Some organisations even view an overseas posting as integral to your career.
You’ll enhance your skill set and extend your professional network, developing useful relationships. It can also help you deal with the ‘travel bug’ without having to take extended time off work.
So how do you go about it?
Well there are a multitude of options and destinations, but for now we’ll focus on the most popular options to work in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), for Australian citizens.
UK Ancestry Visa
If you have at least one grandparent born in the UK (not via step-parents) and are over 17 years of age, you may be eligible for an Ancestry Visa which enables you to work in the UK for up to five yrs. You don’t need a prospective employer to apply.
Youth Mobility Scheme
For those aged 18-30yrs, a Tier 5 – Youth Mobility Scheme – visa enables you to live and work in the UK for up to two years. As with the Ancestry Visa, there is no need to have a prospective employer arranged.
This visa is not available to those who have children living with them or children they are financially responsible for.
Internal Transfer
If you’re lucky enough to work for a multinational organisation may be able to arrange to be transferred to a UK office.
A Tier 2 – Intra-company Transfer – visa is available for those looking to work with their current employer in a UK location.
Applicants must have been working for their employer for at least 12 months, and the employer will need to sponsor you and explain why the role that you will fill cannot be filled by a new UK recruit.
Visas are available for a short-term stay of up to 12 months, or longer terms of up to five or nine years, depending upon salary earned.
For those who haven’t been with their employer for 12 months, a six month stay option is available to allow for skills transfer.
Essentially you will be going to skill share with overseas colleagues, rather than taking a new position, so your employer doesn’t need to prove that a UK recruit would be unsuitable, but they do need to sponsor you.
A further option available under the Tier 2 visa is for new graduates wanting to work in their current employers UK office.
Graduates may be eligible to work for up to 12 months in the UK as part of a graduate trainee program for specialist roles.
You will need to have been with your employer for at least three months prior.
The Human Resource department of a multinational organisation will be very familiar with work visas and if a transfer is arranged, will probably handle most of the application process for you.
General
Not everyone is lucky enough to arrange an internal transfer with their current employer, but if you’re able to secure a role in the UK whilst still in Australia you may be eligible for a Tier 2 – General – visa.
These visas are available for up to five years and require the new employer to sponsor you and explain why you are more suitable than a new UK recruit.
There are obviously more criteria to meet, such as health checks and proving you can support yourself financially, and each visa serves different purposes and has different requirements.
Some visas allow 2nd jobs to be taken and family members to be brought with you, whilst others do not. You can contact the British Consulate in your capital city or www.gov.uk for more details.
