HOW TO FIND A JOB IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
The United Kingdom has the third largest economy in Europe. The United Kingdom's trading capacity and financial market are among the most developed in the world. Despite its refusal to join the economic and monetary union, the state plays a key role in the EU activities. Directly in the UK, the place of the locomotive of the economy belongs to England.
IMPORTANT. On June 23, 2016, a referendum on the UK's membership in the EU was held, at which 51.89% of Britons wished to withdraw from this association.
The unemployment rate in the UK is 4-5%. This is a low figure for Europe. In addition, in recent years, the employment rate of migrants has increased significantly, on average by 40%, a quarter of which came from Eastern Europe, in particular from Lithuania, Poland and Bulgaria.
Work in England for foreigners in 2024, especially for highly skilled professionals – this is a great opportunity to move to live in a developed country and significantly increase the level of income. The most attractive place for immigration is considered to be the south-eastern part of the state.
Foreigners from third countries (from outside the EU) to get a job in England is much more difficult because of the need to obtain a work permit and, accordingly, competition with both locals and Europeans. However, there are always options, especially for experienced and scarce specialists with a good knowledge of English.
Further, we will consider in detail the question of how to find a job in the UK to a foreigner, learn the basic requirements, as well as get acquainted with the available jobs and salaries in the British labor market in 2024.
CONTENTS
Features of employment in the UK for foreigners
Similar to other European countries, when employing foreigners from third countries, in most cases, British employers must convince the local authorities that there are no applicants for the vacancy among local residents. In addition, EU citizens can work without special permits, which puts them in a more favorable position.
Nevertheless, any foreigner can get a job in England, it all depends on the vacancy and personal qualities. Good, British laws provide a whole list of work visas with specific conditions for obtaining them.
The main requirements for work in the UK
Language. For successful employment and obtaining a visa to England, the knowledge of the language must correspond to the minimum level B1 of the Common European Reference Framework (CERF), which is confirmed by a certificate. You can see the updated list of specialized language centers in England in 2024 here. Knowledge of an additional language – German, Spanish, French – will give an additional advantage in competition with local citizens.
Qualifications. Education and work experience obtained outside England may not meet the requirements of British labor law. There is a special NARIC service to check qualifications and employment opportunities. The agency acts on behalf of the UK government. Here you can get online confirmation of qualifications and English language skills. The document is officially recognized throughout the British territory.
To legally hire a foreigner from a country outside the European Union, an English employer must pass a certain procedure known as the Resident Labor Market Test.
The essence is to advertise an available vacancy on the local labor market in order to confirm the absence of the required specialist among local residents. The rules for advertising and timing are set by the British Home Office. The standard advertising period is 28 days.
In some cases the procedure can be bypassed. For example, this applies to foreign students who have graduated from a British university, or holders of professions that are in short supply in the UK.
In addition, in order to hire a foreign worker, a British company must obtain a special license or sponsorship certificate. This is a kind of employer's guarantee for a highly qualified specialist. Each certificate has its own number, which is used by the employee to obtain a work visa.
More details about the intricacies of labor law and other aspects of life in England (UK) can be found on the official website of the British government – GOV.UK.
Work in the UK without intermediaries. Searching for a vacancy.
After familiarizing yourself with the basic British laws and rules of labor immigration, having soberly assessed your chances, it is necessary to proceed to the selection of a suitable job. The most reliable way to find a job in England without intermediaries is the Internet.
The greatest employment opportunities for foreigners are concentrated in London. The local labor market simply can not cope with the high pace of development of this international city. The main thing to remember is that work in England without knowledge of the language – it is a known loss.
Popular job search sites in England
GOV.UK – UK government portal provides not only comprehensive information related to work in England, but also allows you to find a suitable vacancy. Once registered, there is an opportunity to upload a resume and receive job alerts via email.
adzuna.co.uk – a universal resource for more than 10 years daily collects information from thousands of sites and processes millions of offers on the labor market in England. The user does not need to jump through dozens of Internet portals in search of a suitable vacancy. Everything is collected in one place.
totaljobs.com – one of the leading English employment sites. The resource offers about 106,000 vacancies from 8,000 companies. The friendly interface and ease of use is complemented by the ability to download the application to your cell phone.
monster.co.uk – a reputable job search portal not only in England, but also worldwide. In addition to the 85,000 jobs posted each month, the site offers a wealth of useful information on resume writing, interviewing, and more.
reed.co.uk – the resource has been working on the British labor market since 1995 and positions itself as the #1 employment site in the UK. Up to 10,000 new jobs are added to the job database every day.
Specialized job search resources in England
IT specialists – computerweekly.com, technojobs.co.uk, cwjobs.co.uk
Hotel and restaurant workers – caterer.com
Medical field – jobs.nhs.uk, healthjobs.co.uk
Students – prospects.ac.uk, studentjob.co.uk
Nannies – nannyjob.co.uk, childcare.co.uk
In addition to the above resources, you can search for vacancies in the UK on the websites of reputable newspapers The Guardian and Financial Times, in the professional social network LinkedIn, as well as visit the official websites of British companies, where job offers are very often published.
After choosing a suitable vacancy with great responsibility should be approached to the competent composition of a resume and preparation for the interview. Useful tips and advice can be found on the same sites.
Jobs and wages in the UK
The official minimum wage in England from April 1, 2024, depending on age is (pounds per hour):
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for under 18 year olds – 6.40
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For 18 to 20 year olds – 8.60
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for people over 21 – 11.44
The average salary in England in 2024 is about 2,548 pounds per month ($3,105). This is one of the highest in Europe. Of course, when looking for a higher-paying job, you need to make adjustments for the region.
Average monthly salaries in England by specialty (pounds per month):
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Doctors – 5800
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IT specialists – 3000-3500
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Civil Engineers – 3350
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Nannies and housekeepers (official employment) – up to 1500
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Waiters, bartenders – up to 600-1000
In England, very strict laws related to labor legislation, especially with regard to foreigners. If it is legal to be on British territory and work officially, then qualified professionals can count on decent pay and not be afraid of deception on the part of the employer.
Vacancies in England for foreigners in 2024 are mainly offered by large British or international companies, which seek to find experienced professionals in scarce professions. Financiers, bankers, engineers, programmers and doctors have a good chance of finding a job.
Unfortunately, third-country nationals most often take unskilled and correspondingly low-paid jobs, mostly seasonal and not requiring deep knowledge of English. These are harvest pickers, loaders, handymen, nannies, caregivers, cleaners and so on. The wages here are mostly hourly. Rarely someone manages to earn more than 1,000 pounds a month.
Work visa to the UK
There are a large number of categories of visas for work in England. For example, there are special visas for entrepreneurs, athletes, especially talented people, investors, religious workers, temporary workers and students. A full list of work visas for England can be found here.
In most cases, a Tier 2 work visa to England is issued for skilled professionals who have been invited to work by an English company. For this purpose the employer must have a certificate of sponsorship. In addition, to control migration processes since 2008 the UK has a so-called "points-based system". In order to obtain a Tier 2 work visa a foreigner must score 70 points, which implies compliance with the following requirements:
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The presence of an English company sponsorship certificate.
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Salary of more than 30,000 pounds per year.
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English language proficiency test.
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Cash in an account of at least 945 pounds.
Visa processing starts 3 months before departure to England. The term of consideration of documents in the neighborhood of 15 days. After 5 years of legal stay in England on a work visa you can apply for permanent residence and in the long term to obtain British citizenship.
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