

Ask HN: How to Find a Job Abroad - shk88

I've been thinking about trying to find a developer job in the UK (I'm a U.S. citizen). Anyone have experience with making such a move? Any major hurdles with visas, etc?<p>Any insight is much appreciated.
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hcho
Getting a UK work visa is ridiculously hard these days. The economic downturn
created a anti-immigration sentiment and the government changed their visa
programs such that only 25000(if memory serves me right) a year can enter the
UK for work.

Your workable options are:

1)Find a job at a corporate who still has unused quota

2)Find a job in a US company and than get transferred to a UK branch. This
isn't constrained by the quota

3)Marry an EU citizen

I hate to be bearer of bad news but this is the current situation.

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robyates
I think many companies won't sponsor a visa from far away, however you could
try going for a master's degree at a university in a city you'd like to live
in and looking for internships while you're there. Though I never ended up
studying in Europe, one site I looked at lot was <http://www.mastersportal.eu>

Finally, the UK has a points-based Tier 1 and Tier 2 visa program for High
Value Migrants (Tier 1) and Skilled Workers (Tier 2):
<http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/>
<http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/> (Note that as of
April 2011, there have been significant changes to these visa programs, so
make sure you have up-to-date information.)

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jackie_singh
Step 1: Save enough money to spend a few months there; Step 2: ??? Step 3:
Profit!

Bottom line, it's easier to get a work visa anywhere when someone already
wants to hire you there. It's easier to find a job when you're physically able
to attend interviews and networking events. It's also better to spend
extensive time determining whether this is something you really want to do
before putting forth all the effort for a work visa. You can't actually WORK
on a tourist visa, but you can certainly broaden your UK-based horizons in the
6 months they'll give you.

Good luck!

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sdfjkl
Getting a visa is a major hurdle indeed. Do not attempt this without
professional help, the slightest formal error can cause your application to be
rejected and require resubmission (which means paying the submission fee
again).

If you're serious about this, I'd recommend getting your ass over here on some
of the 6 month visa waiver programme (no work permitted) making contacts and
attending interviews. Stick to large multinationals, small companies/startups
will be hesitant to sponsor you due to high cost and long waiting periods.

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amorphid
My 2 cents would be to track down an immigration attorney in the UK. Get in
writing what if takes to find a development job there. Find a startup who
needs a developer, apply, and include the note about how to hire you.

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almightygod
Find a company that will let you telecommute

