HSMP Questions

My wife and I are considering moving from the US to the UK. After
looking over the HSMP forms it would appear I have the required points
to qualify.

Can anyone speak to whether this would be the best path for someone in
the information technology field to immigrate to the UK or would it be
better find an employer and go the work permit route.

Also, there are many companies offering help in filling out the
required paperwork. The forms do not look that difficult, does anyone
have an opinion on whether these services are worth the price.

Thanks!

Are you a US citizen?
What is your speciality in information technology ?

alora

Forget the form fillers as they are often sharks and charge ripoff prices.
However, you do need to know the correct answers. The find employer and get
a work permit might be best.

--

Peter Crosland wrote:



Why would that be better than the HSMP?

JAJ wrote:


My thought precisely...

I'm not an immigration expert, but surely the converse would be true? Isn't
it better to be a free agent than to be tied to one employer, as a work
permit implies? And with a lot of HSMP people around, doesn't that reduce
the chances of finding an employer prepared to go through the hassle of
arranging a work permit? (I'm perfectly happy to be shot down in flames on
this - as I say, I'm not the great expert - but these are the first thoughts
that come to mind)

paul

You will find it much easier to get a Job having secured
HSMP status than to find an employer who will wait
for you to get a visa. Most employers in IT expect a
start next week, and if you can't do that they will employ
someone else.

BTW is your wife expecting to work as well?

Also, there are many companies offering help in filling out the
required paperwork. The forms do not look that difficult, does anyone
have an opinion on whether these services are worth the price.[/quote]

I assume that you can easily do them yourself.

tim

Very risky making assumptions! The problem with the sort of form is that
what may seem to be an innocent and candid answer is interpreted by the
droids that vet them as something quite different. The problem is finding
someone who knows their way around the maze and will not rip you off.


Peter Crosland

tim (moved to sweden) wrote:


I hope this HSMP crap is stopped soon. It is supposed to bring in "Highly
Skilled" people into this country. After interviewing quite a few HSMP IT
people I can safely say that they were not highly skilled. Most applicants,
I am led to beleive, are from India. As an employer I will not touch them.
Applicants from other countries like Australia and US seem a better bet.

Yes, I'm a U.S citizen. I worked 7 years with IBM starting as a
software engineer but quickly moved to network/systems administration.
My business unit was divested to another multinational corporation,
Solectron where I was promoted to site IT manager. I received a lot of
people & project management experience which was great. I left due to
the state of the contract manufacturing industry in the U.S. I now
work for a local financial institution where I'm technical lead for
their online banking system.

I'm in my mid-thirties and have always wanted to work overseas for at
least a few years. As strange as it sounds in this connected age most
Americans are isolated from the events going on in the rest of the
world and I would rather not be one of them.

My goal would be to contribute more to the British economy than what I
receive in services (which appears to be the point of a program like
this) while experiencing life outside of the US. I wouldn't want to
quit my job here without a firm offer in the UK as I'm not
independently wealthy.

My wife doesn't know what she would rather do, it depends on my
Salary. She's a geriatric social worker by trade. I would imagine
her training might not transfer well given the different laws and
social programs. However, she might enjoy volunteer work if there is a
need.

My initial idea is to get the HSMP visa, and then start approaching
contacts from my previous employers as they both have operations in the
UK. I would think it would be easier to get an offer if I have the
visa already. My feeling is if I can not obtain the visa, the British
economy does not need/want me.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.