Desperate Yank looking to relocate

Ive obviously sited BUNAC & studying abroad as the best ways for americans to live in the uk. but during my travels ive met loads of ppl who do cash in hand jobs. and for students backpacking around europe... its a great way to become a part of different cultures... it may not be legal, but it's part of the backpacking culture...

thats really why i mentioned it. 

its not as if i reccomend making up an NIS. I just copied and pasted what I found on that site. heavens!

I must point out that looking for work while on a visitor's visa (or on visa waiver, meaning you have no visa) is illegal and a very bad idea.  If someone is even willing to hire you when you are not even legally permitted to seek work, your violation of the visitor's visa or waiver will likely be discovered and you will be denied not only a work permit, but the opportunity to visit the UK again.  As we have seen many times here at UKY, flouting Immigration law is never a good idea.  Never. 

You can, though, travel to the UK for a job interview if it has already been set up-so by all means, hunt online as much as you can!

So, while one can't *go* to the UK and look for jobs, one can look for and apply for jobs through the internet from the US?  Is that right?  I had thought that it was simply that people who can't work in the UK can't look for jobs there, but it's actually that they can't look for jobs there while physically in the UK?  I guess that kind of makes sense, as no one would ever be able to find a work permit position otherwise.

There will be no more suggestions or tips on how to immigrate or work illegally in the United Kingdom.  End of that portion of the discussion.  Period.

Well if you do have a BUNAC blue card then you can of course look for work in the UK, and get a work permit through that. But it's just as hard to find employment that will help you sort out a work permit, as it is to work in the UK through the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme really.

If your a student and you get an internship, it is possible to get a work permit after youve completed your studies, I might add. Im looking in to that at the moment.

There will be no more suggestions or tips on how to immigrate or work illegally in the United Kingdom.  End of that portion of the discussion.  Period.

I never intended to provide tips on how to work in the UK illegally. Sorry about that. I was just commenting on people who do get cash in hand jobs... I didnt want to start trouble, and I dont reccomend illegal immigration.

I never intended to provide tips on how to work in the UK illegally. Sorry about that. I was just commenting on people who do get cash in hand jobs... I didnt want to start trouble, and I dont reccomend illegal immigration.

Fair enough.  It might just be your understanding of what "cash in hand jobs" are.  And the reality is that these jobs are illegal, even if your intention is to work them for only a short time, and especially for anyone visiting the UK as a tourist on a visa waiver. 

We have to be very careful and clear about that here since there are so many folks who read these things and misunderstand. 

I'm sure you can appreciate that. 

So, while one can't *go* to the UK and look for jobs, one can look for and apply for jobs through the internet from the US? Is that right? I had thought that it was simply that people who can't work in the UK can't look for jobs there, but it's actually that they can't look for jobs there while physically in the UK? I guess that kind of makes sense, as no one would ever be able to find a work permit position otherwise.

That is correct!  Odd, but it's true.  I guess the idea is, if you're actually flying out for an interview you got from just your resume, you must be stable/highly skilled/whatever, and the pool of UK applicants must have already been depleted.  That's just my guess.
But the info about applying is right.

This site might help some of you... it's an ESL/EFL site and has info about a lot of countries.  The link goes directly to the UK portion of the forums... 
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewforum.php?f=48

and especially for anyone visiting the UK as a tourist on a visa waiver. 

Just to add the comment that there is no visa waiver programme in the UK.  Visa Waiver is a USA concept, and we have nothing comparable to it.  Everyone in the UK who does not have ROA or citizenship in the Common Travel Area (CTA) needs to have a visa.   Including US citizens.

Having said that, a business visitor may attend meetings, seminars, take courses, engage in consulting, and attend job interviews.   IND does not distinguish between the regulated activities of a visitor or business visitor.  And it is certainly within the rules for a tourist to attend a job interview. 

The catch is that they need to be invited for an interview beforehand, when they are outside of the UK, and it needs to be declared at the port of entry or you can be in *trouble*.  With the new rules coming into force, this should not be much of a problem because the company will get done if they are breaking the rules - so they will be more sensitive to it.  So if they are interviewing a foreign national, they will need to show that the vacancy has been listed publically for 14 days, and UKvisas is far from naive. 

Now having said all of that, returning to the advocacy side...  There are some outsourcing firms who will take a promising candidate and arrange 'n' number of interviews with their clients.   And it's a way to get a shot at 5 - 10 big companies in one go.  On the downside, it needs to be a true outsourcing firm and not an employment agency.  They need to have an outsourcing relationship with the client for it to work rather than a simple PSA for candidates.  If that's in place, then it's a green light.  This has already been upheld in tribunal.