What sort of visa do postdocs get?

Tier 2 or Tier 4?

Tier 2

Tier 2 is a work visa - so if you will be employed by the university, with a salary, you will need a Tier 2 Sponsored work visa (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier2/general/).

Tier 4 is a student visa - so if you will be a student at the university, on a degree course, paying tuition fees, then you need a student visa (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/).

However, if I remember correctly, your husband will be a student in the UK and you will be joining him, is that right?

If so, and he is applying for a Tier 4 student visa, you should be able to apply for a Tier 4 Dependent visa to join him in the UK (and your kids will need Tier 4 Dependent visas as well) - the dependent visa will allow you to work in the UK without restriction (and without needing sponsorship for a work visa), and you won't need to qualify for and apply for a Tier 2 visa.

Alternatively, if you manage to get sponsorship for a job and can get a Tier 2 visa, then your husband can apply for a Tier 2 Dependent visa (and your kids will need Tier 2 dependent visas too) and then he won't need to apply for a Tier 4 student visa.

However, a Tier 4 visa is generally much easier to qualify for than a Tier 2 visa (although you will need to have all the tuition and required living costs for the first year of study, but the required living costs for each dependent), so it might be better for you to apply for a Tier 4 Dependent visa instead.

For a Tier 2, the post-doc job will need to meet all the sponsorship requirements and the university will need to prove that either the job is on the skills shortage list, or that there is no other suitable post-doc candidate in the UK or rest of the EU who can take the job before they can hire you.

Yes Hubby will be a student so the current plan is to come in on a tier 4 dependent.

I will be applying for work/postdoc soon and it would be theoretically possible for me to head over before him . I which case I would assume a tier 2 would be the route (lots of pieces in the air here)

Yeah the having to prove living costs is complicated but I think we have it worked out.  Supposedly Americans are low risk and may not be checked for finances.  I wonder how often we ARE checked? (we do have the ability to show the required finances if push comes to shove but would rather not)

You'll be much more likely to get a position if you do not require a visa as a condition of employment (i.e., as a Tier 4 dependent rather than as someone who needs a Tier 2 visa).

You'll be much more likely to get a position if you do not require a visa as a condition of employment (i.e., as a Tier 4 dependent rather than as someone who needs a Tier 2 visa).

yeeeaahhhh  that's what I was thinking :-)

the first line of my CV, after contact info is:

Visa Status

 I will be applying for Tier 4 (dependent) status on account of my spouse’s acceptance at the University of Kent. He is in a post-graduate program which will last 12 months or longer. This allows me to take any form of employment except as a doctor in training. If possible I would like to be considered for sponsorship to acquire a Tier 2 visa.

But why put the last line in? You don't need sponsorship so why even mention it?

yeeeaahhhh  that's what I was thinking :-)

the first line of my CV, after contact info is:

Visa Status

 I will be applying for Tier 4 (dependent) status on account of my spouse’s acceptance at the University of Kent. He is in a post-graduate program which will last 12 months or longer. This allows me to take any form of employment except as a doctor in training. If possible I would like to be considered for sponsorship to acquire a Tier 2 visa.

I'm confused about why you are asking to be considered for sponsorship for a Tier 2 visa when you've just told them you will have a Tier 4 Dependent visa and therefore you will not require sponsorship for a Tier 2 visa :S.

I thought there would be less restrictions on timeline?  My husband could be done in as little as two years. What if we want to stay?  I though there was more flexibility on time limits as a tier 2 - as a tier 4 we can only stay a limited time after he is done.

I may be over thinking this.....

I wouldn't worry about that in advance. Just the fact that you don't need sponsorship now is good enough. Don't ask for a Tier 2.

I thought there would be less restrictions on timeline?  My husband could be done in as little as two years. What if we want to stay?  I though there was more flexibility on time limits as a tier 2 - as a tier 4 we can only stay a limited time after he is done.

I may be over thinking this.....

Yes, there are less restrictions on timeline, but the problem is getting a job that will enable you to get a Tier 2 visa in the first place... if you have permission to work in the UK from a Tier 4 visa, then the UK university can hire you much more easily than if you need a Tier 2 visa to work.

As a simplified example:

University: Do/Will you have permission to work in the UK?

You: Yes, I will be applying for a Tier 4 Dependent visa in August, as my husband will be a student here.

University: Ok, great - that means we don't have to sponsor you for a visa. The job is yours, starting when you arrive in August/Sept.


Or

University: Do/Will you have permission to work in the UK?

You: No, I will need to be sponsored for a TIer 2 visa.

University: Oh, well, unfortunately, if you don't already have permission to work in the UK, then before we can offer you a job we will need to advertise the vacancy across the UK and the other 26 EU countries for a certain number of weeks, and we will only be able to offer you a position if we cannot find anyone qualified for the position out of the 500 million people in the EU. Then, after that, we will need to apply for a certificate of sponsorship for you and for your 3 dependants, which will cost us money and will reduce the number of visas we are allowed to allocate to other workers (who cannot qualify for a different type of visa) for the rest of the year.

University: Oh, well, unfortunately, if you don't already have permission to work in the UK, then before we can offer you a job we will need to advertise the vacancy across the UK and the other 26 EU countries for a certain number of weeks, and we will only be able to offer you a position if we cannot find anyone qualified for the position out of the 500 million people in the EU. Then, after that, we will need to apply for a certificate of sponsorship for you and for your 3 dependants, which will cost us money and will reduce the number of visas we are allowed to allocate to other workers (who cannot qualify for a different type of visa) for the rest of the year.

   I see............  Guess I'm glad that CV hasn't left my computer yet.....