Student Visa Question

My brother and his wife moved to London from the US about a year ago so that she could get an advanced degree at a univiersity in London. My brother has been working for about a year and has a really good job that he really enjoys. He has been doing this legally because as I understand it since she was on a long term study visa he was allowed to work full time. However thier marriage is not working out and they are planing on getting a divorce. She is planing to return to the US.  My brother would like to remain in London and keep working as he has for the past year. Is there a way for him to do this? Can he get a Uk work permit to remain? Can he and/or his employer approach the Home Office and ask for a work permit? Can anyone suggest what they should do and what chances he has for remaining in the UK?

he needs an employer-sponsored work permit.

he'll need to go back to the US to have the new visa issued in his passport and re-enter the UK as a work permit holder.

So he has to leave the Uk and return to the US to apply for the work permit? If he does indeed have to leave the UK to do this how long would it take for him to get the work permit? Are we talking a couple of days,week or two? or are we talking many months? The reason I ask is if indeed this is the case such a long(months)delay might cost him his job. Does anyone have any suggestions that may help? Has anyone faced a similar situation?

First of all, he needs to look at www.workignintheuk.gov.uk to make sure that he and the job qualify for a work permit.  He then needs to make sure his employers are happy with it, as it is likely that thye will have tog o through the motions of advertising the post in order to make sure there are no UK/EEA nationals who can do the job.

If all is okay, then an applictaion need only take a week or so.  It may be quicker if his employers use an experienced consultancy to help them.

Vicky