Enquiry re: UK visa and work in Europe

So I applied for this wicked job this morning and to my surprise they called me about an hour ago with a question that I think I answered but am going to do some research on before I call her back. Anyone have any thoughts?

The job requires a valid passport (which I have) and driver's license (technically my US license is valid, I'd just need to get an international DL for insurance purposes as it would probably just be for driving rental cars while abroad on jobs) because parts of the job would be to work abroad: i.e. Europe.

I have the UK visa and since I would be working specifically for a UK company and being paid in GBP, would there be an issue if a job came up where I'd have to travel to, say, Spain and work there? Would I not still be working for the UK company and not for a Spanish one? So I wouldn't need a visa to work there, right?

Confused? Me too. I am going to call the Home Office and see what kind of restrictions I have being here on an FLR(M). For all I know I am not allowed to work abroad with a UK work visa sans British Passport.

Any thoughts?

- hopeful Delara

(i love the halloween icons!  )

I've always wondered about this... there seem to be quite a few jobs that require work-related travel to Europe.

I don't have any answers for you (indeed, would like to know the answer myself) but here are some thoughts:

1.  I doubt contacting the Home Office will be of any use (then again, I could be surprised!) as to whether you would be allowed work in Europe.  You may have more luck contacting the 'Home Office' equivalent in any countries you think you may need to work in.

2.  Don't know what kind of visa you have, but if you spend *A LOT* of time overseas there could be an issue when it comes to applying for ILR, in that they are not convinced that you are "settled" in the UK (I highly doubt this would be a problem for you, just something to be aware of).


And finally...

3.  Many people in the U.S. travel to Europe on work-related business, all the time, without having the right to work in the EU.  Your situation doesn't really sound much different, so if they can do it, in theory so can you!  The only difference I can see would possibly be that most business trips seem to usually be for about 2 weeks max, whereas you don't say how long you would need to be abroad for (maybe it would make a difference?).

Good luck!

I have the UK visa and since I would be working specifically for a UK company and being paid in GBP, would there be an issue if a job came up where I'd have to travel to, say, Spain

The Home Office will be of little help cuz it's a Shengen thing and not a UK thing, and they sometimes do p*ss poor on UK related enquiries at that!

And the Shengen rules accrue spent leave on a 90 day out of 6 month rolling window for business visitors - which would apply to you cuz you are not an EU national, even though your residence is within the UK's jurisdiction.

(boy this topic has been moved around a lot!)

That's exactly what my thoughts were. So I tried calling the Home Office and the number was tirelessly busy. Then I called www.1stcontact.co.uk and they assured me that as long as I am not staying for excessive lengths of time, i.e. just going over for one or two weeks at the most, it's fine. As long as my passport lets me in.

Then I called www.globalvisas.co.uk and they told me the opposite: if I am going to an EU country for any reason other than visiting, I have to apply for a business visa, which again does make sense -- but when when I tried to get in contact with other consulates (Spain, France etc...) no luck getting through!

My thoughts are just to call the company and say if it is really an issue for you, then don't hire me. Shouldn't they know the regulations for their employees? (or would that be my job if hired to know?)


And garry, my lord, what does that mean, the "rolling window for business visitors?"

"rolling window for business visitors?"

It just means that every day there is a 6 month history going back.  And on that day you look back 6 months in the past and see how long you were in the Schengen domain.  If it is more than 90 days, then you can get in trouble.  Next day, you do the same thing.

The UK has a spent leave rolling window for business and visitors:  6 months out of 12.  *BUT* it's a constructive rule and *NOT* specifically mentioned in immigration law.  The Schengen stuff is actual law...