Can I hire a recruiter to find me work in the UK?

Wow, thank you for the warnings!

Most sites have the warnings posted but still there are always some willing to take a chance and then they appear asking how they can lose their 10 year ban for deception so that they can try the legal way for a visa. Then they might get ripped of again by those who say they can help them lose that ban

What is a restricted COS and what might my approach be to getting a restricted COS?

It's a certificate that the work sponsor must allocate, for a visa for the employee.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/sponsorship-certificates


If you were in the UK on a spouse visa, there is no CoS required as you can do any job as your Brit spouse is your sponsor. You can changes jobs when you want as your stay is not tied to your employer, but to your spouse.

Most sites have the warnings posted but still there are always some willing to take a chance and then they appear asking how they can lose their 10 year ban for deception so that they can try the legal way for a visa. Then they might get ripped of again by those who say they can help them lose that ban

It's a certificate that the work sponsor must allocate, for a visa for the employee.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/sponsorship-certificates


If you were in the UK on a spouse visa, there is no CoS required as you can do any job as your Brit spouse is your sponsor. You can changes jobs when you want as your stay is not tied to your employer, but to your spouse.

Thank you, just to clarify. I have to convince them to give me a job before obtaining said COS correct? If so, is that any different than convincing someone to provide me with a Tier 2 Visa for a job? Sorry if I am not quite getting it.

A CoS is a certificate of sponsorship.  It's the paperwork required for obtaining a Tier 2 visa.

A CoS is a certificate of sponsorship.  It's the paperwork required for obtaining a Tier 2 visa.

Thanks for the info.

I read somewhere that in a recruitment consultant office there is no receptionist and no system of leaving messages.  They all take turns answering each other's phones while the guy you are trying to reach listens for the name from across the cubicle.  The answering guy either puts you through right away or pretends to take a message depending on the reaction.

Don't worry about agents that don't return calls, they are ignoring you because they aren't going to do anything for you.  It's not personal, you are not money for them so it's a waste to talk to you.  Even after you interview, it is rare to hear back from the agent unless you are successful.  Calling people to break the bad news does not get them closer to their quota.  If an agent has a job for you, he'll be calling you every 10 minutes. 

Keep in mind that any position advertised is replied to by 10,000 Indians with no visa who are willing to try their luck.  Agents have developed sophisticated filter mechanisms in response and you are being caught in those filters.

I was hired at my current job through an agency and they had two people working the front desk/phones and I always spoke with the guy I was working with to get the job.

I also was working with another agency and they emailed and called me with quite a few jobs, not always ones I felt were suitable but over a month I probably had 4 or 5 jobs sent my way.

They will only work with you if you already have the right to work in the UK and you are able to come in for an actual interview with them to go over your skills.

I was hired at my current job through an agency and they had two people working the front desk/phones and I always spoke with the guy I was working with to get the job.

I also was working with another agency and they emailed and called me with quite a few jobs, not always ones I felt were suitable but over a month I probably had 4 or 5 jobs sent my way.

They will only work with you if you already have the right to work in the UK and you are able to come in for an actual interview with them to go over your skills.

Interesting. I get PLENTY of emails for UK work living here in the USA. However, the top of my CV has numerous warnings at the top of it not to contact me about:

1) USA based jobs.

2) UK based jobs where you won't sponsor me.

3) That if you are going to sponsor me, it must say so in the subject line or your email will be ignored.

That really necked things down.

I still get inundated by USA companies due to my zip code. They pay no mind. I do favors for anyone who won't take the time to read the warning at the top of my resume...right to the deleted box.

What really annoys me are the jobs that are in the UK, where they can clearly see that I live in the USA and can clearly see my explicit warning not to waste my time....and then having the cheek to ask whether or not I have a working Visa!



I have come *close* to being sponsored once or twice when living here.

Once was a large financial firm with international presence. They wanted me to go to an interview in some other State in the USA as part of a 4 part interview process which would have cost me alot of money that I didn't have with no guarantees whatsoever. I said that I didn't think it was right that I had to put up the grand for a flight and no guarantee of a job....they didn't want to know me.

The other was some recruiting firm that wanted to see me on Skype at 3 in the morning for 2 positions that I would be a great fit for. I must be one ugly bastard at 3 AM because I never heard from them again. Same thing happened with the Irish market. My days of Skype are done. I'll wear a mask next time!

You've piqued my interest in what company your working with to get US jobs AND UK jobs. Haha.

I've noticed that many of the Recruiters over here don't look very hard at your CV before they contact you about a job they are looking to fill. Other than to give your employment history a very cursory glance, they don't particularly care if you have everything just that you would be a decent candidate for them to send to the company that's hiring.

I very clearly state on my CV that I have right to work, but they always ask me the same question.

And no, they don't contact you back if you aren't picked for an interview with the company. They only contact you if there is a job you might be interested in, if you are asked to an interview and if you are successfully chosen for the position.

Was your 3am interview with the recruitment agency?
If it was, you usually have to have a meeting/interview with them first before you can have an interview with their actual client, the hiring company.

My job is US Copywriter and the recruitment agency had dozens of Americans applying for it that were seeking a Tier 2 sponsorship.

You've piqued my interest in what company your working with to get US jobs AND UK jobs. Haha.

I've noticed that many of the Recruiters over here don't look very hard at your CV before they contact you about a job they are looking to fill. Other than to give your employment history a very cursory glance, they don't particularly care if you have everything just that you would be a decent candidate for them to send to the company that's hiring.

I very clearly state on my CV that I have right to work, but they always ask me the same question.

And no, they don't contact you back if you aren't picked for an interview with the company. They only contact you if there is a job you might be interested in, if you are asked to an interview and if you are successfully chosen for the position.

Was your 3am interview with the recruitment agency?
If it was, you usually have to have a meeting/interview with them first before you can have an interview with their actual client, the hiring company.

My job is US Copywriter and the recruitment agency had dozens of Americans applying for it that were seeking a Tier 2 sponsorship.

...and you have taught me how to spell a new word.... "piqued". That only happens about once every 5 years to the degree where I am actually quite happy to learn a new spelling. Kudos to you, I wonder how many forums I spelled it as "peaked." 

I get asked on the USA if I have a right to work more than likely based upon my ethnically identifiable name.

Very good pointers. Yes, the 3am Skype was with the recruiter. It all fell apart after seeing me.....very suspicious in both cases. I still landed a beautiful British wife though, so I am not too alarmist.

Sent you a brief PM on types of jobs that are US/UK.

...and you have taught me how to spell a new word.... "piqued". That only happens about once every 5 years to the degree where I am actually quite happy to learn a new spelling. Kudos to you, I wonder how many forums I spelled it as "peaked." 

It would appear you've missed my Facebook rants! 

It would appear you've missed my Facebook rants! 

huh? 

...and you have taught me how to spell a new word.... "piqued". That only happens about once every 5 years to the degree where I am actually quite happy to learn a new spelling. Kudos to you, I wonder how many forums I spelled it as "peaked." 

I get asked on the USA if I have a right to work more than likely based upon my ethnically identifiable name.

Very good pointers. Yes, the 3am Skype was with the recruiter. It all fell apart after seeing me.....very suspicious in both cases. I still landed a beautiful British wife though, so I am not too alarmist.

Sent you a brief PM on types of jobs that are US/UK.

Hey.

Yeah, I remember when I found out it was said 'peaked'. Haha. I had assumed it was said pih-cue when I'd read it? Gotta love language.

Hmm... I wasn't actually asking about companies who have positions available in the US &UK. I've even applied at some myself, like Molson Coors.
I was asking what recruitment agencies you had been working with that dealt with the US and UK.

When I say recruiter I mean someone working for an agency like Hays, Pertemps or Micheal Page. Recruitment companies hired by other companies to fill their vacancies. You can have recruiters working in HR of larger companies, but that isn't what I was talking about. And those types of people would be combing you CV if they were interested and contacting you.

I'm a bit surprised that there isn't a recruitment company that specialises in placing people in your field. I know there are several for Sales and Marketing and PR.

huh? 

I quite often go mental on Facebook about people's poor spelling.  Just joking about you seeing the rants or not. 

Hey.

Yeah, I remember when I found out it was said 'peaked'. Haha. I had assumed it was said pih-cue when I'd read it? Gotta love language.

Hmm... I wasn't actually asking about companies who have positions available in the US &UK. I've even applied at some myself, like Molson Coors.
I was asking what recruitment agencies you had been working with that dealt with the US and UK.

When I say recruiter I mean someone working for an agency like Hays, Pertemps or Micheal Page. Recruitment companies hired by other companies to fill their vacancies. You can have recruiters working in HR of larger companies, but that isn't what I was talking about. And those types of people would be combing you CV if they were interested and contacting you.

I'm a bit surprised that there isn't a recruitment company that specialises in placing people in your field. I know there are several for Sales and Marketing and PR.

I have no idea what recruitment agencies specialize in that sort of placement, sorry. My experiences have been with companies or recruitment agencies in the UK as the result of being overly aggressive enough to trigger rare communication from the UK that has obviously resulted in no fruition.

There are "bazillions" (sorry I had to do that) of recruiting companies that support my specific niche here in the USA, but the problem is that the vacancy has to exist in the UK which rarely happens so in turn it is anything but a specialty.

You have a valid point. I am now wondering.

I quite often go mental on Facebook about people's poor spelling.  Just joking about you seeing the rants or not. 

Ah, I figured such. I don't have Facebook but I don't blame you. I live in Virginia which is supposed to be the "paramount of civilization" in the USA, and everyone writes "your" a great person when emailing or texting me. Doesn't matter if that person wears a suit or has 5 degrees. Seems like it is largely some weird East Coast thing.

Go on then, spill the beans!  What's the niche?