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To take up employment in the UK you must be legally entitled to work and the following is a list of the ways that you can achieve this:

The Working Holiday Visa is the route by which the majority of overseas applicants are able to work in the UK.You are generally entitled to a one-year or two years Working Holiday Visa provided that you are aged between 17 and 27 (at present you do not qualify if you are aged 28 or over). You will need to obtain your visa before you leave your home country. Under the terms of a Working Holiday Visa, 'work' must technically be incidental to your visit to the UK. In other words, your primary reason for visiting the UK must be for holiday/travel purposes and any work you do is purely to fund your travel. You may work up to 50% of your two years in the UK, either one-year full time or two years part time.

You will receive an entry certificate endorsed 'Working Holiday', which is placed in your passport. You must enter the UK by the date shown on it. You will receive a validating stamp from the Immigration Control upon entry and they may ask to see evidence that you have sufficient funds for your partial support during the holiday and/or may also wish to see your return ticket or evidence that you are able to buy one. You must fully intend to leave the UK at the end of your stay.

If you are a qualified professional and wish to practise your profession you cannot use your Working Holiday Visa as a means to continue with this line of work within the UK.

All immigration matters in the UK are dealt with by:

Immigration and Nationality Department
Home Office
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon, Surrey
CR9 2BY
TEL: +44 208 686 0333

If you have an EC passport you are automatically entitled to work in the U.K.

If you have a British parent or grandparent you are entitled to claim patriality and therefore have the right to work in the UK for up to four years. It is recommended that you contact your nearest British High Commission for further advice as you will need to obtain the necessary clearance, and this is best applied for before you leave your country of origin. We strongly recommend that you secure the necessary entry clearance before you leave home.

If you are married to a British national, you will be entitled to work in the U.K. Likewise, if you are accompanying a spouse with dual nationality or patriality you will also be entitled to work in the U.K. In most cases the same applies if your spouse is a national of a European Community country or has dual nationality or patriality in other European Community countries.

Work permits relate to specific jobs. The work must be agreed prior to entering the U.K. and must be for a minimum of one year. Work permits should be obtained prior to departing for the U.K.

There are quite a few websites that contain information about working requirements. The following are two examples:

• www.workpermit.com
• www.globalvisas.co.uk