Some advice please.

[leondj]

Hello everyone,

This will be my first post to this forum. I would like to just ask a few questions regarding my specific situation.

I am currently on a workpermit that expires 2008. I have been on it for about 21 months now and am still in the UK. Before that I was on a working holiday visa for 2 years working at the same job. I want to apply for HSMP simply because I want to do freelance contracting work without being permanently employed.

My questions are:

1) Can I count my 2 years experience on the working holiday visa towords the 4 years experience?
2) Should I use an agency or not? Seems like £950 is a lot to charge when you can send the application yourself for £150, and they can't do it any faster either, or can they?
3) I am thinking to send the following:
-Payslips for the past year.
-Letter from employer stating that I have been with them for almost 4 years and work in a degree level Job, and will continue working for them. Also stating my last years salary details.
- Letter from previous employer in South Africa stating my Job for 2 years at a degree level.
My points should then be:

-5 for being under 28.
-35 for 4 years experience.
-35 for £40 000+ earning in the UK.
= 75 points

Does this sound like enough proof, what else should I include? I do not have a degree but a diploma and various certifications so can't claim that. Surely the employment letter will be enough proof that I can "continue my work in the UK" and that "I can support myself in the UK"?

Any help with my application or feedback would be greately appreciated.

Thanks....

[zeke]

I think you are correct in how you are thinking about which points you can claim.

Just a couple of thoughts:

If you were working in a job prior to June 2003 through Working Holidaymaker Visa, and you were advancing your career through the job, does that violate the terms of the visa? That is the only point I am not clear about -- but I am sure you understand more about this than I do.
And yes, it does appear that you are permitted to "switch" from Working Holidaymaker to Highly Skilled Migrant Program. See the links below for a discussion of both issues:

http://www.workpermit.com/uk/wh_working_in_uk.htm

http://www.workpermit.com/news/uk46-UK- ... 00e0c310fb

I don't see any reason why you otherwise couldn't apply experience gained under your Working Holidaymaker visa towards HSMP. Experience is experience!

[zeke]

While HSMP does certainly permit a non-degree holder to fill a position that would normally require a degree, I strongly suggest that you make sure the situation is very carefully explained in your verification letters.

It is not sufficient for the letter to simply state that the job requires a degree. The HSMP reviewer will want to know what it is about the job that makes it normally require a degree: what skills, what knowledge base? What is it about you, without a formal degree, that qualifies you to fill the position? I think it would also be wise to include examples -- say 3 or 4 -- of projects or issues or problems you have been involved in which demonstrate your functioning on a graduate level in this position, that shows that you are able to utilize the graduate level knowledge and skills in this job.
You may want to use this kind of format, keeping it brief with each section not more than 3 sentences or so:

Problem:

Solution:

Result:

Skills/Knowledge Demonstrated:


Remember that HSMP is concerned about fraud, and anybody can say on company letterhead that a job requires a degree!

For more of my thoughts about approaching the HSMP applicaiton, see:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=2463

One other thought is that several on these boards have said that they themselves, and not their employers, are doing the actual letter-writing (which of course must be approved by the employer before it is signed onto company letterhead) because it assures that the letter will contain all of the detail required by HSMP, and I also think it is a respectful approach to a busy employer's schedule. Just a thought.

I think that you actually have a relatively straightforward application. I think you can complete the application yourself without a paid consultant. If you peruse these boards in detail -- and I urge you to do so -- you will see that many others are dealing with complicated issues of degree comparability, income comparability, spouse achievement points, proving senior/specialist roles with organograms and trying to second-guess definitions of "specialist", which is not exactly richly defined in the HSMP guidance notes! It does appear that lucky you will not have to worry about these confounding things...

I cannot comment about income verification issues as I am not claiming points in this area.

I hope that this helps! Keep us posted of your progress!