The problem you may face regarding employment within IT, regardless of daily rate is that there has been a considerable downturn in opportunities within this sector in the UK.
And contractor roles at those kind of rates were the first to go.
The market, in the last few weeks, does seem to have picked up (I've been getting calls about senior architect roles frequently over the last month) - but finding a software dev or DBA is like shooting fish in a barrel - particularly in Microsoft technologies. Finding *good* ones though - is harder. So you'll need very good verifiable references to pick up contractor jobs.
Contractors are also generally expected to start at the drop of a hat - so not being in the UK and not having the visa will put you at a major disadvantage. This is less true of permanent roles where employers are more used to 1 or 2 months notice periods - but they would still expect to be able to meet you before employing you.
You need to be aware of tax rules as a contractor and will probably need to find yourself an umbrella company to avoid being caught under IR35.
Agencies will happily put you forward for any job you're vaguely qualified for - but my experience says that employers are being *very* picky about who they employ.
M.
