Ask HN: How to Find a Job Abroad

[shk88]

I've been thinking about trying to find a developer job in the UK (I'm a U.S. citizen). Anyone have experience with making such a move? Any major hurdles with visas, etc?

Any insight is much appreciated.

[hcho]

Getting a UK work visa is ridiculously hard these days. The economic downturn created a anti-immigration sentiment and the government changed their visa programs such that only 25000(if memory serves me right) a year can enter the UK for work.

Your workable options are:

1)Find a job at a corporate who still has unused quota

2)Find a job in a US company and than get transferred to a UK branch. This isn't constrained by the quota

3)Marry an EU citizen

I hate to be bearer of bad news but this is the current situation.

[robyates]

I think many companies won't sponsor a visa from far away, however you could try going for a master's degree at a university in a city you'd like to live in and looking for internships while you're there. Though I never ended up studying in Europe, one site I looked at lot was http://www.mastersportal.eu

Finally, the UK has a points-based Tier 1 and Tier 2 visa program for High Value Migrants (Tier 1) and Skilled Workers (Tier 2): http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/ (Note that as of April 2011, there have been significant changes to these visa programs, so make sure you have up-to-date information.)

[jackie_singh]

Step 1: Save enough money to spend a few months there; Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit!

Bottom line, it's easier to get a work visa anywhere when someone already wants to hire you there. It's easier to find a job when you're physically able to attend interviews and networking events. It's also better to spend extensive time determining whether this is something you really want to do before putting forth all the effort for a work visa. You can't actually WORK on a tourist visa, but you can certainly broaden your UK-based horizons in the 6 months they'll give you.

Good luck!

[sdfjkl]

Getting a visa is a major hurdle indeed. Do not attempt this without professional help, the slightest formal error can cause your application to be rejected and require resubmission (which means paying the submission fee again).

If you're serious about this, I'd recommend getting your ass over here on some of the 6 month visa waiver programme (no work permitted) making contacts and attending interviews. Stick to large multinationals, small companies/startups will be hesitant to sponsor you due to high cost and long waiting periods.

[amorphid]

My 2 cents would be to track down an immigration attorney in the UK. Get in writing what if takes to find a development job there. Find a startup who needs a developer, apply, and include the note about how to hire you.

[almightygod]

Find a company that will let you telecommute