Visas, Bank Accounts, National Insurance and other important things…
To live and work in the UK is a dream shared by many people.
There are good reasons for this.
Britain is a highly developed country where jobs are relatively well-paid, individual rights are respected and work conditions are subject to favourable rules which simply do not exist in many other countries.
The economy (even when it is slow) is big and full of opportunity!
However, the UK cannot open its borders to all people. Unfortunately, doing so would result in an influx of foreign citizens which would ultimately cause big problems.
But there are ways.
3 Things Needed for Work
There are some basic requirements if you need to work in the UK such as (click to skip to info below);
- A Visa
- Bank Account
- NI Number (or National Insurance Number)
Getting a Visa to Work in the UK
Depending on what country you’re from, you may or may not need to have a Visa to live and/or work in the United Kingdom.
If you’re an EU citizen, a citizen of an EEA (European Economic Area) country (excepting Bulgaria and Romania, for which there are special regulations in place) or a citizen of Switzerland, you do have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom, and you do not need to obtain a work visa for this purpose.
This means that you can:
- Work as an employee
- Work in a self-employed regime
- Create a new business
- Create a regional branch for an existing business
If you are from anywhere else in the world, you’ll have to apply for a work visa. The type of visa you’ll need will depend on the type of work you’ll want to do in the UK. The UK Border Agency classifies people who want to move and work in the UK in the following fashion:
High-Value Migrants – Need to complete an assessment based on a point-system. This category generally refers to people with exceptional talents, investors and entrepreneurs (people who mean to invest their own money in to the British economy)
Skilled Workers – In this case applicants need to be sponsored by their prospective employer who is offering you a position, in order to be able to apply for a work visa.
Temporary Workers – This generally applies to individuals who are interested in coming to work in the UK for a period of time of at most 12 months, such as young people participating in a Work and Travel program.
Students – Although restricted to 10 or 20 hours, many international students can work part-time in the UK.
Other – This non-denominational category of workers includes a number of different situations where special rules exist, like the case of domestic workers and representatives of companies located in a foreign country.
This might seem like a very complicated system upon first seeing it, but there are some tools that you can use to make the process easier. You can even apply for a visa online on the UK Border Agency website. This way you can be sure to find the specific form you need, you’ll get help in filling it out correctly, and you’ll receive guidance regarding the documents you need to present as evidence for what you claim in the forms.
Getting a UK Bank Account
If you want to work in the UK you’ll need to have a bank account, where your employer can transfer your salary in British pounds. You will have a few different options available to choose from here, depending on how familiar you are with banking procedures. There are different ways to open a new bank account, and what you should choose depends entirely on your preferences and on your budget.
First, you could hire the services of a specialized relocation company. Reputable relocation companies will offer a range of starter services, to help you get your footing once you’ve arrived in the UK, or even before you get here. These starter packages might include anything from Job assistance services, a bank account, a SIM Card, a NI number, a Gym membership and much more.
On the other hand, you could open a new bank account yourself, once you’re already in the country. However you should know that banks usually require proof of address when opening a new bank account. You won’t have a huge selection to choose from, but in recent years it has become a little easier for foreign nationals to open a bank account in the UK.
Getting a National Insurance Number
When you live and work in the UK you need to have a NI number in order to pay your National Insurance contributions if you want to have access to certain benefits like state pensions and student loans. The opposite is also valid, however. In order to be able to apply for a NI (National Insurance) number you need to have the right to live and work in the UK.
Your NI number represents your personal account number, and it’s meant to ensure that every tax payment you make, whether it’s for the income tax or for National Insurance contributions, is properly attributed to you. It also serves as an identifier in all your dealings with the HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs), and the Department for Work and Pensions.
You have two different options available for getting a NI number:
1) You can use a service and pay a fee (about £25) to get assistance and make sure things run smoothly.
2) You can apply to get a NI number yourself.
Conclusion
Knowing what you need to work in the UK can often be just start of an amazing work and life experience. To get set up with everything you need there are many services set up by private companies designed to help make things easier. For many people getting assistance with tedious, time-consuming tasks can mean that things run a lot smoother, but if you have time and plenty of patience there are ways to sort things out yourself too.
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