How to secure a working visa as a journalist
Shruti Chopra, Editor in Chief at Financial News spoke with Sourced’s Talya Misiri about how to approach visa discussions with employers, the associated costs and how candidates can ultimately secure visa sponsorship.
How can international students work in the UK post-study and how did you secure your first visa?
If you do a masters degree in the UK, you are eligible for a post study work visa/Graduate Visa, that enables you to stay in the country to work for at least two years after completing your course. You don’t need an employer to sponsor you during that time.
Securing this visa type is really simple, you just have to fill in a form online and then go in person to get your biometrics taken.
When I secured my first job after university, I told my employer that I had my graduate visa and that when it runs out they would have to consider sponsoring me.
Not all employers in the UK are sponsor licence holders, so not every company can sponsor you. Companies have to be a licensed sponsor, and my company at the time wasn’t. So, I worked for them for a year and when it was eight to nine months before my visa’s expiration, I told them that I would have to leave the following year if they weren’t able to sponsor me. I did the necessary homework about what was required, to make it as easy as possible for the company, and they then agreed to become a licensed sponsor to renew my visa!
What does it mean for an employer to sponsor someone?
From an employer perspective, the things to consider are: they need to be a licensed sponsor, and if they’re not, then this could be an extra cost for them. Also, if a workplace sponsors an employee's visa, there’s a certain salary band that they need to meet, which can be generally higher than the market rate. As a result of this, you as an employee seeking a visa, need to be really good at your job for your employer to decide to increase your annual salary and sponsor you.
What are the associated financial costs?
There are two main costs for employers. One is that the company has to spend money to become a licensed sponsor. With this, they can hire international students or international candidates from wherever, so the cost is not just for one individual. The second cost is that the employer has to pay for a certificate of sponsorship that is needed for the employee’s application, but this isn’t very costly.
For the candidate, I would advise investing in hiring a lawyer. If you get things wrong on your form, you risk getting your application rejected and this can waste time. The form is quite simple, but there are some really crucial details including questions such as: ‘how the number of hours you work needs to correspond to your salary’ that can catch people out. So, when an employer is sponsoring you, I would recommend seeking a lawyer’s assistance, even if it’s just asking them to look over your form once you’ve filled it out.
How should international candidates discuss visa requirements with a potential workplace during a recruitment process?
There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer here. It really depends on your boss, your company and your communication skills. Will you be able to pull off underplaying the need for a visa at first or not? You don’t have to volunteer this information abruptly in the interview process. I would recommend first focusing on getting the job and explaining why you’re the best candidate for it.
Employers are smart, they approach this topic on their own and if you’re an international student, they will ask you about your visa requirements because they want to make sure everything is legal. So, it can come up organically in conversations, but even from the employer’s perspective, the first thing they really want to know is if you can do the job you’re interviewing for. Visas aren’t related to job performance, they are just a technicality that need to be sorted.
What advice would you give people looking to secure a role in the industry, as well as a visa?
I always advise people to be very proactive. Your visa will only get sponsored when you’re the hardest working person in the room. You need to be so good at your job that the company realises that they can’t do without you. If you focus on being good at your job, nine times out of 10, securing a visa becomes a byproduct of your hard work.
Secondly, I find that there is a misconception among a number of international students that they won’t get sponsored. They plan to study and go back to their countries, but they really need to try and be persistent and be ready to work hard to succeed in their job/company and get sponsored.
While it can be complicated, the thing I want to tell international students is: don’t think that it [securing a visa] can’t be done; I know of very close friends and family who have been employed in the UK in media, communications and journalism who have managed to secure a visa.
