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Overseas Recruitment...
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FAQs

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Visa and Work Permit Information

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FAQs

Q.What skills are available in Eastern Europe that are less available in the UK?
The automotive industry has invested heavily in Romania where labour costs are still relatively low. There are also many companies in the IT, pharmaceutical, food, oil and gas, petrochemical, civil and industrial construction industries which means a plentiful supply of well qualified individuals in all these sectors. Research and development in general is another field where Romania is strong, predominantly in the automotive industry.

Q. How can I validate the qualifications and experience of someone coming from overseas?
Education standards and levels can vary from country to country, countries within the EU are regulated to acknowledge qualifications from other member countries and have clear guidelines on comparable standards. The National Agency also provide information and expert opinion on vocational academic and professional skills & qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide. You can contact them to get more information about specific countries at www.naric.org.uk

Q.What are the language skills like?
English is taught in all Romanian schools from the age of seven. The Eastern European Translator Association classed Romanians as the best speakers of foreign languages in Europe with:
- 60% of Romanians able to speak a foreign language
- 25% of Romanians able to speak 2 foreign languages and
- 4% able to speak more than 2 foreign languages

English is an eliminatory requirement for most technical roles due to the increasing work collaborations with multinational companies, so you will find that candidates will have a high level of technical English capability.

Q.How long does the process take from start to finish?
Between six to ten weeks. This is related mostly to the working visa procedures and not to the notice period or recruitment process. In Romania, skilled staff work between two and four weeks notice. Even taking into account the additional time for paperwork surrounding entry into the UK, this compares favourably with notice periods of three months over here.

Q.How do work permits operate?
There are a number of options including applying through the Highly Skilled programme or the Accession Worker Card scheme. Alternatively, candidates can obtain a job offer from a UK company who can apply on the candidate’s behalf or use a third party organisation to do this for them. Individuals can undertake the process themselves, but we would not recommend this as it can be time consuming.

Q.Are employers expected to pay for candidates to travel to the UK to start their new job?

Companies who are serious about employing from these countries will always fund initial relocation costs - including a deposit on and first rent instalment for accommodation. This is because salary levels are comparatively low in Eastern Europe.

Q.Is there anything else I should know before I consider employing staff from outside the UK?
It’s really important that employers in the UK recognise that the market in Eastern Europe is becoming increasingly competitive. Other Western European countries are already recruiting quite aggressively from these countries. Success will come to those organisations that recognise the need to act decisively and who act promptly throughout the process.