I was over the moon when I was offered a job in the UK after my internship. I wish I had known how much I would regret this decision because of my line manager: he would often insult me, and I would burst out crying. I began to consider quitting the job, but that would have meant leaving the UK. And I wanted to stay. I started looking for a solution and friends recommended that I contact Imperial & Legal.
Karima was born in a respectable family in Egypt. Her parents did their best to ensure that she received a quality education and her future was secure. The young woman majored in global economics and international management at a business college. A persistent student, she did her best to live up to the expectations. All her efforts bore fruit: she graduated with honours and got an internship abroad. The internship was with a company founded by one of Karima’s fellow compatriots in the UK.
Once the internship was completed, Karima was invited to work in the company as a transactional consultant. This was huge luck. She obtained a UK Skilled Worker visa and fully dedicated herself to her new job. Karima enjoyed gaining new knowledge, expanding her experience and establishing useful contacts.
However, her line manager Mahmud was the fly in the ointment. His attitude to employees was, to put it mildly, incorrect. The employees had to endure insults, and violent outbursts, deal with impossible tasks and pay for any mistake with their own money. And while things were not that bad when it came to UK-born employees, his compatriots were treated dreadfully.
This made Karima’s life unbearable. She enjoyed her job, was quick to learn and could get through anything. But when Mahmud interfered with her work, criticising and insulting her, the woman would get petrified and indeed make stupid mistakes. Sometimes her nerves would fail her, and she would burst out crying at the very thought of having to discuss anything with her manager.
The wisest decision would surely be to quit the job and find another one, with a better manager, but the problem was that a UK Work visa is always linked to the job. If she quit, she would have to leave the UK. But Karima had grown to like the country and did not feel like leaving.
The young woman needed to find a job with another company to reapply for a UK Work visa and stay in the country legally, but that was not easy because a potential employer must not only have a suitable job but also a sponsorship licence to employ foreigners.
A friend recommended that Karima called Imperial & Legal to find out how she could solve her problem.
Karima is a 32-year-old from Egypt. She had stayed in the UK for more than two years on a UK Work visa. Karima had problems with her line manager and had no idea how to solve them.
Finding a way for the client to stay and work in the UK legally without the need to put up with toxic behaviour.
At first, Imperial & Legal advisors were going to explain to the client her rights and restrictions under a UK Work visa route and help her change jobs. It is more difficult for a foreigner to find a job than for a British citizen. But Karima was not the first to change jobs in a foreign country, so it sounded like a plan.
However, before long it became clear that Karima needed a break to regain her ruined self-esteem. Despite being a promising highly qualified specialist, she would find it too hard to make a good presentation of herself in her current emotional state.
While talking to the advisors, Karima accidentally mentioned that apart from looking for a new job, she was about to get married. She had met a man in a café where she had lunch. What started as a chit-chat grew into flirtation, which then grew into a close relationship. The couple moved in together and, eventually, decided to get married.
This made things so much easier. Imperial & Legal immigration advisors explained to Karima that as soon as she got married, she would be able to apply for a UK Spouse and Civil Partner visa, which gives her the right to stay, study and work in the UK without any restrictions. And perhaps most importantly, she would get independent from her employer. Under the UK Spouse and Civil Partner visa route, she would be able to look for a job with any company, including those which cannot issue a certificate of sponsorship to be submitted to the Home Office.
Of course, application for this visa also required some preparation. We scheduled a consultation with Karima and her fiancé and compiled a list of supporting documents they would have to submit to change her immigration status just after the wedding.
Our advisors explained to Karima that she could quit the job right then and stay in the UK till the wedding ceremony under the UK fiancé, fiancée and proposed civil partner visa route. But the problem was that she would have to leave the country, go back to Egypt and apply for the visa from there, while switching to a UK Spouse and Civil Partner visa was possible from within the UK. Our client decided to wait a bit more rather than be separated from her beloved.
The couple collected all the necessary evidence of their long and serious relationship. They had a joint bank account and joint insurance, and the fiancé provided a bank statement confirming that he would be able to support his wife. The minimum income requirement is £18,600 per year. He also provided the title for the flat where they lived together.
All this helped to work out the right strategy to change Karima’s immigration status, and the client got her UK Spouse and Civil Partner visa just three months after the wedding. She quit the hated job, got passionate about interior design and became successful in this unexpected field of business.
Sometimes an unsolvable problem can be solved if approached differently. However, a person who is faced with this problem may struggle to find a suitable solution or see any way out. This is the moment when a highly qualified expert can help to find an unexpected solution.
Imperial & Legal advisors pride themselves on an all-around approach to clients’ problems and take into account not only the given but also the desired, which helps us find the best ways to achieve any goals.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
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UK Family Visas: Spouse and Fiancé/Fiancée Visas
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