“Do you offer an employment visa?” and a bit of advice for visa first-timers

This was the first question that was asked of me when I started delving into expat consultancy services.  Since I already spend a bit of time on online communities I was coming up with ways to monetize this, even if for a short while, hence dipping my toe into a consultancy for budding expats.

While I definitely do not offer employment visas, let alone assist in any visa queries since this outside of my domain, I was slightly taken back by the sheer directness of this question.  Not only that, but it was the first question offered to me.

It’s like the visa version of “Look, we’ve never met but would you like to offer your hand in marriage?“.

In addition, isn’t this the wrong way to go about getting one’s first relocation job?

First of all, they will need an actual job offer.

And, in addition to the job offer, the employer will most likely need to obtain some sort of labor market impact assessment test.  This is to prove the powers-that-be (The Government) that an employer must look outside of the already willing and able local labor force to satisfy the skills gap.  Exception to that rule may include the person having critical employment skills as is the case with certain roles and industries.

And, last but not least, there is still the required paperwork and documentation that is still required to obtain such a visa.  Police checks.  Educational assessments.  Language proficiency tests.  Maybe even a savings check to determine that you have enough to support yourself initially without resorting to public resources.

In the end, it really is not the employer that offers visas.  An employer can only offer you a job.  This is one of the first steps, out of many for you to take, to obtain that visa.

My response to him is that no, I do not offer employment visas.  The main advice that I have for them is to obtain the job offer first, to plan out what documentation and other items that they will need and to also conduct a bit of self-education and to learn more about what the potential pathways are.

I also had an additional question from the same person as to whether or not I can help secure employment for them.  Which is a clear no.  Headhunters do seek out people for employment but the relationship is reversed – meaning that, the headhunter’s client is the company requiring their service and not the job seeker.

The expat consultancy service that I am conducting (under the ExpatGenius umbrella) has been a bit of an interesting ride. I’ve found myself saying no quiet a few times, simply because the requests that I am getting would require the services of a registered migration consultant or lawyer.  However, in cases which involve enhancing your profile and relocation strategy, feel free to contact me on ExpatGenius.