Trying to find a career on a visa

[Tomc133]

Hello fellow Railroaders,

I've got a unique situation at hand. I've got my visa approved to move to London due August and I wanted to enter the Railway industry.

Some background on myself - I have 10 years experience with a railway company in Canada (where I am moving from), doing track engineering (maintenance).

I've been applying from abroad to potentially have something locked in before my move, but to no avail. 10+ applications within Network Rail, and a few with TFL with no luck. I feel like I have my experience within the Railway well highlighted but I am open to suggestions.

I keep getting rejected before even making it to the interview stage.

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!

 

[185]

One recent thread regarding applicants on visas on here was very quickly closed before anyone had the chance to reply. Someone asked the question, I'm assuming from their status they were on FLR(M) or equivalent using the 5 year route.

There seems to be a common misunderstanding amongst railway employers that those holding temporary visas with the right to work can only be recruited with bespoke temporary contracts of employment with an expiry date matching the visa.

For example, the NHS issues a permanent contract of employment with a visa check in the days prior the expiry of the first visa - just to ensure the employee has bothered to sort their affairs out. An employee should not be given a short term contract based on their nationality - that is a red line in terms of discrimination based on nationality, and I noticed one train company in the south did this just two weeks ago in the thread I mention above.

Sadly some employers just steer clear of applicants on visas altogether - which is a shame when some are extremely talented.

 

[transportphoto]

An employee should not be given a short term contract based on their nationality - that is a red line in terms of discrimination based on nationality

Nationality is not a protected characteristic (Equality Act 2010). Employers are at liberty to decide they do not wish to employ someone who do not have permanent leave to remain.

 

[NSEWonderer]

TFL ask for 3 years minimum of existing stay in the UK I believe. Their Elizabeth Line run concession however didn't seem to require that.

 

[Krokodil]

Would you consider working for a contractor or an agency?

 

[Gaelan]

Nationality is not a protected characteristic (Equality Act 2010). Employers are at liberty to decide they do not wish to employ someone who do not have permanent leave to remain.

False:

The protected characteristics​

The following characteristics are protected characteristics—

• age;
• disability;
• gender reassignment;
• marriage and civil partnership;
• pregnancy and maternity;
• race;
• religion or belief;
• sex;
• sexual orientation.

Race​

(1)Race includes—
(a)colour;
(b)nationality;
(c)ethnic or national origins.

 

[185]

Nationality is not a protected characteristic (Equality Act 2010). Employers are at liberty to decide they do not wish to employ someone who do not have permanent leave to remain.

Employers are NOT at liberty to decide to choose not to employ someone without permanent leave to remain.

Nationality is indeed a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK. It's unlawful to discriminate against someone based on their nationality, and the fixed-term TOC contract of employment offered to an applicant on a temporary visa last month was, more than likely, illegal.

In this case, assuming he has the required skills, the applicant might wish to contact the prospective employers to check whether this has wrongly happened.

 

[transportphoto]

Apologies - I had made the assumption from the headline of Race being limited to the most obvious applications. Reading your response prompts a slightly wider read of the statute.

For clarity:

9.
Race
(1)Race includes—

(a)colour;

(b)nationality;

(c)ethnic or national origins.

Happy to have been corrected.

 

[Tomc133]

Would you consider working for a contractor or an agency?

I'd consider either - I have just been sticking to what entities I know about. Ultimately I'd like to stay in my field and tie down a career upon move. As long as the job is legitimate and gives me stability I am interested and will grow within.

TFL ask for 3 years minimum of existing stay in the UK I believe. Their Elizabeth Line run concession however didn't seem to require that.

Hmm makes sense why I have been having troubles with them. Also seems like jobs pertaining to my experience don't come up too often.

One recent thread regarding applicants on visas on here was very quickly closed before anyone had the chance to reply. Someone asked the question, I'm assuming from their status they were on FLR(M) or equivalent using the 5 year route.

There seems to be a common misunderstanding amongst railway employers that those holding temporary visas with the right to work can only be recruited with bespoke temporary contracts of employment with an expiry date matching the visa.

For example, the NHS issues a permanent contract of employment with a visa check in the days prior the expiry of the first visa - just to ensure the employee has bothered to sort their affairs out. An employee should not be given a short term contract based on their nationality - that is a red line in terms of discrimination based on nationality, and I noticed one train company in the south did this just two weeks ago in the thread I mention above.

Sadly some employers just steer clear of applicants on visas altogether - which is a shame when some are extremely talented.

Makes it make more sense, because it seems I can't even make it past the AI filtering stage to be chosen for interview. And I believe I have my experience detailed very well.

 

[185]

Worst comes to the worst, get onto a training scheme, get your UK PTS (ie the sentinel card, for track workers to access the line) and start applying from there but as I suggested, perhaps politely contact those rejecting companies just to ask if this was in relation to your temporary visa - I've seen numerous mistakes made over the last five years by companies who don't understand the law.

The 'no access to public funds' on your visa does not prevent you joining a training course or apprenticeship.

 

[Tomc133]

Worst comes to the worst, get onto a training scheme, get your UK PTS (ie the sentinel card, for track workers to access the line) and start applying from there but as I suggested, perhaps politely contact those rejecting companies just to ask if this was in relation to your temporary visa - I've seen numerous mistakes made over the last five years by companies who don't understand the law.

The 'no access to public funds' on your visa does not prevent you joining a training course or apprenticeship.

Thanks for the info I shall reach out. I tried reaching out for feedback and they didn't offer it as I hadn't made it to a human interview stage. The training course and apprenticeships are a great idea, thank you.

 

[SimplyLovely]

Worst comes to the worst, get onto a training scheme, get your UK PTS (ie the sentinel card, for track workers to access the line) and start applying from there but as I suggested, perhaps politely contact those rejecting companies just to ask if this was in relation to your temporary visa - I've seen numerous mistakes made over the last five years by companies who don't understand the law.

The 'no access to public funds' on your visa does not prevent you joining a training course or apprenticeship.

Not hiring someone because of their nationality is illegal, however getting someone to admit that’s why they aren’t hiring them is another thing. If you’re a hiring manager you can make up any reason why you didn’t pick someone.

 

[185]

If you’re a hiring manager you can make up any reason why you didn’t pick someone.

In two cases I've seen, two employers openly admitted this, as they assumed they were right when they weren't, and in both cases u-turned and quickly made offers to the employees. A third simply refused to say anything, but we knew their reason. Nothing ventured...

 

[SimplyLovely]

In two cases I've seen, two employers openly admitted this, as they assumed they were right when they weren't, and in both cases u-turned and quickly made offers to the employees. A third simply refused to say anything, but we knew their reason. Nothing ventured...

Ok so they were two particular stupid hiring managers but all the ones I’ve met just have a blanket “another candidate was more qualified” response to anyone asking why they didn’t get a job