Finding work as an American

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Member since 04 February 2019

thinkspankMember04 February 2019 03:36:58

Hi there! I am a US citizen but I also have dual citizenship with the UK. I was born in North Yorkshire and my parents moved to the US when I was 2. I am in the process of applying for my British passport to claim my right of abode and have been considering moving back to the UK permanently.

My husband is American and we would apply for a spouse visa for him next. My daughter (who is 1.5 yrs) would also apply for right of abode under the laws.

My question is, since my husband would not need sponsorship from a workplace for his visa, would it still be difficult for him as an American to find work in, say, Edinburgh (or really anywhere, we’re just thinking Scotland for now)? He works as a financial and business analyst and so has some competitive skills, but I know also that companies he applies might perceive him differently for being American and not Scottish. Or might perceive that he needs sponsorship when he doesn’t.

Also, I’m an author with a book coming out in the UK this year, and I freelance as well, but wouldn’t mind picking up a retail or cafe job on the side as we got settled if we needed the money, both of which I have a lot of job history with. Is it tough for an American to get any kind of work? I’m hoping not since we both would have our visas covered and not be in need of any sponsorship.

Lastly, about Brexit, we’re definitely curious to see what will happen. Do you think there’ll be a labor shortage? I’ve been following the news on it trying to get a beat on what people think will happen. Mostly just curious about the thoughts of people living there rather than just what I hear on Skynews and BBC!

Thanks all for your time.

Cynic UK / Netherlands Expert

Member since 15 September 2015

CynicUK / Netherlands Expert04 February 2019 09:17:12

7740

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of this page is a link to our "Discover" section, within which is our Scotland Guide; if you've not already done so, I'd recommend you read through that to see if it gives you any information you may find useful in planning this journey.

To answer your more specific question, I always look at work in this way, doing so helps others decide for themselves:

Looking for work anywhere, to get that decent job you really need 4 things:

Relevant experience
Relevant qualifications
Speak the local language
Luck

The more of those you can tick off, the better chance of getting to where you want to be. Only you (or your husband) can tick off those boxes. As for getting work, if your skill-set is in demand and qualifications are unique, then you'll have no problem in getting work anywhere, if not, it starts to diminish and perhaps people then need to consider re-booting their career. Perhaps he needs to consider using something like LinkedIn to start networking with potential colleagues over this side of the pond; he'll be amazed at how quickly his network will grow.

As for being an American, I've never encountered any problem, but I no longer sound
like an American and very few people know that I have a US passport (I'm like you - dual nationality); that said, there are xenophobes all over the world and I don't suppose Scotland is any different - there are many Scots who don't like the English!!!

One last thing; the Numbeo website provides a lot of information about different countries; this link will take you there.

If you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

ideckard Member

Member since 26 June 2018

ideckardMember18 February 2019 15:14:12

Hi. I live in Kansas and am also a dual citizen. I was born in Aberdeen and have a UK passport and birth certificate. I moved to the US as a child and have lived here since.

I actually posted something very similar to this last year. I received some polite responses, however nothing concrete to help my search. I've been unable to find employment therefore cannot move. It seems that your situation is a little different, however I think your husband will face some issues. I too have transferable skills but employers seem skittish about hiring an American. I know that's not the case all the time, but it has been very challenging. From my experience, I'm afraid to say that your husband will have an uphill battle. He may need to try extra hard and my find himself "un" or underemployed for a while. Chin up though as Scotland has some very open-minded people. By the way, the one employer who actually called me specifically said they were hesitant because of my "current situation", which meant because I live stateside.

I honestly wish you both the best. I would do anything to be able to move back and my search continues.

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