27 July 2004
Home Office website updated 25 October 2006

The Working for an MP website receives a large number of requests from citizens of other countries for advice on who can work for an MP (or other organisations around Westminster).  We are not in a position to answer such enquires individually but here is some general advice.

First and foremost, all foreign nationals should check - on the website given below - that they are eligible to work in the UK  before applying for any positions:  

• www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/

At the time of writing - July 2004 - the following points are relevant but these requirements are subject to change so it is important to check the up-to-date situation before applying.

• Foreign nationals must have the right to work in the UK before taking up a post.

• At present any citizens in any country of the European Economic Area (EEA) and of Switzerland are entitled to work in the UK without special permission and without a work permit, although citizens from eight of the 10 countries that joined the EU on May 1 2004 are required to register with the Home Office.

• The UK Working Holiday Makers Scheme is an official arrangement by which citizens of any Commonwealth country who are aged between 17 and 30 can enter the UK for a period of up to two years during which they are permitted to work. The scheme does not place any restrictions on the type of work that can be done, so individuals are able to seek work in their chosen profession in order to gain relevant experience. There is no limit on the number of weeks or hours of work that an individual can do, but it is a condition of the scheme that a holiday is taken at some point during the person's stay in the UK.

• Foreign nationals who wish to undertake an internship in the UK must have the appropriate visa to work and remain in the UK. They may also need a work permit.

• The criteria to obtain a visa are quite separate from the criteria needed for a work permit. It is the employers who need to apply for permission for overseas students.  In this case it would be for the Member of Parliament to apply for permission for an overseas student on a first or higher degree course.