Work Permits & Oil Rig Jobs

by Arnan Linic
(Rijeka ,Croatia)

A question about work permits and oil rig jobs:

I am Croatian citizen. For the past fifteen years I worked as a welder and pipe-fitter in shipyards of Adriatic Sea. I would be very much interested to work on offshore platforms or oil rigs around the world. The only thing is that I would require a work permit, if the employer is happy to take me on would they provide me with necessary work permit?

Regards
Arnan Linic

Reply by Peter Fisher

Thank you for this question about work permits. It is hard to be specific about this because different countries have different legislation and it depends which country owns the platform as well as which countries waters the offshore rig is situated in.

For UK purposes:

Some people are automatically entitled to work in the UK. Others may have restrictions on how long they can stay, whether they can work or the type of work they can do.

All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal migrant working and must therefore check the entitlement of everyone you plan to employ to work in the UK.

If you fail to do this, you may be liable to pay a civil penalty. If you knowingly employ an illegal migrant worker, you may face criminal prosecution, which could result in an unlimited fine and/or a maximum two-year prison sentence.

This guide will tell you how to comply with the laws on checking the entitlement to work in the UK.

It also covers the points-based system - the way workers from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland can legally come to the UK to work.

More information from UK Business Link

For more detailed help with working on oil rigs I have a dedicated page at Oil Rig Jobs which should provide you with more specific information.

For a free assessment on whether you might qualify for a work permit you can also visit Global visas