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Work permit/visa Catch-22 situation (London)

To summarise my situation --I am in a Catch-22 situation.

I am a professional from Singapore, specialising in VAT, looking to move to the UK for the long term due to various reasons.

Having spoken to various tax recruitment agencies, I was told that some firms are reluctant to interview me due to a lack of work permit as I am from Singapore.

Understandably, companies may be reluctant to do the paperwork to provide a certificate of sponsorship for work permit application - they all say that you have to have the work permit before they will hire you, but since having a job is a prerequisite for obtaining the work permit, it's impossible.

To add to the above:

I have explored other options (including the family visa/unmarried spouse visa) since my partner is a UK born and bred citizen, currently working in London. However, this may not be viable as there are certain conditions that need to be met (i.e. having lived together for 2 years, which is unlikely since we are both in different continents!) Marriage is not an option as yet because of economic reasons and also because I need to get a job in the UK in order to even think of starting the next phase in our lives together.

All in all, I just want to move to be with her. But I cannot do so if I have not settled my career in the UK. We are in this for the long haul and every single one of our family members is supportive of the move.

I would appreciate any advice or anyone with the network to assist me with obtaining a job in the UK -- or at least be given a chance to be interviewed.

Thank you so much!

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