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I’ve been offered a job for 6 months, “with view for extension”. I have not yet accepted the offer. Due to immigration reasons, I may only remain in the country if I have been offered a job of 12 months in duration or more. However, accepting anything less means I get to serve for that particular job then pack my bags and leave the country.

Should I: (a) accept the offer and negotiate after 3-5 months? (b) negotiate for a 12 months contract before accepting the offer?

My ultimate goal is to remain in the country of question. If I go with option (a), I may face a risk of not receiving an extension due to reaching project completion however I understand it may possibly add leverage as I am confident I will impress and their unwillingness to train and trust other engineers for the job.

However, going with option (b) does pave a clear path of expectations of remaining in the country however could possibly lead to the employer turning back on the offer.

I am unsure of how to approach this situation.

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  • Being honest with the company is usually the best policy. Worst case? If they are reasonable, they'll say they'll review your contract in 3 months and you're back in situation (a)
    – Gamora
    Sep 26, 2019 at 9:33
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    This question is considered off topic here sorry. However from my personal experience you should never gamble with immigration issues. If you need a 12 month offer then don't accept anything less than a 12 month offer. Doing anything else will cause you stress and hardship.
    – Player One
    Sep 26, 2019 at 10:57

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I suggest you take the offer. You then have 6 months to network, negotiate and also see if it's really where you want to live.

There's a big difference between learning about a country or even visiting it, and living in one as a minority.

Not taking the offer means you may never have the experience. Trying to double the offer is a risk and to me has little chance of success.

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(b) negotiate for a 12 months contract before accepting the offer?

Highly unlikely to work, in my experience. Almost every company I have dealt with over the last two decades has only ever offered contracts of between 3 and 6 months. Because of the nature of the work, 90% of them subsequently offer extensions.

The only way with this option is to do as @Bee suggested; be honest about why you want 12 months. Remind them they can include a notice period, e.g of 1 week for the first 3 months, thereafter, 1 month. At worst, they can only say "no".

(a) accept the offer and negotiate after 3-5 months?

Your fallback position. Make sure you start negotiating about a month before the end.

I'm an IT contractor based in the UK, and mainly work with Mid/Large size companies (>200 employees). It might be different where you are/plan to be.

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