Discrimination by recruiters? (rant / vent) - Or am I just overreacting? (Sep/14/2010 )

Hi,
For last month or two I am looking for a job and after registering on a bunch of websites and sending dozens of applications though that sooner or later I would get a response...

I got two in the last few days!

In first one a representative told me that they don't accept CV's from people living ouside the UK - "primarily for logistical reasons"!

The second one wrote that they won't consider me for that position because... I'm not currently living in the UK and I don't have right to work there! When I told them that as EU/EEA national I do have right to work in the UK, they simply re-send me the same e-mail with part "not currently living in the UK" bolded.

Perhaps I'm just overreacting but it seems to be kind of discrimination - "you don't live in our country so f**k off!"...

This sounds weired to me. Have they mentioned the UK bit explicitly in their job offer? Otherwise this really should not happen especially if you applied to large companies.
Maybe they are afraid that they invite you to a talk, pick you as canditate for the job and you tell them you do not want to move anymore (I have heard this repeadedly). Maybe you should mention in your application that moving to xyz is what you want to do and you will do it anyway within the next year or some story like this.
Although something like this should not happen within the EU and you theoretically could complain at some official office, but in reality you will not have much chances.....not much help but I understand your rant

Thank you for the answer. It's good to know that it's not just me being weird.

They did stated the location of this posting in offer but there's not a single word that people from outside UK can't apply.

I can understand they can have some concern about my willingness to relocate, but this can be sorted out simply by asking me that question. They don't even have to drag me there for an interview do to that - there's e-mail, phone or even skype.

I think I start to explicitly state in my application letter that I am willing to relocate and that I am eligible to work in country where the specific job is...

To be honest I don't even know to whom to send the complain even if I wanted to do it... I did however found website that offers free legal advice and send them a letter with question on the matter.

I do not know how the situation is in details but for some jobs they can indeed ask you to be a citizin of that country..

here in belgium you can apply for jobs that are only open for belgian residents.. or for jobs that are open to all eu-people or jobs only open for NON belgians..

So it all depends..

I checked that - there was not a single word about any restrictions in the descriptions. All they wanted to know was if I'm eligible to work in the UK - which I am.

I think some research grants do depend on the nationality of the person doing the research for some reason, certainly when I was applying for PhDs there were some that were advertised as UK nationals only and some that were EU nationals only. Although that would usually be explicitly mentioned in the advert I would have thought. I find it odd that a UK job would do that, I work at a UK university and in my office we have people from all over the EU and the rest of the world, I don't see why they wouldn't put it in their advert otherwise, Perhaps they can only do interviews at very short notice and think you won't be able to attend in person?

No offense meant but maybe they have also tightened the rules (but not stated that in the advertisement) on non-resident's coming to work because of the GFC. I thought in the UK that if they wanted to employ a non-British person they had to "show" why this person was better than all the other British people applying for the job. How they "show" this I'm not really sure......

than4, this rule is only applicable for immigrants from the outside of EU/EEA who are not eligible to work in the UK. (And as good as I know it's the employer that have to provide evidence that this particular candidate should be granted with work permit.)

I am EU national and I am eligible to work in the UK - I don't need any kind of permit or visa. In the matter of fact I don't even need passport to enter the UK.

Maybe they have a candidate in mind already

Maddie, that happened to me quite many times but in those cases they simply say things like "thank you, but you won't be considered for this position this time" not "thank you but you don't live or have right to work in our country".