by Kayley Loo
Kayley Loo, a freelance writer from Kuala Lumpur living in London, shares her anxieties and frustrations during this election debate, especially around migration policies. While struggling to find employment under the strict UK graduate route visa and battling rising impostor syndrome from numerous job rejections, she fights to maintain hope.
As I receive yet another auto-rejection from a job portal (30 minutes after submission on a Sunday night), a sense of dread comes in again. What am I doing wrong in these applications? Am I truly not qualified, despite having graduated from a UK university and working hard to gain relevant experiences?
I have to remind myself the post-graduate struggle of finding a full-time job is a fairly universal experience, that it’s a highly competitive job market right now, and that companies are dealing with redundancies and financial insecurity. It doesn’t help that I’m transitioning into a different industry, from Law to Journalism.
And I have the added pressure of a ticking clock.
I am currently on the Graduate Route Visa, a migration route that allows me to find work in the UK within two years after graduation without needing an employer to sponsor me. In an employment search that could help me stay in the UK beyond these two years, I’ve worked in various hospitality and retail jobs and freelance and temporary work to pay rent.
I am not unique in this – data from the Migrant Observatory shows that foreign-born workers are more likely to work in non-permanent jobs than those UK-born. However, the non-permanence of my employment makes me feel exploited for my desire to stay in this country.
Some days, it feels like I’m chasing an impossible dream to continue my life in the UK. The constant rejection, whether due to my Right To Work status or “you’re just not a right fit for what we’re looking for” replies, has me doubting myself in ways I never have before.
What’s upsetting is that I can’t even take my mind off it outside my job search spiral. There is a refrain that comes frequently on my social media feeds: clips of TV debates from political parties in this run-up to the election period, as though subliminal messaging to get it into our heads: “Net Migration figures of this country is too high and must fall.”
It adds to my questioning of my place here — have I tricked my way into this country, where I have studied, paid taxes and built most of my adult life? Am I less deserving of a chance to stay because I do not have settled status? These questions are not just amplified by the media but also affirmed by public opinion. Statistically, there is a decline in the number of people who believe migration has had a positive impact on Britain, according to data from IPSO/British Future’s survey on attitudes towards migration, from 43% to 40%.
Hearing the active vilification of migrants “taking over” and claims that we are “not integrating with life in the UK” fuels the feelings of not being welcomed and of being a fraud.
Staying resilient is hard, especially when the odds continue to stack up. In April 2024, the salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa increased from £26,200 to £38,700. This change is a pushback for those in the early stages of their careers, with the average graduate salary in Publishing and Journalism ranging between £15,000 – £26,000.
I’m also aware that if I do get a job with a sponsor, the survival mode and need to prove myself worthy will never go away. The few friends with sponsored work visas fear they were “diversity hires” and admit to bending over backwards to appease employers by staying late and working overtime without compensation.
Nearing the election, it’s hard to keep the faith and hope for better, especially with so many being vocal about how they feel about us migrants. Parties are actively building systems to keep people out, from raising immigration application fees to having a minimum income requirement. It’s an entirely structural shortfall that feels unfixable in the near future, even with the promise of “change”.
In reality, this imposter syndrome feeling is a symptom of being in a high-stakes and anxiety-inducing environment. I should view the situation I’m going through less as a personal failing on my part and remind myself of my perseverance through the unique challenges of transitioning into and building a life far from home.
In this uncertainty about my ability to stay in the UK and my career, I need to keep believing in myself and know that my worth goes beyond being a migrant and my job.
Despite everything, I still hope that this country, which has been crucial in my personal growth and finding myself, still has a place for me.
Kayley Loo is a freelance writer and audio producer. She is a fellow at JournoResources and is currently developing a podcast powered by Transmission Roundhouse.
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