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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ram Sabaratnam" data-source="post: 215559" data-attributes="member: 36738">Hiya [USER=37296]@m.legalcontact[/USER] Thanks for laying all of this out clearly. I'm really sorry about the TC getting rescinded for reasons that seemed so out of your control. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into your next steps, so I hope some what I say below is useful to you. From having spoken to recruiters, my impression is that traditional TC routes still carry more weight in both the UK and Middle East markets. Some of the recruiters I've met have said that a sizeable number of NQ roles in Dubai (especially at the international and even top regional firms) are generally aimed at candidates who have trained at elite Magic Circle or US outfits. That doesn’t mean there’s zero path through SQE + QWE, but it does mean you may face an uphill battle in terms of perception, especially if you’re qualifying without a firm already lined up to retain you. For that reason, I'm inclined to say that you’ll be in a stronger position with a TC under your belt, both in terms of credibility and practical exposure to high-quality work.As for the qualification routes, if you’ve done the LPC, you’ll likely get an exemption from SQE1, but you’ll still need to sit and pass SQE2. Equivalent Means is technically still an option, but I'm told that this isn't realistic unless you have a supportive employer. Essentially, you’ll need an organisation willing to sponsor your PSC, verify your work, and produce detailed documentation proving that your experience matches the training standard of a TC. Someone very involved with grad recruitment mentioned to me that the bar for evidence can be quite high, and that she's seen only a few successful applications with hundreds of pages of supporting documents and supervisor assessments (as well as several rejections where the evidence just didn’t cut it).From almost everyone I've spoken to, the consensus seems to be that individuals should avoid qualifying unless they have an NQ role lined up. If you qualify without a job, you risk being stuck in a no-man’s-land (i.e. technically qualified but not marketable, because firms won’t see you as having had structured training). That’s especially risky if you’re planning to return to Dubai, where the bar for junior hires can be quite high. In terms of what to do now, I think you still have time. I’d treat the next 6-9 months as your last full application cycle and push hard for a TC (both in the UK and directly in the Middle East). You've done it once before, and I really believe you can do it again, particularly given the impressive experience you've now amassed. Look at firms with strong Middle East offices or a track record of relocating associates. If you reach mid-2025 without success, then yes, the SQE2 route via student visa could make sense, but only if you’re confident in your QWE and ideally have a firm open to taking you on post-qualification.I'm sure the other community assistants and [USER=1]@Jaysen[/USER] might have more to add here, but I hope this was helpful. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!</blockquote>

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