[Taffy]

Hi Shell,

You're not missing anything. Those statements are meant to put you off applying, because usually the recruitment company is too lazy to deal with someone off shore who may never turn up and they just want to make a quick buck. They are also factually incorrect as you can't possibly hold a work permit without a job, and even if you already had a job and were looking to apply for a different one, you'd need to apply for a new permit anyway!

You don't need a work permit to get a job offer, you just need one to start work.