Moving to the UK

[Levitron]

I posted previously in http://www.revscene.net/forums/67314...australia.html about my experience moving to London. Thought this would be helpful to others as well.

Originally Posted by Levitron

I'm in the process of moving to the UK, so not exactly the same but some similar aspects.

One thing I find that most people over-look is the availability of working holiday visas to Commonwealth-ish countries like Canada and Australia. If you're under 30, have a look here: Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)

8 times out of 10 (this is completely unscientific ) I noticed that people who have relocated anywhere in the world (either cross-country or to a different country), people have said that they didn't actually get job offers until they were actually in the destination city/town itself. But that said, do look ahead of time and start applying for jobs from over here. For me, I work in tech so job boards in the UK are easily accessible from over here.

Also something to consider for yourself if you're looking for work: what would be the reason why an employer would need to reach all the way around the world from Australia to hire you from Canada? Unless you have a very specific skill-set that they need (or if you fit like a glove for the job), there really is no real reason why they would want to sort out visa sponsorship, or even deal with relocation costs for you.

Hope this helps a bit.

So I thought I'd update you guys. I'm now in my 4th week of being here in London. Everything has been pretty smooth so far without much bumps or hassles. Having a nice sum of money to pad your expenses is a crucial thing to have.

Flat hunting
It's always good to first have a place where you can crash. For me, I stayed at my fiancee's place for the first week and I was easily able to get a place in a nice quiet area in Canary Wharf for a decent price. Also fortunate that the landlord dealt with me directly (instead of through a letting agent) and he's super easy going. Most places here will ask for references (which is hard to get in a new country).

Banking
I chose to open an account before I left Canada with Lloyd's TSB. This was a hit or a miss depending on what you need to do. I thought I could transfer money from my RBC account into my Lloyd's TSB Offshore account (it's based in Isle of Man) through "International Remittance". I did this because I would be able to transfer money from my CDN account online into my Lloyd's account but then it was not possible. Only way to do this is to a wire transfer (which costs over $40 at RBC). So be careful when you set up that offshore account. Wasn't too much of an issue...but...if I had to do it all over again, I hear that seeing up a Barclay's account or even Lloyd's account when you get here is not too difficult. Just bring lots of cash

Job
I had a friend who arrived around the same time as me. She took about 4 weeks to find a job in a marketing agency. She's had previous experience in Vancouver so she isn't starting new, so to speak. I on the other hand as I mentioned before already found something before I arrived so that wasn't an issue.

NI number
UK's equivalent of the social insurance number (SIN). Get it when you get here! HM Revenue & Customs: Applying for a National Insurance number

Doctor
From what I understand, you're supposed to register with a GP the moment you get here. I still haven't done that yet...no time!

Transportation
Get an Oyster card. You won't regret it. Travelling around London is expensive but then I've calculated it to be approximately like how much it is to own a car in Vancouver. If you commute every day, probably the best thing to do is buy a monthly Travelcard/pass for your Oyster card.

Cellphone
Get GiffGaff. Damn good deal for unlimited data and texts if you get their Goodybags. £10 gets you 250 minutes, unlim data + texts. Runs on O2 as well, so you get very good network coverage. SIM Card Deals | giffgaff.com

Dialing local mobile numbers usually start with 07x xxxx xxxx. Land lines are 02x xxxx xxxx. If anyone wants to call you from home, it's 011-44-xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Food
No, it's not Vancouver. I miss the cheap eats, pho, sushi, Chinese food. Groceries are pretty much same in numerical value...but all in pounds. So for example, buying a bag of apples cost $1 in Vancouver....the equivalent would cost £1.

That's it for now. Loving the easy access to Europe (if my fiancee ever gets time off on the weekends...but that's another story :P) and also to musicals in the theatres.

[sh0n]

This is a useful thread for anyone that wants to move to UK

To the op: what made you decide to move there?

It goes both ways kinda as I work in a field where I deal with people who are from UK/Europe has moved to Vancouver for work.

[Levitron]

I moved mainly because my fiancee is here. She moved over here a year ago to do a dance internship but decided to stay. Through a series of events, I eventually came to the conclusion that I should be over here too.

Job-wise, as I've mentioned before I'm in tech so my skills are very transferable. In fact, while employed right now I've generated interest in recruiters wanting to send me in for interviews for their open positions (I work in social media analytics...somewhat a new and exciting field to be in I guess).

The old saying of "the grass is always greener on the other side" holds true here - many people who I know in Vancouver also originated from the UK. They absolutely love it in Vancouver. Honestly, quality of life in Vancouver is excellent and I can see why Vancouver is so consistently rated high.

Me as a young professional see also the value in an international experience. It's something very necessary these days and the experience I gain while working here will be invaluable if and when I decide to move back to Canada. London is such an international city it's kind of mind blowing. Some of the clients I work with are big names and I can go from one meeting to another in a matter of minutes. That's how close these big name companies are in proximity to each other.

[beproud]

I've worked in Europe for a bit, all I can say is it is freaking expensive. From what I read on the newspaper, it got a lot better after the Olympic. Goodluck eh

[van_city23]

great post, wish this was done a couple months ago. I moved here 2 months ago, think I'm proper settled in now. Can shine in on any questions as well...

[Levitron]

Originally Posted by van_city23

great post, wish this was done a couple months ago. I moved here 2 months ago, think I'm proper settled in now. Can shine in on any questions as well...

LOL "proper settled".

Words I still can't say with ease:
-toilet/loo
-cheers
-mate

Whereabouts are you? London?

[3xplo5ive]

I'm moving to Edinburgh in late May next year with a working holiday Visa with help from the great folks over at Swap > SWAP working holidays | english Really sweet organization and a wealth of knowledge available on their blog and facebook pages for anyone looking to work and travel abroad