Moving to the UK

[Creeps]

I've decided that after I get my BA, I want to move back to the land of my ancestors. The problem is that I know nothing about the UK besides history and a little geography. I've browsed the web for info but haven't found a whole lot about what it takes to become a citizen, get a Visa, how much it costs, the best areas to live, etc.

I know Shuemue lives in the UK and I think Elcura, so if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to get any kind of information from BGers that live there. Thanks!

[Nirokun!]

I've decided that after I get my BA, I want to move back to the land of my ancestors.

Everyone came from Africa (*'-')

[SephYuyX]

http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/wor...o_the_uk_.html
http://www.workpermit.com/uk/uk.htm

Are some.. I looked into it once, and they just recently changed everything thats needed to become a citizen there, it's a lot more work. Having a BA is one of them, so thats np on that end.

[Lliandra]

With regards to which area's to look at moving to, theres 3 options.

The North: Manchester, Newcastle, Middlesbrough etc.

Although the economy and cost of living up here (I live near Middlesbrough in a town called Stockton on Tees so have some knowledge of this) is slightly cheaper than the more southern areas, you have to pick the right area to live or you will end up in a bad place The street where i live in stockton is fine, but there are places just minutes away that you wouldn't step foot in. So doing plenty of research is important. Places like Durham and Newcastle are great for shopping and sightseeing, also nice places to live. Dont' have to travel far to get to some countryside either.

Midlands: Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield etc

This is a nice area to be. I used to visit a place called Ripley (Close to Derby) a lot owing to an ex bf and its generally not a bad area. Sheffield on the other hand is a different kettle of fish No offence to anyone who lives there but i find it slightly depressing. Very "mining town" with lots of industry. Plenty of beautiful countryside in the surrounding areas tho and lots of little villages with tons of character.

The South: London and all its surrounding boroughs, Cornwall, Devon

London basically speaks for itself. Very highly priced living but you are at the centre of all the happenings in the UK. Obviously the 2012 Olympics are gonna be there too so may want to think about the increase in people in and around that time.
Cornwall and Devon are in the bottom lefthand corner of the country and are very beautiful. Always seem to have decent weather, lovely beaches and the people are nice. Cost-wise i think its about the same as the midlands, could be a little more expensive.

I haven't mentioned places like Wales or Scotland cause i don't really know enuff about them. I do like Wales (Have a very good Wakeboarding scene) and Scotland is great for snowboarding in the winter (Go to Aviemore, it rawks). Edinburgh is quite the party capital i hear!

You'll have bad places wherever you go, but the good generally tend to outweigh the bad, assuming you pick the better area.

If you want any help PM me, i'll do my best to answer any questions you have ^_^

[Draggy]

^ pretty much what Lliandra said. i dunno why but i always find sheffield depressing too lol

I live in Peterborough in East Anglia, its mostly flat farmland around here. cost of living/house prices here isnt as high as further south but it is more expensive than up north.
Scotland is awesome too :D My family live up there so i know the glasgow - stirling - falkirk - edinburgh area pretty well. I may actually be moving there myself next year if things go to plan

[Vigilia]

Depending what field your BA is in will reflect your area/job choice as well, majority of best-paying IT industry for example is focused around South East (London) and Midlands (Birmingham) areas although you can get a job in any field pretty much anywhere you like.

I live in the Midlands with my partner and can't reflect enough on the importance of the area you choose. Not just because it may be a "bad" area (or what we call here a council house area, where people living on the dole rent cheaply from the local council... there are huge differences between these areas though and outside biggest cities even council house areas are pretty high standard and low crime) but because of things like flooding (problem in some parts of the country) or just simple things like local entertainment. You don't want to end up in some tiny village with a crap pub. My partner works just outside Solihull which is basically a Birmingham suburb but we live in a small town 9 miles North from Stratford-upon-avon. It means us both a small commute but the town is big enough to have a shopping centre and 3 supermarkets so we get everything we need while still getting lots of green areas to enjoy.

Especially being a foreigner and moving to the UK, it all looks the same on the map but after arriving you find out a lot of things about the area/city you've ended up in. Probably best idea is to start by renting an apartment or a flat with a short term contract and then be ready to move in any direction once you've settled. This is what I did at least, my first flat after arriving to the UK was within a 10-minute walk to my work but with 6-month contract. After living in it for the 6 months I couldn't wait to get out and ended up moving into a slightly bigger town nearby. Granted it meant a 20-minute drive into work and having to buy a car but in the end it was worth it to avoid the boredom in the evenings. I still live in that town, just upgraded from a flat to a small 2-bed house when I moved in together with my partner couple of years ago. Also, don't plan on buying a house in the UK at the moment unless you have lot of money to spare, house market is going through the same nutty upheavals it is in the US. Just rent a place to start off with. Renting is also easier if you do get homesick and want to get out fast.

I don't know much about Wales either although I have a lot of FFXI friends from there, Scotland is absolutely lovely. Edinburgh is an amazing city for night life and going out, if my partner didn't have such a good job here in the Midlands I'd be trying to get us to move up there. And the highlands and mountains in Scotland are stunning. According to your information you're from Florida so I'm sure you're familiar with the effects of tourism but if you pick any south coast (Devon, Dorset, Cornwall counties- very beautiful and generally sunniest area of England) town or places like Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace, we stay well away from there during summer as the place turns into Disneyland Main Street-alike), Edinburgh (BIG art and comedy festival every August), Oxford (pretty much every visitor to the UK goes there to see the university area), London etc. be aware the population doubles or triples even during summer months just due to the sheer number of visitors and getting a bus or just driving anywhere is a pain in the neck.

The public transport in most cities is very good, I have lot of friends who live in London/Edinburgh/Birmingham and who have never owned a car just because they simply do not need to. Edinburgh buses run pretty much around the clock so getting home from pubs isn't a problem. London is a tad more annoying as (well, last time I was there) tubes stop running at around midnight. Several bigger cities are currently or are planning to follow London's example of introducing a congestion charge- set amount you need to pay to be even able to drive your own car in the city centre area.

Links to work permits and such were posted above but here's some about finding basic housing etc.

This is a pretty good website for local information for any area:
http://www.upmystreet.com/

Site for properties to let anywhere in the country:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/

Just one of the many online job search sites, covers pretty much every field:
http://www.monster.co.uk/

Job Centre Plus, they are a government-ran agency helping unemployed people on benefits to find work but anyone can browse the job postings. It was also the job centre offices when I first arrived in the UK that I had to go to to apply for National Insurance number (UK social security number) and such, I don't know if this still applies though or it was just because my town is so small. In bigger cities there's specific Immigration Services offices. I had it easy anyway being an EU citizen already.
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/index.html

Hope this helps.

[The Stig]

Places NOT to live:

Swindon (fucking depressing)
Slough (Mini India) (West London/Outler London) (I live there... but work in Central London)

To comment on the others:

Scotland = You'll have to try hard to understand their accent there.
South West (Cornwall/Devon) = Slightly better, I'm not sure about "good weather" but...

Misc Notes: It's expensive here. You want to get around in London? Expect to pay roughly £5 (varies depending on time) which equates to roughly $10 depending on exchange rate to get around for one day. (There's alternatives but I won't get into that).

As for Job Centre plus, normally people who visit there are retarded. If you show that you're somewhat educated I believe you'll get much better service/respect from the staff there.

The weather here is random as shit. (The great british weather...)

Stabbings are becoming like a popular activity here. Everyone seems to want to carry a knife. You might want one too.

The police here are soft, compared to US. You'll have maybe 2 officers + a puppy after you if you do something wrong*, unlike the US where the police link like shit and rush you/put gun to your face.

*Not applicable if you're a terrorist.

Average rent in London per month for something of a small room, bathroom and some sort of a kitchen can be about £400 to £900 (roughly $800 to $1800) per month. Not only London but the closer to city centre the higher the rent is.

And if you want to think about the future, buying a house/apartment/flat range at £100,000~£200,000 for something "decent".

You can also go with the trend of:

1. Knock someone up (the more the better...), stay with them
2. Apply for council (government) housing (and complain to them you need help...)
3. ??? (wait)
3.5 - Apply for support (and get like £35 or something like a week. And yes, it's my money that I'm contributing to this... and you have to provide evidence that you're (trying to) looking for work)
4. Profit (seriously...)

Minimum wage here is like £5.60/hour now assuming you're over 21. ($11~/hour)

Everyone is generally polite here.



And if anyone works in Central London, let me know, we can have a lunch together or something. (assuming you're close)

[Lliandra]

Aw everyone lives miles away from me I'm the only northerner it would seem so far! It'd be so nice to meet other FFXI UK Players (Not to derail the thread or owt) for a change.
Just to echo what i think TheStig said in another thread: Fan Fest in London prs! None of this Germany bollocks. I'd travel down to Londong for that.

Oh try to steer the fuck clear of Chavs. You think people in America are mental? :S Chavs on crack with knives = game over. I just bought my first house and theres this underpass i have to walk under to get home from work and there were 2 girls (I say girls, they were about my age, 25) sat on a step drinking White Lightning (Cider, again, steer clear) and shouting at anyone who walked past. Needless to say i was crapping myself. Best to put your head down and walk on when that happens.
Generally don't answer back unless your in a crowd and they don't know where you live lol

Other than that, UK is lovely! ; ;

[SteveMc]

*Not applicable if you're a terrorist.

I laughed and I'm going to hell ; ; but soooo true lol

Lliandra I'm from the NW :D

[Vigilia]

It varies so much from one town to the next, same as everywhere really. My partner used to live and work in Croydon after graduating and it's like a different world compared to where we live now in Warwickshire. The council house area here is like what the middle class part of town in Croydon was.

Oh, another thing I remembered should be mentioned is when you're calculating your living costs in the UK they do this fun fun thing called "council tax". It's like a bonus tax you get to pay in addition to your usual taxes that's based on the size of your house/flat, around where we live in the Midlands it's about £90 for a 2-bed house per month, it was £70 for my old one-bed flat. But it can vary regionally a lot, letting agencies know details in their areas. Then on top of council tax you still have to pay for your gas, electricity, water etc., council tax is literally money for the local council to spend on police/firecrew/hospitals etc. Just something to be aware of when you think of what you can afford, I know it caught me by surprise when I first moved over.

[Obev]

*Not applicable if you're a Brazilian electrician.

ftfy.

[guartz]

You must know one thing and one thing only.

http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs9/i/200..._by_kunkka.jpg

THE EMPEROR PROTECTS.

[wop]

And if anyone works in Central London, let me know, we can have a lunch together or something. (assuming you're close)

/?

[drwaffles]

If you come to live in the North I would recommend looking at big cities like Manchester - small towns are so fucking boring. I live in Blackburn in Lancashire and if you're under the age of 40 you'll find there's virtually nothing to do, whereas Manchester is fairly dynamic and exciting by comparison.

[The Stig]

ftfy.

HAHAHAHAHA.... kinda. It's not too funny but man I really don't know what cocked up there.



Anyways:

Nah I don't think it's derailing, we're providing useful information either way.

And just incase you don't know Creeps, Chavs is a word/slang for "anti social young people". The correct term is "youths", but depending on area it varies. These are people that would 90% end up in prison or leeching off real working people. And aside from that, they are people you would like to kick in the face and/or (preferably be) shot.

They operate in numbers. Alone they are nothing and would generally go about their own business, but their aggro range grows with their size in numbers. (yes I am using FFXI terminology to describe them, I do not thing there's anything wrong with that =p ).

And yes. Fuck you council tax.



Wop: Oooo. I remembered you were in UK, would be interesting to speak to you. =)

Nearest tube stop? Haha. (Vauxhall here, it's like 3 stops away from being Central, but I say Central anyway...)

[Darunia]

^ This; Chavs are an unfortunate infestation we have at the moment, i doubt there is anywhere in the UK you can go to escape them.
My only advice is aim for somewhere in the midlands and expect alot higher prices on everything.

[wop]

Wop: Oooo. I remembered you were in UK, would be interesting to speak to you. =)

Nearest tube stop? Haha. (Vauxhall here, it's like 3 stops away from being Central, but I say Central anyway...)

I work in Vauxhall, Albert Embankment rofl......
Freaky @.@
Lunchtime 1-2pm btw.

edit: speaking of council tax, I bought my apartment just over 2 years ago, and haven't paid a single penny of council tax because it was a new apartment and they were doing valuation on it.
I just received a letter from the Inland Revenue 2 months ago saying they finally done the valuation, and issued me a bill of counciltax for the PAST 2 FUCKING YEARS.
£1400 X2 ~

/wrist

[Vigilia]

Chavs are also known as Neds in Scotland, Non-Educated Delinquents. I guess you could compare them to white trailerpark trash in the US. Like in the States, it's not that they're all over the place but that you really don't want to end up living next door to them. It's not really a big deal in small/medium sized towns but in bigger cities you can get whole neighborhoods of chavs. After you find a possible job and get your visa sorted out Creeps, just post here wereabouts you're going to and I'm sure peeps will find you a lot more detailed information of the area. UK's a bigger country than it seems to be on the world map with a wide range of variety.

[The Stig]

ftfy.

I work in Vauxhall, Albert Embankment rofl......
Freaky @.@
Lunchtime 1-2pm btw.

edit: speaking of council tax, I bought my apartment just over 2 years ago, and haven't paid a single penny of council tax because it was a new apartment and they were doing valuation on it.
I just received a letter from the Inland Revenue 2 months ago saying they finally done the valuation, and issued me a bill of counciltax for the PAST 2 FUCKING YEARS.
£1400 X2 ~

/wrist

OHSHI... hahahaha

unlucky about the tax thing, but I laughed a bit knowing you're only down the road from me.

See the tall tower? Next to the river, next to the bridge, where the St. George Wharf is, Southwest of the station ... "Market Towers" on Nine Elms Lane, I'm just there. I looked up your road on Google, ... that's one long road, it seems.

Are you closer to "Black Prince Road" "Salamanca Street" "Tinworth Street" or "Glasshouse Walk"?



Neds? That's a new/good one. A good 6-8 years back in school people called them "kevs" but although very few true "chavs" existed back then.

The other type of is also "gypsies", basically if you're working in a shop and a near naked woman with like 2 babies clinging onto her comes in, you'll know they're up to no good. They generally come in and distract you while others of the same group attempt to steal items from your shop. These aren't as bad really.

Also, if you compare say, a part of a London map to say, New York's map, our layout is basically a bunch of noodles, whereas New York is like a cage.

[Cesaria]

Lliandra I used to teach in Ripley until quite recently.

Places I've lived: I'm from the North East originally - lived in Sunderland (shithole but better football team than the barcodes), Durham (full of students but pretty looking, big hills), out towards Stockton on Tees (I'm not stalking you Lliandra honestly) and have family up in Northumberland towards the Scottish borders. I moved away to get away from family but I'm kind of feeling the pull to relocate there in time.

Lived in the Somerset area - loved it but hideously expensive.

Currently in the East Midlands and I kind of like it here - it's cheap, and has its bad parts but generally it's OK. I live in Derby but Nottingham is only like 20 minutes away and they're pretty similar. Only real issue with Nottingham is that the locals haven't quite moved on from the Robin Hood thing, and they never quite got the "giving to the poor" bit down as well as the "robbing from the rich" but I guess you get that everywhere.

There's a real North-South divide... quite where you place the line varies depending on where you're from (my mother insists that anywhere south of about Hull is "here be dragons" territory).

Personally I've never got on well with London and the South East - I think it's from growing up "up North" - I find it quite unfriendly and just overpriced, dirty and overcrowded but that's just me.

We used to call Chavs "charvers" when I was a kid - then the name chav took over I guess.

If I had the choice I'd get out of the UK, and England in particular but that's just because I'm fed up with a lot of the crap that the education system is going through - it's not a bad country - even though any single hint of a bit of weather seems to end up on the news as the end of the world being nigh (if it rains we flood, if it snows the country grinds to a halt, if the sun comes out there are hosepipe bans.... god knows how we'd cope if we had earthquakes and hurricanes to deal with).