Moving to London
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- ninjasavant
In the next couple years I want to live in London. I'm not looking for reasons against it or other places I should live, the girly and I have decided on London. The question I have is how does that work? How long are US visas in the UK? Do I have to work for an English company or can I keep my current job (which I can do remotely)? I have no idea what kind of stuff is involved here so any help or links to help would be appreciated.
- lvl_130
ask this guy:
http://www.qbn.com/flashbenderhe did that last year.
- akrokdesign0
if you work remote, then it shouldn't be any trouble. right?
you might be limited to 90 days stay. (3 mo.) if you enter as a tourist.
they usually want you to have a return ticket.here's a similar thread also...
http://www.qbn.com/topics/599116…
- raf0
Sounds good Rob, chances are me and the missus will meet you there if interior design market continues to blow here in Ireland.
What makes you guys want to leave? You, sublocked, era404?
I'd ask paraselene for tips and London advice for yanks.
- ninjasavant0
nope, just ninja. We want to move there because we liked the city a lot and want to travel a bit before we get too old with kids and crap so when she's done with school we're gonna make plans to head over. Sounds like I might need a local job though. Whats been up in Dublin?
- oh wait, i missed the comma, forget the first 3 words there.ninjasavant
- Dublin's very slow these days, our industry is the only one they advertise jobs in. 80% architects, builders and...raf
- ...and carpenters I know lost their jobs. Literally, 2 out of 10 architects I know are still employed, @70% of old salaryraf
- My missus is in interior design / visual display, we might've to go to London for her to work in sth advancing her in her fieldraf
- ...before she hates me for bringing her to this otherwise gorgeous small island :)raf
- Projectile0
London kicks ass. Been here 5 years and lovin it. There's a lot of jobs, but a lot of designers too.. so it's hard to network and go that route.. you gotta just join the race.. recruiters etc.
I personally recommend north london. East end is cool and more fun but very dirty and a few nasty folk about. South is boring as feck. West is too far from the east end party central, so that leaves north as a nice middle ground.. er.. even though it's north.. aah you get the picture
- The northern line is utter shit, and you will want to kill yourself after the first yearroundabout
- that applies to all tube lines.Autokern
- So you will end up buying a bike.gradiate
- chrisRG0
always cool those sort of thread...
specially when u'r already moving there, less than 5 months to go and counting...
- flashbender0
I moved here last october and getting the work permit/visa was a pain in the ass to be honest.
I'm over on what used to be called the HSMP visa I think they call it the "Tier 1" now.
you can read all the options on the UK border agency site:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.u…if you keep your current job and they are paying you into an american account, you may be able to get by with a visitor visa good for 3 months. If you do any work here you'll end up needing a National Insurance Number - which is essentially the same as a SSN in the states.
To get the insurance number you need to prove that you are legally allowed to work in the UK - which you will not be able to do.
Also if you don;t have an insurance number don't bother trying to open a bank account becasue you most likely won't be able to.
But, if you are keeping all of your money in the states and just using cash for everything here it could work.
Another thing is that most utilities do not accept checks really - they are all direct debit or electronic transfer so you will have to figure out a way to pay those people.
- oh, there you are!
:D
barely a month left before we are there!lvl_13 - hey buddy!flashbender
- speaking of that, a french guy cut my hair today.flashbender
- fancy!lvl_13
- oh, there you are!
- fodcj0
Don't do it... all it ever does here is rain :(
- flashbender0
also I should add that the visa application proscess is more stringent than a year ago because as usual in times of recession Britain like almost all countries is trying to keep the foreigners out so there are "more british jobs for british workers"
- ninjasavant0
thank you flashbender!
- chrisRG0
hey flashbender, in general what the job market looks like in there right now? (interactive market)
- ukit0
So wait flashbender are you doing freelance work or did you get a job over there?
I don't understand why countries are so damn protectionist, they should let qualified people move to their country if they want, right?
- yeah, they lose a bunch of blue collar jobs, so they try to keep out the skilled workforce ... it is all just political posturingflashbender
- flashbender0
I'm in a long-ish term contract at the moment. So I am stable until December then it is time to hit the recruitment trail again.
I came over with no job but enough money to live on for 5 months, took two months of and then did a short term contract and then landed the gig where I am now.
The market is picking up - it was really really slow about 3 months ago, it is still down, but there's work to be had if you're good at what you do.
You will most likely end up having to use a recruiter simply because that is how most employers work due to the volume of applications. For example I applied for a position at BBC, which (thankfully) I did not get, but the guy I was working with said that his office alone received over 350 applications for that one position.
That's the web/interaction design field I'm talking about.
Also if you wnat some straigh answers, you can call the border agency people - they are quite nice and always have names like nigel or simon.