You are one of this people who have been dreaming to come to UK.
You have hear about how great their universities are, rich culture, you have hear all about Queen , Prince, Kate Middleton, how diverse population are, how value of pound is amazing, the society is liberal and you have freedom of speech. It all just sounds so amazing !!!
If you have finished dreaming and admiring about UK. I have your bubble to bust and I hate to do that but I feel somebody has to tell you truth. Here are some tips and suggestions before you come:
1) Assess your needs and who you are : Why do you want to come to UK ? How long ?
Yes, who are YOU and what do you want to achieve or why you want to come to UK?
Are you somebody just want to leave country because you are tired of working somewhere, you have money problems or you are looking for better people around you ? Are you dreaming of a place where you would have to work less and UK Government would take care of you.
So,when you would look at UK Immigration Website you would see that options and questions goes something like this.....https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Are you somebody
- you just want to study
- you just want to do business
- you are coming on working holiday
- you just want to visit
- you are highly skilled person and want to come to get a job
- you are an entrepreneur
- who is living in a country who has a life and death danger in your country ?
What you would do is that basically try to think of one of this ways do it short time and then still try to become citizen in UK. Something you would work it out to live UK long term.
What you would really miss is having an option which would help you achieve your dream of work less and earn more, right ? For majority people, UK isn't that place and I hate to disappoint you but you would soon realize why ? Please see below.
True reason to come to UK should be to broaden your horizon and to learn.
2) Think Money : If you are coming to visit and study you are definitely going to help UK Economy by spending money.
If you are coming as an Aupair, just do not come unless you are happy to be slave.You are going to be paid peanuts.
If you think you are smarter by coming as an Employee or Entrepreneur Think Money : Not how much you are going to EARN but how much you are going to SPEND.
Yes, were you thinking that you are going to earn money once you come here.Perhaps lots of money.
Does UK and ££££ sign go ding ding up in your head ? I am sure it does.
Problem is that pound is powerful - much powerful currency than most of the world.
In the beginning you would spend money to live, eat and just survive.
i) Air flight or any transport mode to come to UK (Depending where you are coming from ? )
£££
ii) Visa ££ - ££££
( For Asylum Seekers you are perhaps paying somebody who is taking you to UK Borders )
Please check https://www.gov.uk/visa-fees
iii) Accommodate yourself until you find a job or establish your business. £70/ week OR
£400/month
Depending where you going to live and with whom whether it is friends and family, somebody with whom you are couch surfing,etc. but truth is London is expensive and every inch , sq ft is a prime property which isn't cheap and if your family and friends letting you live there then they are missing out on a big rent so you better be useful to them or do not overstay so that they aren't losing out on that prime money. But just to give you an idea of what property rents could be. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/ and also https://www.gumtree.com/. You would have to pay deposit for sometimes very small rooms and shared rooms . Shared rooms are basically bunk beds and you have a place to keep your head and some stuff. You get to use communal toilet and kitchen. Shared Rooms prices can start from £70/ week to £500/week. Note : Not for full room. So if you are private person or have lived in spacious places before and can not afford to spend more you would end up in a room where others would know all your business.
iv) Eat & Drink ( Buy at Supermarket and cook everyday and celebratory bottle of alcohol) £ 30/week OR £150 / month
v) Mobile Phone ( You can have monthly plans for £10 - £30 / month)
vi) Entertainment ( Going once to a pub/ club - only one drink and some food or a movie and popcorn) £20 /week OR £100/month
viii) Public Transport ( Depending where you live but London Public Transport daily pass is £8 when you have Oyster Card https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do ) £240/month
You can save some money by getting a monthly pass or annual pass if you are going to live long.
All in all for 1 person to live they would require £1000/month and that is just about living a very basic life.
Expenses = Minimum £12000 /year
You live in a small/ shared room, cook food for yourself, you are connected by mobile/ internet and you travel to and fro to your work.
So now let us look at job market and how you are going to make those £££ which you were dreaming about. As explained by a Bar chart in a documentary called "How Rich are you?"
Per annum salaries
25% makes less than Minimum Wage
£6.50 for 40 Hours Week for them Minimum Wage would be £13,520
£20300 is Average Salary
Waiters £7654 - 1%
Shop Assistant £9262 - 6%
Traffic Warden £18,065 - 47%
Teachers £32547 - 70%
GPs £103000 - 97%
To be in Top 1 % one should be earning £147,000
Firstly people who live below Minimum Wage is appalling 25% and people earning less money has increased.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23953573
Taxes
All the salary mentioned is taxable.
Tax rates in UK are as follows : Rate of 20% - 45%
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-income-tax/income-tax-rates-and-allowances-current-and-past
You also make National Insurance Contribution.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions
Perhaps you have that much required money or you have got higher paying job and you are still keen to come to UK or you are planning to take a gamble that is great !
3) Free Money : Your initial vision to come to UK was to get free money,maybe? Benefit system which you think they give you lot of money. It depends whether you have any Self - Respect to be in another country and be a bum. If you are talented, literate and have studied hard have some interests/ hobbies then you wouldn't be happy as you go through life of without respect.
Benefit System isn't so easy for Non- EU but it is bit easier for EU Citizen to navigate however once again money you would be given for Job Seeker allowance, Income Support or Housing Benefits doesn't guarantee rich life as your friends or family envision while you are in UK. More on how to claim benefits. https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/entitlement
Please note : No benefits or no course to public recourse is mostly given to anyone even in time of trouble unless you hold Indefinte Leave to Remain. You can apply here to settle and see the eligibility criteria.
https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk
4) Visa Woes :
What would you like to do whether you come short time to visit as a tourist ?
You can very easily get your hotel booked, flights , accommodation and have enough money to come to UK. You would be happy to visit various tourist sites and spend money and that is great !!! as you are genuinely in love of UK Culture, History, Art and Politics. There is really lots to do.
It isn't advisable to live in UK as an illegal immigrant as they sometimes do random checks in areas where they have immigrants or when they receive tip from somebody.
For Asylum Seekers hardest part is getting inside the country and get right to work whereas
people who have already got entrance find difficult part is right to work. The problem is that facilities asylum seekers live in isn't very good. They are asked to repeat their stories several times to the point when they stop believing themselves. They are asked to move several times.
However whether it is short or short- long term of visas where it becomes much more difficult.
You would have lots to worry if you want to live in UK from short-long term. Like any country UK would like you to return at the end of visa granted.
As a Student ?
Once again there are best of universities in UK and you would be able to study.
However depending on your course and ability to find jobs who would sponsor you would be rare. It isn't impossible but most British Employer wouldn't be able to prove that you are in scarcity.
You can have following routes after your Student Visa.
http://www.1st4immigration.com/whats-next-after-tier-4.php
Working Holidaymaker which is 2 years visa and I feel if you are one of those people who are happy to leave the country after you have stayed for the length of your visa you would still have friends and ambitions to be in UK longer. However it wouldn't be possible if you met somebody exciting as you would find Marriage Visa has it's own sets of restrictions. Are you going to fall in love with checking nationality of person ?
It isn't impossible to get Marriage Visa however it would just require for you to wait for 4 years to get Indefinite Leave to Remain and then Citizenship.
If you are EU Citizen your life would be easier than a UK Citizen in terms of bringing a Spouse to UK. You wouldn't have to show amount of money you earn and so forth.
5) Lifestyle : If you have really worked out that you want to live long term and are happy to work 40+ hours a week, commute for 1-2 hours, earn and pay 20% -45% tax and live in a small/ shared room with occasional ability to eat out or be entertained. If that is your dream then you have nailed it! and UK is perfect for you.
While you would be working you wouldn't be able to go to a Bank or make a phone call, you would miss out on good weather in summer and daylight in winter.
Friends and Family :You may find it very easy to make friends or may not find very easy to make friends in London as there is lots and lots of people coming and going. There are very few White British living in London. London is most diverse and you would be able to enjoy different festival, food,music and cuisine or you can start your own group and built your support network. However you would struggle to find time to nurture relationship with others sometime. You would have to be extremely patient as it wouldn't happen overnight.
You would find difficult to bring your parents to come and live with you as visa regulations wouldn't let you. Even if you did do you have means and time to support them while they are here.
6) Keep yourself safe in times of trouble : Even though UK Media likes to portray outside UK as one of the best places to live. They also make believe everyone who lives within the country the same.
So For example when there is a Tube/ Underground strike - they would have Indian trains program to say look
When it comes to Domestic Violence or Women's Voting Rights - they would always show how some country like Saudi Arabia doesn't have rights.
However it doesn't make - that UK is safest place and not without their share of problem. Just because problem isn't as severe as other countries doesn't mean that there are no problems.
Women are still under paid than Men.
UK children and care homes aren't perfect and some individual do go from abuse to abuse.
They do have budget cuts on Child Benefits, Departments who work with Asylum Seekers, Immigrants or Children who are Homeless.
Please have your Embassy No. with you however do not expect any
Talk to Somebody
www.samaritans.org/
Homelessness
www.shelter.org.uk
www.crisis.org.uk/
www.homelesslondon.org/
Domestic Violence
www.refuge.org.uk/
www.womensaid.org.uk/
Domestic Violence For Men
new.mankind.org.uk/
Children and Young People
https://www.childline.org.uk
Children and Parents
http://www.home-start.org.uk/
You have hear about how great their universities are, rich culture, you have hear all about Queen , Prince, Kate Middleton, how diverse population are, how value of pound is amazing, the society is liberal and you have freedom of speech. It all just sounds so amazing !!!
If you have finished dreaming and admiring about UK. I have your bubble to bust and I hate to do that but I feel somebody has to tell you truth. Here are some tips and suggestions before you come:
1) Assess your needs and who you are : Why do you want to come to UK ? How long ?
Yes, who are YOU and what do you want to achieve or why you want to come to UK?
Are you somebody just want to leave country because you are tired of working somewhere, you have money problems or you are looking for better people around you ? Are you dreaming of a place where you would have to work less and UK Government would take care of you.
So,when you would look at UK Immigration Website you would see that options and questions goes something like this.....https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Are you somebody
- you just want to study
- you just want to do business
- you are coming on working holiday
- you just want to visit
- you are highly skilled person and want to come to get a job
- you are an entrepreneur
- who is living in a country who has a life and death danger in your country ?
What you would do is that basically try to think of one of this ways do it short time and then still try to become citizen in UK. Something you would work it out to live UK long term.
What you would really miss is having an option which would help you achieve your dream of work less and earn more, right ? For majority people, UK isn't that place and I hate to disappoint you but you would soon realize why ? Please see below.
True reason to come to UK should be to broaden your horizon and to learn.
2) Think Money : If you are coming to visit and study you are definitely going to help UK Economy by spending money.
If you are coming as an Aupair, just do not come unless you are happy to be slave.You are going to be paid peanuts.
If you think you are smarter by coming as an Employee or Entrepreneur Think Money : Not how much you are going to EARN but how much you are going to SPEND.
Yes, were you thinking that you are going to earn money once you come here.Perhaps lots of money.
Does UK and ££££ sign go ding ding up in your head ? I am sure it does.
Problem is that pound is powerful - much powerful currency than most of the world.
In the beginning you would spend money to live, eat and just survive.
To find a job at least 3-6 Months.
To establish as a business as long as it makes money and it could be anywhere between 6 Months to 6 Years depending who you are and what is your business. Expect things to be at snail pace and have lots of contingency plan and money.
All estimates are depending on your lifestyle but they are for PER PERSON.
i) Air flight or any transport mode to come to UK (Depending where you are coming from ? )
£££
ii) Visa ££ - ££££
( For Asylum Seekers you are perhaps paying somebody who is taking you to UK Borders )
Please check https://www.gov.uk/visa-fees
iii) Accommodate yourself until you find a job or establish your business. £70/ week OR
£400/month
Depending where you going to live and with whom whether it is friends and family, somebody with whom you are couch surfing,etc. but truth is London is expensive and every inch , sq ft is a prime property which isn't cheap and if your family and friends letting you live there then they are missing out on a big rent so you better be useful to them or do not overstay so that they aren't losing out on that prime money. But just to give you an idea of what property rents could be. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/ and also https://www.gumtree.com/. You would have to pay deposit for sometimes very small rooms and shared rooms . Shared rooms are basically bunk beds and you have a place to keep your head and some stuff. You get to use communal toilet and kitchen. Shared Rooms prices can start from £70/ week to £500/week. Note : Not for full room. So if you are private person or have lived in spacious places before and can not afford to spend more you would end up in a room where others would know all your business.
iv) Eat & Drink ( Buy at Supermarket and cook everyday and celebratory bottle of alcohol) £ 30/week OR £150 / month
v) Mobile Phone ( You can have monthly plans for £10 - £30 / month)
vi) Entertainment ( Going once to a pub/ club - only one drink and some food or a movie and popcorn) £20 /week OR £100/month
viii) Public Transport ( Depending where you live but London Public Transport daily pass is £8 when you have Oyster Card https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do ) £240/month
You can save some money by getting a monthly pass or annual pass if you are going to live long.
All in all for 1 person to live they would require £1000/month and that is just about living a very basic life.
Expenses = Minimum £12000 /year
You live in a small/ shared room, cook food for yourself, you are connected by mobile/ internet and you travel to and fro to your work.
So now let us look at job market and how you are going to make those £££ which you were dreaming about. As explained by a Bar chart in a documentary called "How Rich are you?"
Per annum salaries
25% makes less than Minimum Wage
£6.50 for 40 Hours Week for them Minimum Wage would be £13,520
£20300 is Average Salary
Waiters £7654 - 1%
Shop Assistant £9262 - 6%
Traffic Warden £18,065 - 47%
Teachers £32547 - 70%
GPs £103000 - 97%
To be in Top 1 % one should be earning £147,000
Firstly people who live below Minimum Wage is appalling 25% and people earning less money has increased.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23953573
Taxes
All the salary mentioned is taxable.
Tax rates in UK are as follows : Rate of 20% - 45%
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-income-tax/income-tax-rates-and-allowances-current-and-past
You also make National Insurance Contribution.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions
So let us look at what an average person who is making average salary saves. Gross Pay £20300 is Average Salary. Total Deduction of £3408 and your take home pay Net pay would be £16891
Average Potential Saving = Net Pay - Expenses
£ 16891 - £ 12000 = £4891
However if you intend to live longer in UK in first 6 -7 years you would also be spending money on Visas/ Immigration Fees. If you are hiring a Lawyer then you are getting further charged for it.
You could be spending anywhere between £500 - £3000 for your next application.
You might keep some money for Emergency if you don't have Health Insurance of ability to use NHS.
If your motivation was to help your family while you are in UK then you wouldn't be able to send lots of money.
You might think that UK is a place where you would make more money but in truth you would like to have more money and what you actually need is where you would have more buying power.
Perhaps you have that much required money or you have got higher paying job and you are still keen to come to UK or you are planning to take a gamble that is great !
3) Free Money : Your initial vision to come to UK was to get free money,maybe? Benefit system which you think they give you lot of money. It depends whether you have any Self - Respect to be in another country and be a bum. If you are talented, literate and have studied hard have some interests/ hobbies then you wouldn't be happy as you go through life of without respect.
Benefit System isn't so easy for Non- EU but it is bit easier for EU Citizen to navigate however once again money you would be given for Job Seeker allowance, Income Support or Housing Benefits doesn't guarantee rich life as your friends or family envision while you are in UK. More on how to claim benefits. https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/entitlement
Please note : No benefits or no course to public recourse is mostly given to anyone even in time of trouble unless you hold Indefinte Leave to Remain. You can apply here to settle and see the eligibility criteria.
https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk
4) Visa Woes :
What would you like to do whether you come short time to visit as a tourist ?
You can very easily get your hotel booked, flights , accommodation and have enough money to come to UK. You would be happy to visit various tourist sites and spend money and that is great !!! as you are genuinely in love of UK Culture, History, Art and Politics. There is really lots to do.
For Asylum Seekers hardest part is getting inside the country and get right to work whereas
people who have already got entrance find difficult part is right to work. The problem is that facilities asylum seekers live in isn't very good. They are asked to repeat their stories several times to the point when they stop believing themselves. They are asked to move several times.
However whether it is short or short- long term of visas where it becomes much more difficult.
Once again there are best of universities in UK and you would be able to study.
However depending on your course and ability to find jobs who would sponsor you would be rare. It isn't impossible but most British Employer wouldn't be able to prove that you are in scarcity.
You can have following routes after your Student Visa.
http://www.1st4immigration.com/whats-next-after-tier-4.php
Working Holidaymaker which is 2 years visa and I feel if you are one of those people who are happy to leave the country after you have stayed for the length of your visa you would still have friends and ambitions to be in UK longer. However it wouldn't be possible if you met somebody exciting as you would find Marriage Visa has it's own sets of restrictions. Are you going to fall in love with checking nationality of person ?
It isn't impossible to get Marriage Visa however it would just require for you to wait for 4 years to get Indefinite Leave to Remain and then Citizenship.
If you are EU Citizen your life would be easier than a UK Citizen in terms of bringing a Spouse to UK. You wouldn't have to show amount of money you earn and so forth.
5) Lifestyle : If you have really worked out that you want to live long term and are happy to work 40+ hours a week, commute for 1-2 hours, earn and pay 20% -45% tax and live in a small/ shared room with occasional ability to eat out or be entertained. If that is your dream then you have nailed it! and UK is perfect for you.
While you would be working you wouldn't be able to go to a Bank or make a phone call, you would miss out on good weather in summer and daylight in winter.
Friends and Family :You may find it very easy to make friends or may not find very easy to make friends in London as there is lots and lots of people coming and going. There are very few White British living in London. London is most diverse and you would be able to enjoy different festival, food,music and cuisine or you can start your own group and built your support network. However you would struggle to find time to nurture relationship with others sometime. You would have to be extremely patient as it wouldn't happen overnight.
You would find difficult to bring your parents to come and live with you as visa regulations wouldn't let you. Even if you did do you have means and time to support them while they are here.
Buying a house and putting roots : If you want to live in London where opportunities are then then you would need a deposit of minimum £15000 with mortgage payment of £1250 per month. This is not affordable for majority of people. However if you are happy to live somewhere in a small town or village in UK however this number can come down to 1/3.
Respect : At the end of it there are several people who want to come to UK and live. So unless you are bringing something unique you are one in the million. Here you wouldn't be seen as some sort of god for being different. People do not pay each other any compliment. In fact, difference in you would be laughed at or abhor. As despite it is individual society it is still very oppressive in terms of you trying to be different or even climb out of class you are born in. It becomes more uphill battle.
Health : If you are coming from Non EU Citizen then you wouldn't have any health benefits apart from Emergency until you become Indefinite Leave to Remain when you would be able to use NHS.
If you came on HSMP then you would have to pay for using
5) People : In UK, there is no racism at workplace or anything would make you think there is. Just nobody would realize that in UK there is class system.There are lots of rules : Some are spoken, some are unspoken. However very recently parties like UKIP and xenophobic media which very anti-immigration. There are also new extremist groups and organizations who feels vulnerable and unable to cope with diversity in the country.
Respect : At the end of it there are several people who want to come to UK and live. So unless you are bringing something unique you are one in the million. Here you wouldn't be seen as some sort of god for being different. People do not pay each other any compliment. In fact, difference in you would be laughed at or abhor. As despite it is individual society it is still very oppressive in terms of you trying to be different or even climb out of class you are born in. It becomes more uphill battle.
Health : If you are coming from Non EU Citizen then you wouldn't have any health benefits apart from Emergency until you become Indefinite Leave to Remain when you would be able to use NHS.
If you came on HSMP then you would have to pay for using
5) People : In UK, there is no racism at workplace or anything would make you think there is. Just nobody would realize that in UK there is class system.There are lots of rules : Some are spoken, some are unspoken. However very recently parties like UKIP and xenophobic media which very anti-immigration. There are also new extremist groups and organizations who feels vulnerable and unable to cope with diversity in the country.
6) Keep yourself safe in times of trouble : Even though UK Media likes to portray outside UK as one of the best places to live. They also make believe everyone who lives within the country the same.
So For example when there is a Tube/ Underground strike - they would have Indian trains program to say look
When it comes to Domestic Violence or Women's Voting Rights - they would always show how some country like Saudi Arabia doesn't have rights.
However it doesn't make - that UK is safest place and not without their share of problem. Just because problem isn't as severe as other countries doesn't mean that there are no problems.
Women are still under paid than Men.
UK children and care homes aren't perfect and some individual do go from abuse to abuse.
They do have budget cuts on Child Benefits, Departments who work with Asylum Seekers, Immigrants or Children who are Homeless.
Please have your Embassy No. with you however do not expect any
Ambulance: 999 or 112
Fire: 999 or 112
Police: 999 or 112
Gas emergency: 0800 111 999
NHS Direct (24 hour health helpline): 0845 4647
Even though Charities in UK they struggle, some of the time perhaps some charities can help.
Talk to Somebody
www.samaritans.org/
Homelessness
www.shelter.org.uk
www.crisis.org.uk/
www.homelesslondon.org/
Domestic Violence
www.refuge.org.uk/
www.womensaid.org.uk/
Domestic Violence For Men
new.mankind.org.uk/
Children and Young People
https://www.childline.org.uk
http://www.home-start.org.uk/
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