You need this in order to work in the UK and it takes a couple of weeks to process. Needless to say, the photo on all of my visa documents is super flattering.not.) 3. (Head's up: The picture you take at your Biometric Residency appointment when you apply for your visa is the photo used for everything. Pretty straightforward, as it is the only thing they actually tell you how to do. Plus you can start racking up points for rewards geared towards travellers. It takes away the urgency of opening a bank account and needing an income, while allowing you to pay for things at their true price. The easiest way around this is using a no foreign transaction fee credit card. Until you open a bank account, which can take a couple of weeks, it is essential that you have a way to spend money without encountering the countless fees that exist country-to-country. Apply for a credit card with no foreign transaction feesĭo this before you leave your home country. You would think that the UK government could at least give you some sort of manual-but since they don't, here is my list of essential things you need to do upon arrival to live in the United Kingdom: 1. Obviously (in hindsight) there are innumerable other things you must do in order to truly become a resident within a community. Upon receiving my Tier 4 Dependent visa, my only instruction was to pick up my residency permit from the post office. Leaning back, I listened, feeling the naivety about how to start a life in the UK-which I had encountered far too often-setting in. Smiling sympathetically, Carl explained having a National Insurance Number was necessary in order to get hired and directed me in how exactly to get one. Laughing, I agreed that, yes, that would do. You know, it sounds a lot better than the other word.” “What?” I thought maybe, as per usual, the accent had gotten the better of me. “Okay, I’ll list you as ‘fun-employed’ then.” He asks my current occupation and I give the rehearsed spiel on how I just moved here and am going to start the serious job search once all of our ducks are in a row. He is a friendly American football player and thanks to his warmth and jokes, I have enjoyed setting up a bank account much more than one normally would. Sitting across from my banker and new friend, I am feeling the euphoria of crossing off another big task on my "Moving to a New Country" to-do list.
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