London

So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Budgeting for Living in London

/ Stephanie / Leave a comment

You may find other posts in the Expat Series helpful. Click for the post listings.

Another frequent question I get from people who are thinking about moving to London is “How much does it cost to live in London?” This is obviously another one of those “it depends” answers, because it depends on your lifestyle and the trade-offs you are or aren’t willing to make. Below, I’ve given a descriptive idea of my experience so that you can have an anchoring point for where you might fall along the spectrum. In addition, tax (VAT), is included in all the prices I’m discussing below.

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  1. Food (Grocery)

Generally, I’ve found groceries to be at least 10-15% cheaper here than in Canada, depending on the item. I’ve included a sample receipt for some groceries I’ve recently bought. However, you can take your average grocery receipt and try to find the equivalent items on the grocery delivery sites for the major grocery store chains (which will match closely with in-store prices) to estimate what your monthly grocery bill will be (Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Ocado).

SainsburyReceipt

In my sample receipt, I’ve taken a few of the items and broken them down into meals in this spreadsheet here. If you consumed the food I do, you’d be able to make a breakfast for £1, and a lunch / dinner for £3.20 (you can assume £4 if you have a big appetite). You can budget in £1.28 for snacks – I’ve put in 1 peach and a bakery item. In total, a full day’s worth of food would cost £8.57 if you never ate out and ate things similar to my taste. That’s roughly £260 for 30 days of groceries for 1 person.

Additionally, there will be a slight price differential between Central London grocery stores and grocery stores further out. You can also buy produce for cheaper at local fresh markets as well as ethnic grocery stores (for example, the bok choi is much cheaper at the Chinese grocery stores in Chinatown than at the Sainsbury in my neighbourhood).

  1. Food (Dining Out) & Drink

Dining out and alcohol is one of the most expensive categories when compared to food and drink back in Canada. I’ve thrown some international brands in here as well so you can get a sense of comparables. I’ve also linked you to menus, where possible. The prices below include VAT (tax), but do not include service. Sometimes restaurants automatically add 12.5% service, other times they do not. At your discretion, though not required except on large party sizes.

Restaurant Type Sample Cost
Subway Fast food / takeaway ·      £3.40 for a 6” Tuna Sub
Starbucks Coffee takeaway ·      £2.50 – £3.00 for an Americano
Franco Manca Small chain – casual ·      £7.50 for a handmade pizza

 ·      £5.95 for a glass of wine
Dishoom Mid-level restaurant – casual ·      £8.50 for a Chicken Tikka

 ·      £3.20 for a Garlic Naan

 ·      £8.50 for a cocktail
Pig & Butcher Mid-level pub – casual ·      £18.95 for a roasted leg of Saltmarsh lamb (Sunday roast)

 ·      £5.65 Bottled IPA
Granger & Co Mid-level restaurant – casual ·      £12.95 brunch pancakes

 ·      £9.95 white peach Bellini
Lima Floral Mid-level restaurant – casual ·      £14 tuna (starter)

 ·      £24 hot ceviche (main)
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal 2 Michelin Star restaurant – upscale ·      £21 meat fruit (starter)

 ·      £44 powdered duck breast (main)

 ·      £16 tipsy cake (dessert)

·      £15.50 glass of white wine

Housing & Bills

To answer the housing question, this really depends where you live, whether or not you want flat mates, the condition of the property, etc. However, there’s plenty of rental pricing information available online, and I’ve written a separate guide here to give you an idea for how much you might pay for a given neighbourhood, including the bills.

You could probably pay as little as £300-400 per month for housing and bills, but you’d live 50 mins + train journey away from Central London, or you’d live in a lower quality building, or you’d have a lot of roommates. A studio flat in Central London would easily cost at least £1600 a month, and more if you want more space or a one bed. If you’re living on your own, check your post code to see if you qualify for a single-person council tax discount. In my flat-hunting guide, I’ve also detailed what bills you need to factor in for your housing and where you can find information for what those bills might cost. An anecdotal survey from my friends indicate the following ranges:

Bill Type Amount per month per person
Council Tax £50 – £75
Water £10 – £15
Gas + Electricity £15 – £25

Internet and Phone

This is another area that I’ve found to be cheaper than in Canada. Especially because the population density in Canada is very low, phone plans (especially concerning differences in data included) are fairly expensive. As I bought an unlocked Apple phone, my sim-only contract is £15 a month and it includes 12GB of data and unlimited texts and phone calls in the UK. Though there are quite a few mobile providers here, I went with Three because of the awesome Feel at Home feature that is sure to help you when you plan all your weekend and bank holiday trips as it allows you to use your texting, calling, and data allowance in 71 other countries. Your other main telco provider options are O2, Vodafone, and EE.

For broadband, I pay £17 a month with TalkTalk for the most basic internet speeds and unlimited usage. If you stream a lot, this might not work for you, as I do find that my internet speed is occasionally laggy. I suggest you go on to a couple of comparison sites (uSwitch, Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket) and find the best plan / deal for your needs, as you may also want TV or a landline as well, but make sure to be aware that some of the plans in their results are sponsored (those are labelled as such). In addition, Relish are a 4G internet company for home use that doesn’t require that annoying engineering set-up appointment where you have to be at home. As a result, they may be a viable alternative if you’re just looking to get up and running really quickly.

  1. Transportation

Your transportation options around the city include tube, overground, bus, regional train, taxi, Uber, ferry, or cycle. I’ve generally found transit cheaper than back home in Toronto, but the cost of everything, as always, will depend on distance of travel, frequency, and any government subsidies / programs you should look into.

Mode of Transport Approx. Cost Subsidies / Special Pricing
Tube Single journey – Zones 1-2; Oyster / contactless payments:

 ·         £2.40 – £2.80 off-peak

 ·         £2.90 – £3.30 peak

·         Daily cap of £6.80

 ·   Discounted travel

 ·   Travelcard
Overground Single journey; Oyster / contactless payments:

 ·         £1.70 peak

 ·         £1.50 off-peak

 · Travelcard
Busses / Trams Single journey; Oyster / contactless payments:

 ·         £1.50 all journeys

 ·         Daily cap of £4.50

·         Weekly cap of £21.20

 · Unlimited journeys in an hour

 · Bus and Tram Pass
Regional Train Varies depending on time and destinations ·   Rail Card – 1/3 off train tickets

 ·   Season ticket pricing
Taxi / Uber Back Cabs (taxis) are 2-4x as expensive as Ubers. Generally I can get most places for £5 -£15 with Uber Install Uber with invite code n57u3 to get £10 off your first ride
Cycle ·         £2.00 per 24 hours unlimited use for journeys <30 minutes

 ·         £90 annual membership

 Save 25-39% on a new bike for work with your employer
Ferry Single journey; Oyster / contactless payments:

 ·         £4.60 to £9.90

 · Discounts

Entertainment / Leisure

Rather than give you a precise number, I’ve given a list of common “things to do” and links to pricing information so you can get an idea of cost. Theatre shows, plays, gigs, and admissions all vary widely, so I believe this is the best way for you to gauge cost. One thing to note is that a lot of the regular collections (i.e. not special exhibitions) at most museums and galleries have free admission. You can see the likes of Van Gogh absolutely free at the National Gallery, for example!

Type Merchant / Vendor Examples Sample Prices
Musical Theatre ·      Delfont Mackintosh Theatre

 ·      ATG Tickets

 ·      £49.75 – £94.75 (Aladdin)

 ·      TKTS discounts
Plays / Operas ·      Barbican

 ·      Almeida Theatre

 ·      London National Opera

·      Old Vic

 ·      £18 (Crave)

 ·      £10 – £40 (The Writer)

 ·      £25 (Acis and Galatea)

·      £8.50 – £100 (A Monster Calls)
Music Gigs ·      Ticketmaster

 ·      See Tickets

 ·      Dice

 ·      £28.25 (Of Mice and Men)

 ·      £22 – £83 (Walk Off the Earth)

 ·      £83 – £280 (Taylor Swift)
Museums ·      Somerset House

 ·      British Museum

 ·      Museum of Natural History

 ·      £14 – £17 (Rodin)

 ·      £7 to £38 (Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Galleries ·      National Gallery

 ·      Tate Modern

 ·      Victoria and Albert

·      National Art Pass

 ·      £20 – £22 (Monet & Architecture Exhibit)

 ·      £10 – £32 (Picasso Exhibit)
Talks ·      Eventbrite

 ·      List

 ·      £27.50 to £35 (Sir Ranulph Fiennes)
Sport ·      Ticketmaster

 ·      Eticketing

 ·      Lord’s Cricket

 ·      £50 – £85 (England v. Pakistan)

 ·      £55 – £200 (Aviva Rugby Final)

Clothing & Goods

I haven’t done as much shopping here as I did back home, as I would often shop in the US. With the exception of home goods which will be the topic of another post, I would recommend you look at some generic fast fashion retailers online for pricing. Clothing prices depend so much on style and taste that you’ll have to budget for this yourself. There are plenty of thrift / charity shops that have a good selection as well if you’re on a budget. Have a look at ASOS, H&M, Forever21, BooHoo, and Pretty Little Thing for fast fashion. For some higher quality brands, look into Uniqlo, & Other Stories, Maje, Net-A-Porter, and Sandro, or check out the higher-end department store Selfridges.

For home goods, you might want to check out Amazon, Argos, Flying Tiger, Next, or H&M home. But also, don’t underestimate your ability to find free or good quality used items on Freecycle, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or Schpock.

While this guide is not meant to be a comprehensive look at the cost of living in London, it is meant to give you at least an idea so you can start imagining what your monthly outgoings would be to support your lifestyle. If you have any tips or budgeting ideas, please leave a comment below!

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So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding a Flat, Part 2

/ Stephanie / 1 Comment

For the previous posts in this series, please see So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding Work on Tier 5, So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: The Visa, So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Circular Finances, and So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding a Flat, Part 1.

So now that you have a good idea of the neighbourhood you want to target, it’s time to view some flats and make an offer.

Sourcing and Arranging Flat Viewings

Email, call, and walk-in to the letting agencies in the neighbourhood that you are targeting. You will receive many calls and emails for a few weeks, but it’s ideal to book in as many viewings as possible in a short period of time so that you have a good frame of reference for comparison of rates and the kinds of flats that are available to you within your budget. If you see a flat that you like that meets all of your criteria, jump on it and make an offer, or it may be gone by the time you get around to it.

Making an Offer

The process of making an offer is fairly informal. Nothing is binding (for either parties) until the physical letting agreement has been signed, so keep this in mind. There have been cases where landlords have re-negged or asked for a higher price because of competitive bidding. Be wary and know that nothing is confirmed until the agreement has been signed.

Typically, the process works as follows:

  1. You view a flat that you like.
  2. You contact the agent you viewed the flat through to verbally make an offer. They will either provide you a template to fill out, or you should send them a word document via e-mail with the following details:
    • Proposed start date of tenancy
    • Length of tenancy, and break clause stipulation (rolling or one time): standard lease break clause is 6 months (i.e. you can give the notice period that you’re moving out after 6 months)
    • Price: stated in per week terms
    • Special conditions: i.e. furnished or unfurnished, bathroom to be repainted, etc.
    • Full names, occupations, and indication of full time or contract employment status
    • Mobile number, email address
    • Photo ID (passport) & proof of address
  3. The landlord will either accept, reject, or counter-propose your offer. If the landlord counter-proposes you, you should ensure that you like the flat that much to accept his / her conditions.
  4. Once the landlord accepts your offer, you will need to put in a holding deposit so that the agent will stop showing the flat to other prospective tenants. The holding deposit can vary in size, but it was 2 weeks’ rent for our flat, was deducted against the security deposit after our offer was finalised, and was non-refundable should we have changed our minds.
  5. Following this, you’ll then need to transfer 1 months’ rent in advance and a security deposit upfront. The security deposit is usually equivalent to ~6 weeks rent, but some landlords will ask for more. If it is any more than 6 weeks’ rent, do ask the agent and understand why that might be. Also ensure that you get a Deposit Protection Scheme reference number for your deposit, as this will ensure that your deposit is protected should any conflicts or disagreements arise over deposit deductions at the end of the tenancy.
  6. Once the deposit has been paid, you’ll need to submit copies of your passport and visa. Then, the necessary background, credit, and reference checks will take place. This is where an ex-pat new to the UK could run into some issues. Given that you will have had no tenancy record in the UK, either one or more of the tenants entering the agreement will need to make a monthly salary equivalent to 1.5 – 2x the monthly rent and he / she will assume the rental risk as a lead tenant, or the landlord will require a guarantor living in the UK to agree to take on the risk of your lease, should you default on the lease. Again, this is where you’ll have to rely on the support of family  and friends. This is also a sensitive area because it revolves around salaries and asking someone to be legally liable for your debts in a worst case scenario. Hopefully, you’ll know someone. If not, you may have to go down the path of finding a place to rent via a private landlord, where the requirements will not be as stringent. See OpenRent, Gumtree, or Spareroom for private landlord options.

Assuming the above steps have been sorted and you’ve passed the checks and made all payments, you’ll finally get to review a lease agreement! Before you sign your lease agreement, even if you are not a lawyer, make sure you take the time to read through the entirety of the agreement; the language is generally comprehensible, and it is in your interest to make sure that the terms laid out in the agreement match the offer. You should especially pay attention to clauses that pertain to the end of the lease, dispute resolution, and landlord responsibilities for repair. If you have any clarifying questions at all, do go back to the agent before you sign – better safe than sorry.

After you sign and the landlord(s) countersign(s), the keys should be yours! Within a week of moving in, you may receive an inventory report to sign off. This inventory report is important because it documents the state of the flat when you move in. You should check the report with care before you sign it and ensure that what it states is detailed and accurate; fill in any gaps where appropriate. It also doesn’t hurt to take pictures of your flat at this time, as this will help you down the line if there are any disputes. Make sure you submit your version of the inventory report on time, or else they may disregard your comments if you leave it too late.

Good luck with finding your dream flat!

Have thoughts to share on your experience? Leave a comment below.

So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding a Flat, Part 1

/ Stephanie / 3 Comments

For the previous posts in this series, please see So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding Work on Tier 5, So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: The Visa and So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Circular Finances.

Hopefully, you’ve now managed to wrangle yourself a bank account or have access to a place to store your funds so you’re able to put down a deposit down to let a flat. Assuming that this is the case, you can now begin the arduous process of finding a place to live. There are quite a few considerations when flat hunting. I’m splitting this into a two-part blog series to take you through the elements to consider. This post will focus on finding the right neighbourhood and property for you, and the second post will focus on dealing with letting agents and making an offer.

I highly recommend that you have a look at the property listings available on the market and use the pictures and information on the sites to form your preferences. You will likely not be making offers on flats in this information gathering phase, but you will be developing a list of requirements for a flat in your desired budget range. Some of the popular sites where most agencies post their properties (in order of most useful to less useful) include Zoopla, Rightmove, Spareroom, Gumtree, and OnTheMarket. You can also check out the websites for the bigger lettings agencies to see postings on their sites (Foxtons, Knight Frank, Hamptons, and Winkworth). Keep in mind that oftentimes a flat will be posted as available, but by the time you call to arrange a viewing, the flat will have already been let – that’s how fast the real estate market moves in London, which is why it’s more helpful to use these websites as research. Additionally, there are loads of smaller lettings agencies within each neighbourhood, so do not view my above list of lettings agencies as exhaustive.

When I was looking for a flat with my flatmate, there were generally seven factors that played into us being able to find a property that was a good fit for us. These considerations helped us narrow down the properties / neighbourhoods for which we wanted to view flats, and helped speed up the vetting process so that we weren’t wasting our time viewing flats that weren’t going to be a good fit. It also helped to manage our expectations for what would be reasonable requirements given our budget and the neighbourhoods in which we wanted to live.

Lettings prices are generally represented as per calendar month (pcm) or per week (pw). Note that pw pricing isn’t as simple as multiplying by 4 to get to a monthly rate: you will need to multiply by 52 weeks and then divide by 12 months to get to a monthly rate. Prices are primarily driven by the following seven factors:

  1. Supply and demand for a particular neighbourhood
    Generally, the worst time to look for a property to let is during August as this is when students descend upon the city; while there is increased supply as old students move out, the influx of new students provide fairly fierce demand, even in neighbourhoods that don’t border major universities and schools in London. Moving in mid to late September or October will make it an easier process to find a flat. Additionally, some neighbourhoods are simply popular with certain communities thereby driving up the rental prices; for example, many Australian expats choose to live in Clapham, and so Clapham is quite expensive in spite of the fact that it isn’t in Central London.
  2. Transport links / distance to London city centre
    Another consideration is the proximity of your property to Central London. Two things you need to understand: London is very large in area and London is a city comprised of boroughs. If you understand these two facts, there really is no notion of “downtown” as there is in North America. Central London is primarily where a lot of major government offices are concentrated, where property prices are highest, and where there is generally a high population density / high entertainment density. However, within each of the boroughs in London, there are enough shops, amenities, and interesting things to do such that you would never have to leave your borough to survive / not be bored on the weekend. So while being close to Central London means you will be close to an area that is quite lively, it is a completely personal choice as to whether this is important. The other important aspect of this is a property’s proximity to transport links (tube, rail, bus routes). Because London is so big, it can take two hours or more to travel from the east end to the west end. Consider the places that you will need to go most frequently (work, school, fun, etc) and make sure that you’re selecting a borough that will be a decent commute; otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and money (see cost of monthly travel cards) if you live far from where you work / study / play.
  3. Condition of property (new, period conversion / refurb, old)
    Generally, new or period conversion / refurbished properties will cost more than properties that have not been renovated. If you see wooden floors, retrofitted / modern appliances, exposed brick kitchen walls, modern windows, and new faucets or newly tiled bathroom floors, these are all indications that the property has been renovated to some extent, and you’ll likely be paying a higher rent vs. properties that have carpet or older fittings.
  4. Type of property (council flats / estates, maisonettes, flats)
    Council flats / estates are essentially government housing that are now privately owned due to a buy back scheme. They are often cheaper rents as the properties may still be in dodgier neighbourhoods, or less safe bits of a borough, and some of the council flats within a council block or estate may still be publicly owned. Read more here. Maisonettes are two level flats with internal stairs. For more information about the definition of a flat, read here.
  5. Size of property and number of rooms / living space
    Often, living rooms get converted into bedrooms in some properties. Rent will usually be cheaper in these cases since there is no longer any shared living space, other than the kitchen. The needs of multiple flatmates will have be factored in when searching for a property as well. Some two bedroom flats, for example, are one massively sized master bedroom and a small double or even a single room. If your flatmates aren’t willing to split the rent according to the amount of space, it can cause headaches and disagreements. Equally, it can sometimes be difficult to find two equally sized double bedrooms if you’re looking for an equitable rent split, so do keep this in mind when viewing properties. Another consideration is the number of bathrooms; some flats have one bedroom with an ensuite bathroom which typically means that the letter of that room would pay more rent. You will typically pay more for a property overall if there are more bathrooms.
  6. Basement / ground floor flats vs. above ground flats
    Basement and ground floor flats are generally cheaper than above ground flats (2nd floor and up). The main reason is that basement flats typically don’t have good views and the sunlight is somewhat limited, though there are usually windows. Ground floor flats can sometimes be perceived as “more dangerous”, depending on the neighbourhood, as ground floor flats are more accessible at street level. Sometimes, ground floor flat windows have bars over them for safety reasons, and so ground floor flats may command lower rent.
  7. Other fees / costs
    On top of the monthly rent you’ll have to pay, you will also have to factor in one-time costs such as lettings agency fees (including inventory fees, reference / guarantor checks, and agency fee), as well as monthly recurring expenses including utilities (water, gas, heat, and electricity) and council tax. For one-time costs, make sure you clarify with the agent what the total fees will be, and then determine what it will cost per person, if you are renting with others. For the monthly recurring expenses, it is usually a good question to ask the agent if the rent price includes any utilities, and how much the non-inclusive utilities typically cost per month. For council tax, use the council tax band tool to look up the council tax band, and go to the respective council’s website to look up how much council tax is owed within the council tax band. For example, for the City of Westminster, these are the council tax rates across different bands. Then you can calculate how much you’ll need to factor in per month for council tax. Adding on these other fees / costs will give you an accurate total cost of rental.

People often ask me which neighbourhood or borough they should live in. Unfortunately, I give them the answer that it really depends. Even if you ask me which neighbourhood or borough is the safest, the answer is relative. Even in the safest neighbourhoods, there may be pockets or certain streets that are not as safe. The best way to see which neighbourhood or borough is right for you is to spend some time walking around the neighbourhood and getting a feel for the atmosphere. When you consider that visceral experience with the factors I’ve mentioned above, you’ll likely have a better idea of your perfect area. Good luck with your flat hunt!

If you have any flat hunting experiences or tips to share, please leave them in the comments below.

So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Finding Work on Tier 5

/ Stephanie / 7 Comments

For the previous posts in this series, please see So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: The Visa and So You Want to Live and Work in the UK: Circular Finances.

If you’re not a student, one of the fundamental problems as you’re considering your move to London is finding work. When I was mulling over this problem, I saw a few different paths forward. Essentially, you may be able to apply for an Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer Visa with your current company, apply for work from abroad and secure sponsorship through the Tier 2 General Visa, or look for work locally once you’re here on the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa. Each of these options has its own benefits and downsides; I am going to focus on finding work on the Tier 5 visa in this post.

If you’ve successfully been approved for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa, you’ll be able to look for work / start working as soon as your visa is valid. My visa was activated on 3 September 2014, so I landed here that day and immediately started my job hunt. However, I’d recommend that you also do some preparation work beforehand to make this process as easy as possible as it certainly expedited my job search to maximise the amount of time on my visa.

  1. Prepare your CV

    Part of the localisation process is getting into the lingo, spelling, and terminology. Prior to my arrival in the UK, I researched and spoke with people who had been through the process to ensure that my curriculum vitae (CV) – or resume as it is known in North America – was in a locally accepted format. I ensured that my spelling was converted from North American English to UK English (e.g. specialized to specialised), highlighted my language skills (being bilingual / multilingual is an advantage here), and used my family / friend’s local mailing address on the CV to give the illusion that I was already locally settled. I also put “Authorised to Work in the United Kingdom” near my namesake, as right to work will be a common question that comes up as you look for work. I also changed my LinkedIn link from ca to uk.
  2. Research Jobs and Agencies

    A couple of things to note on the local job market, at least in London: the market moves quickly and it is a recruiter-driven market. On the first point, vacancies come in and are filled in a matter of days, which I found quite different from the lethargic pace of the job market back in Toronto when I was interviewing for some managerial roles. As such, it’s not worth applying to jobs weeks in advance of your move to the UK as the vacancy will be filled before you get there, unless your application was facilitated through your network. On the second point, my advice is to focus in and research the types of roles for which you’re seeking on the popular job search sites (reed.co.uk, fish4jobs.co.uk, indeed, monster, The Guardian) and then document which agencies tend to have the types of roles that you’re seeking (the logo/contact information for the agency will become apparent in the job posting). Identifying the agencies of interest to you early on will make your recruitment targeting much easier.A note on salaries: It was difficult for me to gauge my market value initially, as I wasn’t entirely sure how my worth converted over from the North American market to the UK. Ultimately, I’m nominally earning the same as I would expect to earn in Canada, but my buying power is significantly weakened here due to the cost of living – this seems to be generally the right range that you should expect, but could vary based on industry / niche due to supply and demand. I would recommend speaking with your recruiters to get a sense of what level you’d come in at given your experience (they’re incentivised to get you working in your highest possible bracket given that their agency fees are likely tied to your compensation). You might also be able to speak with people in the industry / university alumni working locally – I asked an ex-colleague at my level working locally to see what kinds of roles and offers he’d been getting from headhunters enticing him to leave. Finally, you can always give the local Glassdoor a try.
  3. Call the Agencies

    The week I landed, I got a local UK number on a pay-as-you-go plan, and I started calling the agencies on my target list. I stated my 30-second headline upfront to describe a) my background / experience and b) what I was looking for in terms of roles (sometimes referencing previous job vacancies they had filled), and asked if they had any vacancies in the areas which I was looking. Usually, following this, they asked me to send my CV to either their personal e-mail or to the generic agency inbox but requested that I put their name in the subject line so that he / she could look out for it. I also asked for their name and number should I need to follow up on my CV, and called recruiters back if I hadn’t heard from them after 24 to 36 hours. I recommend the calling approach over simply blanket e-mailing your CV to agency accounts as calling someone at the agency makes them immediately accountable to you, and this guarantees that your CV will be reviewed.
  4. Ace Your InterviewsWithin two weeks, I had four interviews lined up. Within 3.5 weeks, I had two job offers while interview interest continued to trickle in. I started work exactly one month after I had landed in London. When I said that the job market moves quickly, I meant it. Most of my friends here have had similar experiences, usually settling into their new positions within 4-6 weeks of landing in the country, though there likely is variance depending on your industry and level. Of course, don’t forget to do your due diligence on the target company and to prepare for your interview as you would back at home. I found the behavioural interviews to be quite similar to North American interviews. Additionally, I would recommend coming up with a tight narrative on why you left your last role, why you moved to the UK for work, and prepare a response for the time horizon that you intend on staying here as appropriate for the role / industry in which you’re seeking employment as these are likely topics of discussion over the course of your interviews.

I’ve attempted to condense my advice into the tips in this post, and I hope that you’ll find this information easily digestible and actionable. Feel free to leave any questions you may have or share your own experiences and tips in the comments below.

So You Want to Work and Live in the UK: The Visa

/ Stephanie / 5 Comments

Since moving to London, many people have asked me about the process of getting a visa and moving here. I’m hoping that this blog series that I’m embarking on will give you a good foundation for deciding whether or not this is the right move for you.

Please note that this information is current as of 18/08/2015. Please consult the gov.uk website for the most up to date visa information.

As a Canadian, the easiest path to make a crack into the UK market is through the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) Visa. The requirements are none too stringent. You are eligible as long as you:

  • are aged 18 to 30
  • don’t have any children or dependents
  • have £1,890 in savings
  • have certain types of British Nationality or are from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong*, Republic of Korea*, and Taiwan*
  • meet the other eligibility requirements

*You need to be sponsored if you’re from Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea or Taiwan.

A couple of things you should know about the visa:

Visa Validity:

  • The visa is non-renewable – you can only apply for and be approved for this visa once, even if you have multiple nationalities. Once your 24 months is up, you must leave the country.
  • The visa entitles to work or study in the UK.
  • If you turn 31 while you’re in the UK, you can stay for as long as your visa is valid.
  • Important: Note that the date you state in your application as your intended date of arrival is the date that your visa will begin. Make sure you time this appropriately to maximise the amount of time you’re working / studying in the UK so that you don’t waste time on your visa not in the country.

Fees:

If you’re still reading, then that’s pretty much all you need to know. The documents you will need to have to apply are:

  • a current passport or other valid travel ID
  • a passport size colour photograph
  • a bank statement showing you have at least £1,890 in savings
  • your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

You’ll also need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa, and you’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.

Finally, some practical notes from personal experience. Note that my application was before the health surcharge was enforced. I applied for the visa online and had to go in to the Toronto UK Visa Office subsequently to give biometrics and submit some of my documents in person – it was quite a bit of a wait during the weekday. Once submitted, it took no longer than 1.5 weeks to get approved. Your passport gets sent to the UK consulate in New York for processing, but they DHL the passport back to Toronto, so it should physically arrive quite soon after your visa is approved. Note of caution – they never notified me by phone or email when my passport had returned from New York. After 4 weeks of furious waiting after my visa was approved, I decided to drop in to the Visa Office in Toronto, and sure enough, my visa was there. Keep this in mind if you’ve already been approved and haven’t heard from the Toronto Visa Office.

I hope this guide helps you navigate the process, and I wish you the very best as you take the first step in embarking on an exciting journey! My own journey began with this step, as getting that visa in my passport made things very real for me. I haven’t looked back since.

Click Here to Apply

Bonus – if you’re 25 or under, do get a 16 – 25 railcard to save 33% on your train journeys (regional trains outside of London; for example, to places like Cambridge, Oxford, Windsor, Edinburgh, etc.).

Share your visa experiences in the comments, or check out the next blogs in the series: So You Want to Work and Live in the UK: Circular Finances or So You Want to Work and Live in the UK: Finding Work on Tier 5.