Working in the UK
Visas Banks Money Transport Healthcare Eating Out
Living
and working in London is an exciting and rewarding time! You’ll
have the opportunity to travel quickly and inexpensively to many European
destinations, experience a new culture, make lots of new friends and
gain international work experience. Many Australians head to the UK each
year and our candidates have an enviable reputation in the legal professional
and support marketplace. If you find yourself reading this guide, you
must be considering joining them! Naturally, you have many questions
that need to be answered. With this in mind, we have put together this
comprehensive guide to living and working in London.
We hope this guide will ease your transition into the
UK lifestyle. So read on… we look forward to seeing you in London
very soon!
Visas
VISA INFORMATION FOR ENTERING THE UK
Don’t
leave home without it. A visa that entitles you to live and work in the
UK. Without obtaining your visa before you leave, you will be unable
to enter the UK on anything other than a visitor visa.
Immigration officials have the power to turn you away upon arrival, and
it does happen. Get sorted before you arrive, with the visa that best
suits your plans and circumstances. The UK has a huge variety of entry
visas, but in general there are four visas that allow a New Zealander
and Australian to work and live in the UK.
Working Holiday Visa
This is open to people aged 17-27 years and is valid
for 2 years. It MUST be obtained in your own country. No WHVs will be
issued to New Zealanders and Australians from the UK. The basis of this
visa is that you are coming to the UK for a holiday but are entitled
to work to supplement, NOT support your trip. On a WHV, you may work
part time for the duration of your time here, or full time for part of
your time here. You are unable to follow or develop your chosen career
on this visa. The work you do must be solely to help you cover your own
costs while here. In reality, this does not always happen but it is important
you understand this rule. You are unable to extend a WHV past two years.
If you are entitled to another sort of visa when you leave the country,
it is often better to apply for that, as it can be very difficult to
change your visa status, and takes up valuable time and earning power.
UK Ancestry / Patriality visa
Those with parents or grandparents who were born in
the UK, you may apply for a visa which entitles you to work in the UK
for four years. There are no restrictions on the sort of work you may
do.
You must prove your family connections and often must be able to demonstrate
you have work prospects when you arrive. If this is a requirement, you
need to have a letter confirming you are registered with a recruitment
company. The main restriction on this sort of visa is that you must be
able to support yourself fully, so are prevented from accessing the social
security benefits system.
You are also bound to paying your tax and national insurance. As long
as you meet these conditions, you may, after the four year period, apply
for an extension of your visa, and eventually qualify for a British passport.
Marriage / Defacto / Gay Relationship
Visa
If you are married to someone who has a British passport
or holds an ancestry visa, you may apply for entry clearance to allow
unrestricted work in the UK. You may need to demonstrate you can financially
support yourself and have job opportunities upon arrival. In the majority
of cases, you will initially be issued with a 12 month visa, which will
be reviewed at the end of that period.
If you are meeting the criteria you will be issued with a visa to allow
you to stay permanently, and eventually qualify for a British passport.
With defacto (known as common-law in the UK), and gay relationships,
officially there is no policy which covers this. However visas are issued
for defacto and/or gay couples, but Recruitment UK recommends you seek
professional assistance if you wish to be considered under these sorts
of relationships.
Work Permits
Traditionally the most
difficult visa to obtain, these visas are issued to people who have a
job in the UK and have specialist skills that an employer has trouble
finding in people from the UK/Europe. Applicants must have relevant qualifications
and experience for the job the have obtained.
However significant sweeping changes have recently been announced in
the UK recently, meaning the application procedure and time to process
them is now quicker and easier. Work permits exist to fill shortages
in the labour market, and cover a variety of disciplines.
With the recent policy changes and the chronic labour shortages in the
UK, Recruitment UK predicts that work permits will become a popular option
for may New Zealand and Australian nationals who are unable to obtain
a visa due to their age and lack of British family connections.
For full details, application forms and fees you should contact the British High Commission. Forms are available on their websites.
Australia:
http://bhc.britaus.net/default.asp
New Zealand:
www.britain.org.nz
Article provided by:
Recruitment UK, the definitive guide to living and working in the UK.
Setting
up a bank account
What are the major banks in London?
The following banks have both very large branch networks in London and good experience with international customers:
Barclays Bank
Lloyds TSB
NatWest
HSBC Bank
Abbey National
Halifax
What paperwork do I need to bring with me to open a
bank account?
The UK has fairly tough rules when it comes to opening
a bank account. To avoid fraud, a bank is required to ask for numerous
documents that prove your credit history, previous and new residence
as well as your levels of salary and rent. In order to minimise delays,
be sure to bring with you the original and a copy of these documents:
• Passport
• Bank statement from your last bank issued within the last three months
• Reference from your London employer stating your salary and occupation
• Statements and/or bills with your new address in London (lease, telephone,
electricity, gas, etc.)
How long does it take to open a bank
account?
It can take up to two weeks to get a new account. It
may take another week to get online access to it. This all depends on
how quickly you can provide all of the required documents and on the
efficiency of the bank.
How does the UK money transfer system
work?
The most common ways of making payments in the UK are:
paying with your debit card or credit card, writing cheques from your
current account, allowing direct debit and setting up standing orders.
Account-to-account transfers (called CHAPS) are possible, but expensive
and therefore relatively rare.
How do debit cards work in the UK?
Debit
cards in the UK are best known as "Switch" cards
(as "EFTPOS" in Australia). In the UK, you pay with your Switch
card and signature and the money is taken out of your account immediately
(as opposed to payments by credit card, which may take a month to be
taken out of your account).
What is the "current account"?
For
your everyday transactions, you will need a "current
account". This is the equivalent to the "checking account" in
the U.S., "Compte Courant" in France and "Girokonto" in
Germany. For your savings, you may want to open an additional "savings
account".
What is the "sort code"?
Every
branch of every bank has a "sort code",
which will look like this: 12-34-56.
What is "direct debit"?
Setting
up "direct debit", i.e. the automatic
transfer of your variable utility bills without writing cheques, is a
very common practice in the UK. Some utility companies actually offer
you discounts, if you accept this form of bill payment. Some service
suppliers are starting to offer electronic bill presentment and payment
(e-billing), but it is not very common.
What is a "standing order"?
To
arrange the repetitive transfer of a constant amount, e.g. your rent,
you may want to issue a "standing order" to
automatically schedule bill payments.
Money & Costs
London can be an expensive
city, but the savvy traveller can find many ways to live within budget
and still have a great time! For the Australian travelling to London,
rents (which are acknowledged to be more expensive than even NY) and
food prices can be a bit of a shock. Many flats are rented furnished
and most people find that by sharing a flat or house, they can keep their
costs down. A reasonable 2 bedroom flat in the West End could cost you
up to £450 per week, so you
need to be on your toes when flat-hunting. Not only are you up for rent
and utility bills, there are Council taxes, which in the UK are not paid
by the landlord, but the tenant. They depend on the area and range from
a few hundred pounds to way over a thousand pounds per year.
Check out the following media for information on accommodation for rent:
"Loot", an ad paper published 5 times a week with by far the biggest number of offerings, was recently acquired by Scoot (UK) Ltd, which intends to build it into the largest destination site for classified and directory services in the UK
All major newspapers, e.g. The Guardian (including upmarket flat-share offerings on Fridays)
Estate agents: walk into their offices in your preferred neighbourhood, not open on weekends
Superannuation
In the UK, there is no compulsory superannuation as
in Australia.
Tax
In the UK, you will pay tax which will be organised
by your employer.
Fore more information, visit Inland Revenue.
Public Transport
On the whole, public transport in London is efficient
and easy to use. Click here for information about fares and timetables.
Getting to and from the airports
For the various airport locations in London, visit Lonely
Planet.
For information about getting to and from the airports, visit LondonNet.
Taxis – A taxi will cost approx £40-£45 from Heathrow Airport to Central London. Visit LondonNet.
Buses – An adult single to London from Heathrow is approximately £7, with a return costing £10. Visit LondonNet.
Trains – An adult single to London will cost you £12 and a return £22. Visit LondonNet.
Healthcare
Murphy’s Law can strike at any time! It is a fact
of life that wherever you are in the world things can – and do – go
wrong. Therefore, we advise you to take out travel insurance prior to
leaving Australia. If you are travelling for an extensive period, you
can take out cover for up to 12 months. This cover will not apply if
you are residing in the UK.
If you are working in the UK, you are automatically entitled to National Insurance health benefits and should not require private health cover.
Healthcare FAQs
What is the NHS?
The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK healthcare system. Check NHS A-Z for any information on the NHS.
How do I find a doctor or get advice
on health questions?
Once you settled down into your new flat, you should
find a doctor in the vicinity of your house (not your office). This local
doctor is called the General Practitioner (GP). To find a GP in your
area, go to the Local NHS Services website.
For information and advice on health, NHS services, treatment and coping with an illness, call NHS Direct at 0845 46 47 or the Health Information Service at 0800 66 55 44.
To find a dentist, go to the British Dental Association's website. NHS patients pay 80% of dental service expenses up to a maximum of £300.
What formalities do I need to be aware
of when I go to the doctor?
You should have registered with a GP before you actually
require medical service. This usually means a quick medical check and
registering of your medical history. Once you are registered, you can
go and get your medical service free of charge. If you require specialist
treatment, the GP will refer you to a specialist. However, waiting times
can be long in the NHS. And it can take months to get an appointment
for a non-emergency operation in hospital.
Are there any payments?
No, normally the NHS covers all medical expenses. There
may be payments for dental or specialised medical treatment.
Should I get private medical insurance?
For routine medical treatment, you would still go to
the GP. Private medical insurance complements the NHS, it does not replace
it. Various companies offer private medical insurance in the UK, the
largest of which is BUPA with about 40% of this market. Visit their websites
or call them to get a free personal quotation:
BUPA
PPP Healthcare
Norwich Union
Prime Health
Western Provident Association
Standard Life Healthcare
How will I be covered on foreign travel?
UK taxpayers are automatically covered throughout the
European Union by the NHS. For coverage beyond the EU, you will need
a supplemental foreign travel health insurance.