i'm trying to make this move from america and it is possibly the scariest thing i have done. your videos on here and Introverted Expat are making one of the scariest things in the world feel so doable. you help make people's dreams come true. thank you for your hard work and transparency and generosity!
American expat here. The company my husband works for recommended a savings goal of $10,000 USD. The cost of shipping furniture and other household items, shipping pets over, plus all the start up costs were much more than we expected. We bought a lot of our furniture over here (in England) and that was also more expensive than we anticipated. If you are not shipping household items or pets, I think your numbers are really good. We moved to a small town about 2 hours from London and our monthly living expenses are much more reasonable than if we were to live directly in London. I highly recommend saving as much as possible before moving to England. The UK as a whole is really expensive. It seems like that would be common sense. After all, it is an island, but every year I am genuinely surprised by how much we spend on groceries, petrol, and other necessities.
Cheers Alanna great video, I guess being British we don't realise just how expensive it is living here £1200 for a visa is shocking and as for the rents in London wow what a rip off, thank god its not as expensive as that in the rest of the UK!
@@AdventuresAndNaps My Rent is £471 per month excluding Tax here in South West Dorset. Not bad for a 450 Square Foot Flat, 1 Bed, 1 Lounge, 1 Bathroom, 1 Sep Shower Room, 1 Kitchen, 1 Parking Space, Large Gardens with Flowers and Trees and a Outside Storage Locker / Room, shared between all 4 Flats in my Block..
My Rent is £471 per month excluding Tax here in South West Dorset. Not bad for a 450 Square Foot Flat, 1 Bed, 1 Lounge, 1 Bathroom, 1 Sep Shower Room, 1 Kitchen, 1 Parking Space, Large Gardens with Flowers and Trees and a Outside Storage Locker / Room, shared between all 4 Flats in my Block..
Hey Alanna, as ever a very useful video full of some helpful information for those planning on coming to the UK. It's surprising how fast 3 month money goes though, the more you can save the better. I have always tried to have at least a 6 months financial buffer just in case circumstances change with employment of illness. 🙂
That's a really handy guide Alanna, and backed up with your experience too - I bet there's a few things that you covered which people maybe aren't aware of. Nice one!
I remember your first video(s) on what it cost you to move to the UK. You used to sit in that dark living and you told us about the NHS , your Visa costs , getting your first bank account ,your living costs , etc ... Seems things overall are not to different just more expensive . This is Great advice for the person(s) who may be thinking of making the move . I hope if they watch what you've posted , they appreciate all your effort . I'm staying put and I do appreciate your effort ! Thanks for another great vid !
I quite often arrive 'cold start' in UK but I am a UK citizen...........what I budget for is not to live in a city, I buy a cheap car and a caravan, so combined around 2k so you have a home and a vehicle from week 1. London would be out of the question. If you want go there later. I was really pushed a couple of years back so would combine 2 Tesco meal deals so £6 per day. I am with Giffgaff so very cheap payg. I expect to pay around £100 per week caravan site including everything. So if no job for 3 months would be around the same set up costs but have a vehicle and caravan owned.I usually will have work easily within the first 3 weeks, freelance construction.
Fascinating... Not so much for me, I live here :) On the other hand, giant thanks for introducing me (couple weeks ago) to overnight oats. Fast becoming my fave brekkie. High fibre, porridgey goodness you can enjoy outside of the winter when it's too hot for porridge. Cheers, and thanks again from both me, and my colon :)
Well done Alanna, I think you gave a good overview of the situation. I personally would advise running 6 months of savings to make the transition go more smoothly but each to their own. The single biggest key is getting a job after that things tend to work out. London is very expensive but so is Toronto and Vancouver but with the right attitude and some control it can be done. I would also suggest get a bank account asap and a credit card (always pay off the balance) then get a monthly subscription for anything using that card as it will build your credit rating here. Another great advice video by the little Canadian lady 😁
I moved with my young son on a skilled worker visa. Visas and flights alone cost us about £7500 for 5 years and we needed about another £3000 - £4000 to settle in for the first month or two. So yeah..... it wasn't cheap. Thanks Alana for this video.... love your content
Advice for anyone wanting to visit the cinema. Most chains do season tickets that you can pay for either monthly or annually and it means you can go to the cinema whenever you want, so long as there is a seat at the screening!! For a ticket including West End screens I pay £193 each year for an annual pass, it'll cost £16.99 per month for a monthly pass. For one that doesn't include West End screens it's £170 per year or £14.99 per month. They actually allow you to pay for the annual plan by monthly direct debit. So you only have to go twice a month for it to pay for itself. There have been some months where I've been almost every other day!
Thanks Alanna, great info, you may cover things others miss, which could have saved them a lot of trouble! You did miss out though - It helps if you have a 'Mr Naps/Butler'!
"Personally I don't want to have to eat Aldi beans on toast every night"... Damn straight - mix it up a bit, alternate between Aldi beans on toast and Lidl beans on toast!!!
This was cool, I appreciate your expat videos, this was helpful! I had 2 Spanish tests today, and they were both quite hard, I’m a bit nervous lol, but I only have 1 test left! Hope you’re having a nice day and hope your plans for this week go well!
Friendly and nearly bankrupt comment :o Maybe you can look into alternative living ideas like buying a boat and living on it. I know Rochester has some boats for sale all the time and the brokerages may like to show you some live-aboard options. (video idea TM)
That would be interesting. The problems with boats are the lack of space compared to a house or flat, and the cost and availability of residential moorings. The boat mightbe cheaper than bricks and mortar but living on one isn't as straightforward as people may expect, which is a shame.
@@AdventuresAndNaps The opposite of course is that it's currently impossible for immigrants to work in certain parts of the UK as salaries there are way too low. The limitation should be based on skills not salary.
@@splodge561 You would not be allowed to migrate to the UK for a job that pays minimum wage. "Regardless of the rate set out in the occupation codes, the absolute minimum salary rate under the Skilled Worker route is currently £20,480. Generally workers must be paid a salary of at least £25,600 unless they can benefit from the tradeable points." - That upper figure is £12.80 per hour (on the basis of 2000 working hours per year). Current minimum wage is £9.50 per hour
Hiya Alanna, another great video, you'll probably realise how cheap Croatia was compared to the U.K,prices in the north is definately getting higher, but the prices never come down, you should do a vlog on how much prices are for shopping is say in Tesco's, This Is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
This looks like a really useful guide for people coming to the UK. One question: At what point do you have to prove you have savings? Assuming it only gets checked prior to arrival, or at the point you enter, presumably you can then drain the savings to pay for all the other expenses you mentioned once you're here?
It’s a lot of money but seems well thought out. I can only imagine the fear of buying a one way plane ticket for the first time but I am glad you did it. Thank you for the video I found it very interesting.
Hi Alanna ..great video as always was that portobello rd west London you were speaking off..if so that’s were i was born lol Kensington park rd..best wishes 💙
Alanna, I'm from the USA. I plan on moving to England (London this fall). The Youth Mobility Visa doesn't apply to American Citizens. Thank you for this video. You are a good source of information! I'm planning on saving up to 6500 to 8000 USD before my move to London I'm soo excited!
If you don't already have a Job lined up, $6500-8K will not be enough. The NHS fee alone for say Start Up Visa (similar to Work Visa) is ~$1700, plus Visa fee is about $495, plus a plane ticket right now from say Denver to London is around $900, and that doesn't even count the cost to obtain a Flat (UK has Apt/Utility deposits just like Merica), cost of Transportation, food, etc. Even outskirts of London you're probably looking at needing at least $1500/mo to live on for 1 person with no debt, no car or kids. Some places won't even rent to you without having an Employment Contract, and if they do they can require 6 months rent up front. EDIT: Forgot to mention the loss from conversion from USD to Pounds and the fees incurred in doing so. As of this writing, you're going to lose ~21% of your buying power as the USD is only worth 0.79 of the British Pound.
@@dave_h_8742 I will I'll be a student plus I'll be living with my girlfriend haha so we do plan on doing a lot of walking! We'll have an oyster card as well so that will help with transportation!
1 thing to note is that landlords will almost always try and find the tiniest excuse to steal your deposit, then it's a long legal battle to get it back
True. They have to by law put it in a tenancy deposit scheme. I wish I knew about that at the time! I had none of my deposit back and I left the place in a much better condition than what it was when I moved in!
Hey Alanna. Money, money, money, it ain't funny, when you don't have much. Cheers for highlighting how expensive it really is and that it's not just a case of passport, visa and flight ticket. Buying a one way ticket (twice, a year apart) might be the oddest feeling thing I've ever done. That mug looks like a Guinness mug. It's a good size though, I like that. 🙂
Return tickets can be cheaper. You don't have to return. Also, you may have to work week(s) in hand. You may get 1 or 2 weeks pay to last you till next months paycheck. You will also be on an emergency tax code, so you will pay a lot of tax until your personal tax code is sorted. Then you will either get a refund or pay less in future months.
Been watching your videos for a while and was a great video. Am glad I saw that you posted this one due to work offered a position that requires relocating to the UK and there was some information really helpful in the video for when the move takes place if accepted. But in my case I will have to apply for a skilled workers visa instead of a youth mobility scheme visa.
@@AdventuresAndNaps thank you, it's definitely a tough one to make. The only part of the decision thats getting me is the planning the move. Really want the position.
My sim only contract is £6.50 a month with unlimited texts and minutes and a 100 international minutes. I did this because I kept having phones break on a longer contract.
Hey Alanna, always good to see you here. Obviously, the info doesn't apply to me. But I can see you put a lot of effort into these videos. Good stuff!! 👌😀
Fascinating. Can I also suggest making sure you also have enough money for the return flight if, heaven forbid, you don’t have any income after three months
One way is to book an open return, usually for 3, 6 or 12 months, if airlines still do them, the unused return could often be cancelled and a partial refund issued, often in the form of vouchers.
@@hairyairey Peace of mind, one knows one can always get back home. Some people struggle to keep their account in credit, I struggle to keep my overdraft below its limit at times, getting paid (pension) on a Lunar monthly basis sometimes causes problems with calendar monthly outgoings if not spread evenly throughout the month, sometimes one can't chose the payment date. Just glad my interest rate on it is only 11.75% APR, cheaper than the cheapest credit card and of course calculated daily by the bank. but paid quarterly.
This was really great and informative Alanna thank you..! Can I ask one thing; what sort of monthly income did you make, or rather, can a foreigner realistically expect when first moving? I only ask so it's easier to gauge what the expenses percentage will look like when put up next to the income one can expect. Makes it easier for those planning to move (like myself in the next year or so hopefully) to understand the comfort level they'll be looking at during their first year or so in the UK.
I came to the UK in 1993. I was lucky my parents are English so it is my birth right to have a British passport so thnkfully didn't haveto have the NHS money. One thing I did have to do though is have proof I had access to £10,000 in my bank. That was a lot of money back in those days.
whoa, that's still a lot but I'm actually relived. I thought it was going to be much much more. still gonna save up like $10,000 or more though , can never have to much savings lol. all the specific amounts and things were very useful! :D
When I moved from Toronto to London at 22 with my girlfriend in 2018 (youth mobility for me, student for her), we randomly pulled $15k from our savings to take with us. It didn’t last long 😂 that initial conversion is a KILLER!
Might be worth mentioning the initial cost of renting - things like the rent in advance, the bond and the other upfront charges. It can easily cost the equivalent of 3 months rent just to be able to move in.
I work at a UK immigration firm. . . I'm also on visa #4 having applied for 4 slightly different ones and have never paid for a solicitor, honestly though you're right. In my case, I had some wierd stuff on my last one and I wish I'd paid (It was a hot mess and ended up being really scary). My next one is ILR in a couple years and I'll pay this time becuase that one's intense. But for the easy ones, nah. If you can afford it it will save you time and guarantee everything you need is there, but I didn't and I'm still here. Also I'm not a lawyer (just work there) and I get no info on what we charge private clients (my team work with the sponsor, not individuals applying), so nobdy ask me for any advice, video above is pretty much all I can tell you 😂
I thought exactly the same thing when she mentioned Portabello - I stayed there on my visit to Eddie a couple of years ago, I parked right near the sea - lovely ✔💯👍😁
I'm somewhat envious. I'm English, but living in Minnesota and for my American wife to come (our kids are fine as dual citizens) would take a lot more than that (or it did last I checked). Frustratingly the rules changed a few years after the move I made to the US -we didn't plan to be here this long but I believe its the case that (for my wife) to move to the UK : - I need to move to the UK while she remains in the US and work in a job paying 25-30,000GBP/year for 6 months or - to show 60,000GBP in savings for 6 months I should probably confirm these assumptions are still accurate. We are homeowners so most likely the route will be to sell our house and rent for 6 months or however long while paperwork goes through but in doing so keeping the family together. For now, nothing imminent, and travel (not moving somewhere we haven't tried to visit) is harder with Young kids and Covid.
I moved from the US to London in January. I lived with my parents for the past 3 1/2 years so I could save money and was able to move over here with a little over $40,000 and I’m so glad I have such a large amount because London is expensive!
That rental cost made me choke. I didn't realise how expensive the South is. I pay £485 pcm for a one bedroom flat, including bills. I think a 1 bed flat excluding bills averages £600 pcm.
I was so lucky that I have dual citizenship and didn't have to worry about visas and NHS surcharges. It meant I could upgrade my seat on WestJet to business class when I came over 😎
Nice Video. £200 a month for food 😲 When made redundant so unemployed and with a debt management scheme all I was allowed was £80 For the al gorithem really.
I love these videos. I think would be interesting from a cost of living point of view to do some comparisons. Firstly how would this compare going the other way. Uk to Toronto for example, but also what would costs look like if moving to other cities, Birmingham has one of the youngest populations because it has huge numbers of international students. How does that compare to moving to London. Eg £750 a month will get significantly more in the Midlands.
Good informative video Alanna but I would just say that here in the darkest North of England (there be dragons) you can rent an entire house on your own for £750!
I think it would have been better to quote prices for your own area or a typical UK location (Birmingham, Manchester or whatever) and just say that costs will be 50% more (I'm guessing) if you are in London. Those figures for rent in a shared house sound cripplingly expensive to me! It is more than double the rent I receive for a whole detached house in Scotland!
When I came over (as a student) I came with £6k plus whatever I paid in tuition, but it was all American student loans that my dumb ass is now paying back on a UK income. . . so don't recommend that. But also if you don't mind the debt it is the easiest visa to qualify for, even the really shit unis will sponsor you if you have no other reason to be here.
I saved up several thousand to go to London but that was just for a 2 week holiday so its a little bit different. And I was really goin whole hog with goin to shows and doin different stuff.
1 way is a massive commitment isn't it, it means you may never come back (as a resident) My family paid about £5 each 3rd class Wick to St john Nova Scotia or New York NY 1890s one way, they never came back. Felt home sick the rest of their lives.
@Nicky L No, I've had an employment tribunal claim paid for via my policy. Although you have to do quite a bit of your own admin for the case because paying solicitors to prepare documents isn't the best use of money. I have a friend whose solicitors used the entire £50,000 limit for her employment tribunal case so I ended up representing her at the remedy hearing.
No you don't, indefinite leave to remain lets you access free healthcare..... even has an overseas person after a while you should be able to use the NHS free via the taxes you pay....I know of people who after only 1 year have.
Another excellent vid - would actually suggest £10K this would give you plenty of flexibility - and pick a bank that has ties to wherever your coming from when setting one up -
So £4684 for 6 years on call health care services insurance, that will cover just about most healthcare requirements you might have. SOunds like a good deal. I pay more than that via my taxes.
@@jjsmallpiece9234 I also have private medical insurance through my work. It comes with other benefits but I think that's around £1200 tax free. Thus far the government has not taxed health insurance!
@@hairyairey Are you in the US or UK? If US I would take the view private health insurance is a form of tax, given most people like to have some form of medical treatment if they get ill.
@@jjsmallpiece9234 UK - here we pay extra tax to fund the NHS (which has just gone up - and in fact that tax doesn't even cover the cost of the NHS. It hasn't for years). People don't realise the US pays less tax thus making health insurance affordable.
I couldn't do London as the night lighting in Canterbury was too bright when I was trying to sleep. I was use to pitch black at bedtime. Blackout curtains help or living here long enough to get use to it.
Another little tip is if you find the street lighting outside your house is too bright to sleep, most councils will install a metal plate or shroud over the light if you ask their street lighting department nicely, to reduce the amount of light shining into your windows. Quite a few people have requested them in my area.
Citizenship used to be a racket. A former student of mine who had lived in South Africa (she had British grandparents) had to take an English proficiency test despite having GCSE English and a Level 3 qualification.
@@geoffpoole483 I had to prove the grandparent thing too but other than that, I had to pay quite a chunk for citizenship but maybe not such a bad thing when I see what Alanna has to pay for NHS every time she has to renew.
Don't think there is a time limit on applying for British citizenship, it's just about meeting the requirements....something like the citizens advice bureau should be able to help you out with the easiest and least expensive way
Interesting Alanna - even for a resident Brit. My only comment would be that anyone wanting to live in London should also factor in costs associated with having their brain examined :-)
As someone who struggles to budget properly I tip my hat to you for producing a brilliant, informative vid. Excellent work, Alanna!
Thank you!!
i'm trying to make this move from america and it is possibly the scariest thing i have done. your videos on here and Introverted Expat are making one of the scariest things in the world feel so doable. you help make people's dreams come true. thank you for your hard work and transparency and generosity!
American expat here. The company my husband works for recommended a savings goal of $10,000 USD. The cost of shipping furniture and other household items, shipping pets over, plus all the start up costs were much more than we expected. We bought a lot of our furniture over here (in England) and that was also more expensive than we anticipated. If you are not shipping household items or pets, I think your numbers are really good. We moved to a small town about 2 hours from London and our monthly living expenses are much more reasonable than if we were to live directly in London. I highly recommend saving as much as possible before moving to England. The UK as a whole is really expensive. It seems like that would be common sense. After all, it is an island, but every year I am genuinely surprised by how much we spend on groceries, petrol, and other necessities.
Cheers Alanna great video, I guess being British we don't realise just how expensive it is living here £1200 for a visa is shocking and as for the rents in London wow what a rip off, thank god its not as expensive as that in the rest of the UK!
Thanks so much for watching!
@@AdventuresAndNaps My Rent is £471 per month excluding Tax here in South West Dorset. Not bad for a 450 Square Foot Flat, 1 Bed, 1 Lounge, 1 Bathroom, 1 Sep Shower Room, 1 Kitchen, 1 Parking Space, Large Gardens with Flowers and Trees and a Outside Storage Locker / Room, shared between all 4 Flats in my Block..
My Rent is £471 per month excluding Tax here in South West Dorset. Not bad for a 450 Square Foot Flat, 1 Bed, 1 Lounge, 1 Bathroom, 1 Sep Shower Room, 1 Kitchen, 1 Parking Space, Large Gardens with Flowers and Trees and a Outside Storage Locker / Room, shared between all 4 Flats in my Block..
Hey Alanna, as ever a very useful video full of some helpful information for those planning on coming to the UK. It's surprising how fast 3 month money goes though, the more you can save the better. I have always tried to have at least a 6 months financial buffer just in case circumstances change with employment of illness. 🙂
Thanks so much!
You have so often made helpful budget-conscious videos like this. It's a strength of yours. Good work. Thank you.
Thanks so much!!
That's a really handy guide Alanna, and backed up with your experience too - I bet there's a few things that you covered which people maybe aren't aware of. Nice one!
Thank you!!
I remember your first video(s) on what it cost you to move to the UK. You used to sit in that dark living and you told us about the NHS , your Visa costs , getting your first bank account ,your living costs , etc ... Seems things overall are not to different just more expensive . This is Great advice for the person(s) who may be thinking of making the move . I hope if they watch what you've posted , they appreciate all your effort . I'm staying put and I do appreciate your effort ! Thanks for another great vid !
Thanks for watching!
I quite often arrive 'cold start' in UK but I am a UK citizen...........what I budget for is not to live in a city, I buy a cheap car and a caravan, so combined around 2k so you have a home and a vehicle from week 1. London would be out of the question. If you want go there later. I was really pushed a couple of years back so would combine 2 Tesco meal deals so £6 per day. I am with Giffgaff so very cheap payg. I expect to pay around £100 per week caravan site including everything. So if no job for 3 months would be around the same set up costs but have a vehicle and caravan owned.I usually will have work easily within the first 3 weeks, freelance construction.
Fascinating... Not so much for me, I live here :) On the other hand, giant thanks for introducing me (couple weeks ago) to overnight oats. Fast becoming my fave brekkie. High fibre, porridgey goodness you can enjoy outside of the winter when it's too hot for porridge. Cheers, and thanks again from both me, and my colon :)
Ahh so good, glad you like it!!
Well done Alanna, I think you gave a good overview of the situation. I personally would advise running 6 months of savings to make the transition go more smoothly but each to their own. The single biggest key is getting a job after that things tend to work out. London is very expensive but so is Toronto and Vancouver but with the right attitude and some control it can be done. I would also suggest get a bank account asap and a credit card (always pay off the balance) then get a monthly subscription for anything using that card as it will build your credit rating here. Another great advice video by the little Canadian lady 😁
I moved with my young son on a skilled worker visa. Visas and flights alone cost us about £7500 for 5 years and we needed about another £3000 - £4000 to settle in for the first month or two. So yeah..... it wasn't cheap. Thanks Alana for this video.... love your content
SO much money ahhh! Thanks for watching though!
I'm looking to do the same with my son. Any more information would be appreciated
Advice for anyone wanting to visit the cinema. Most chains do season tickets that you can pay for either monthly or annually and it means you can go to the cinema whenever you want, so long as there is a seat at the screening!! For a ticket including West End screens I pay £193 each year for an annual pass, it'll cost £16.99 per month for a monthly pass. For one that doesn't include West End screens it's £170 per year or £14.99 per month. They actually allow you to pay for the annual plan by monthly direct debit. So you only have to go twice a month for it to pay for itself. There have been some months where I've been almost every other day!
+1 Yesss cineworld unlimited was so good 🔥
Thanks Alanna, great info, you may cover things others miss, which could have saved them a lot of trouble!
You did miss out though - It helps if you have a 'Mr Naps/Butler'!
Good analysis, it’s a bit cheaper in Manchester or Norwich (for example) but not that much!
Also I think you should add on personal insurance costs.
Hi, Alanna, very interesting and useful. People often don't realise how much things cost.
Thanks Stephen!
"Personally I don't want to have to eat Aldi beans on toast every night"...
Damn straight - mix it up a bit, alternate between Aldi beans on toast and Lidl beans on toast!!!
😂
6:18 Alanna is a difficult situation - yes, i can believe that 😄
Thanks! That is a pretty good deal. Costed me way more than that kind of money to move to Australia from the UK 10 years ago 😯
Thanks for watching!
This was cool, I appreciate your expat videos, this was helpful! I had 2 Spanish tests today, and they were both quite hard, I’m a bit nervous lol, but I only have 1 test left! Hope you’re having a nice day and hope your plans for this week go well!
You can do it!
Friendly and nearly bankrupt comment :o Maybe you can look into alternative living ideas like buying a boat and living on it. I know Rochester has some boats for sale all the time and the brokerages may like to show you some live-aboard options. (video idea TM)
That would be interesting. The problems with boats are the lack of space compared to a house or flat, and the cost and availability of residential moorings. The boat mightbe cheaper than bricks and mortar but living on one isn't as straightforward as people may expect, which is a shame.
One of the positives of already living in an expensive area is that it's easier to look at these numbers without being sick.
😂 True!!
@@AdventuresAndNaps The opposite of course is that it's currently impossible for immigrants to work in certain parts of the UK as salaries there are way too low. The limitation should be based on skills not salary.
@@hairyairey the minimum wage is same everywhere?
@@splodge561 You would not be allowed to migrate to the UK for a job that pays minimum wage. "Regardless of the rate set out in the occupation codes, the absolute minimum salary rate under the Skilled Worker route is currently £20,480. Generally workers must be paid a salary of at least £25,600 unless they can benefit from the tradeable points." - That upper figure is £12.80 per hour (on the basis of 2000 working hours per year). Current minimum wage is £9.50 per hour
@@hairyairey ok thanks for clarifying that. You seem to know your stuff, is it your job?
Hi Alanna, You seemed to have missed Council Tax, which would not be included in Rent, as far as I am aware. Otherwise a very interesting video.
What a great video! Really interesting and informative. I hope you are feeling better.
Nice video Alanna, very interesting. 🙂
Thank you! 😃
Hiya Alanna, another great video, you'll probably realise how cheap Croatia was compared to the U.K,prices in the north is definately getting higher, but the prices never come down, you should do a vlog on how much prices are for shopping is say in Tesco's, This Is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Good upload. Sensible measures from someone who should know - liked. (Good to see your award in position.)
Much appreciated!
Good video! As someone who struggles to budget anything, I admire your discipline
Thank you!!
This looks like a really useful guide for people coming to the UK.
One question: At what point do you have to prove you have savings?
Assuming it only gets checked prior to arrival, or at the point you enter, presumably you can then drain the savings to pay for all the other expenses you mentioned once you're here?
You have to provide evidence of your savings when you submit the visa - so a document from your bank proving how much money you have!
It’s a lot of money but seems well thought out. I can only imagine the fear of buying a one way plane ticket for the first time but I am glad you did it. Thank you for the video I found it very interesting.
Thanks so much!
In Ye Olden Days, a return ticket was cheaper than two one way tickets, so buying a one way ticket was especially painful!
Thank you, so much good information about how to services and budgeting for life in the uk.
Thanks for watching!
Hi cheeky chops, love watching your videos.. Keep the good work up..
Definitely the best part of Tuesday perfect way to unwind after work 👍 just an hour to go first 🎉
Thank you!
Great vid this week ..Many thanks ..Very helpful to ex pat's..
Thank you!!
And we're all better for having you here. 👍
☺️
Hi Alanna ..great video as always was that portobello rd west London you were speaking off..if so that’s were i was born lol Kensington park rd..best wishes 💙
Thanks for watching!
Alanna, I'm from the USA. I plan on moving to England (London this fall). The Youth Mobility Visa doesn't apply to American Citizens. Thank you for this video. You are a good source of information! I'm planning on saving up to 6500 to 8000 USD before my move to London I'm soo excited!
Save as much as you can and spend as little as you can. Walking to places in winter can be fun (if your a mad person) and costs nothing.
Thank so much for watching and all the best with your move!
If you don't already have a Job lined up, $6500-8K will not be enough. The NHS fee alone for say Start Up Visa (similar to Work Visa) is ~$1700, plus Visa fee is about $495, plus a plane ticket right now from say Denver to London is around $900, and that doesn't even count the cost to obtain a Flat (UK has Apt/Utility deposits just like Merica), cost of Transportation, food, etc. Even outskirts of London you're probably looking at needing at least $1500/mo to live on for 1 person with no debt, no car or kids. Some places won't even rent to you without having an Employment Contract, and if they do they can require 6 months rent up front.
EDIT: Forgot to mention the loss from conversion from USD to Pounds and the fees incurred in doing so. As of this writing, you're going to lose ~21% of your buying power as the USD is only worth 0.79 of the British Pound.
@@dave_h_8742 I will I'll be a student plus I'll be living with my girlfriend haha so we do plan on doing a lot of walking! We'll have an oyster card as well so that will help with transportation!
@@AdventuresAndNaps Thank you so much!! Love your videos!
1 thing to note is that landlords will almost always try and find the tiniest excuse to steal your deposit, then it's a long legal battle to get it back
True. They have to by law put it in a tenancy deposit scheme. I wish I knew about that at the time! I had none of my deposit back and I left the place in a much better condition than what it was when I moved in!
Totally, you should have seen my landlord video! 😂
Good job! Learned things I was curious about and never knew!
Thank so much for watching!!
@@AdventuresAndNaps you’re welcome! You’re always so kind to reply. 😊
Hey Alanna. Money, money, money, it ain't funny, when you don't have much. Cheers for highlighting how expensive it really is and that it's not just a case of passport, visa and flight ticket. Buying a one way ticket (twice, a year apart) might be the oddest feeling thing I've ever done.
That mug looks like a Guinness mug. It's a good size though, I like that. 🙂
Thanks for watching!
Return tickets can be cheaper. You don't have to return.
Also, you may have to work week(s) in hand. You may get 1 or 2 weeks pay to last you till next months paycheck.
You will also be on an emergency tax code, so you will pay a lot of tax until your personal tax code is sorted. Then you will either get a refund or pay less in future months.
Been watching your videos for a while and was a great video. Am glad I saw that you posted this one due to work offered a position that requires relocating to the UK and there was some information really helpful in the video for when the move takes place if accepted. But in my case I will have to apply for a skilled workers visa instead of a youth mobility scheme visa.
Awesome, thank you! All the best with your decision!!
@@AdventuresAndNaps thank you, it's definitely a tough one to make. The only part of the decision thats getting me is the planning the move. Really want the position.
My sim only contract is £6.50 a month with unlimited texts and minutes and a 100 international minutes. I did this because I kept having phones break on a longer contract.
thank you for the video
Hey Alanna, always good to see you here. Obviously, the info doesn't apply to me. But I can see you put a lot of effort into these videos. Good stuff!! 👌😀
I appreciate that!
@@AdventuresAndNaps 🤗
Great video!
Thanks!
Fascinating. Can I also suggest making sure you also have enough money for the return flight if, heaven forbid, you don’t have any income after three months
So true!
One way is to book an open return, usually for 3, 6 or 12 months, if airlines still do them, the unused return could often be cancelled and a partial refund issued, often in the form of vouchers.
@@tonys1636 Better to put the money in a bank account surely? Otherwise you're wasting money.
@@hairyairey Peace of mind, one knows one can always get back home. Some people struggle to keep their account in credit, I struggle to keep my overdraft below its limit at times, getting paid (pension) on a Lunar monthly basis sometimes causes problems with calendar monthly outgoings if not spread evenly throughout the month, sometimes one can't chose the payment date. Just glad my interest rate on it is only 11.75% APR, cheaper than the cheapest credit card and of course calculated daily by the bank. but paid quarterly.
@@tonys1636 You can open more than one bank account. No point in putting it into a ticket that is going to depreciate rapidly.
Really enjoyable vid, thank you 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was really great and informative Alanna thank you..! Can I ask one thing; what sort of monthly income did you make, or rather, can a foreigner realistically expect when first moving? I only ask so it's easier to gauge what the expenses percentage will look like when put up next to the income one can expect.
Makes it easier for those planning to move (like myself in the next year or so hopefully) to understand the comfort level they'll be looking at during their first year or so in the UK.
Travel is an iffy one. Probably the one thing that's more expensive out of London depending on where/how you want to travel.
I came to the UK in 1993. I was lucky my parents are English so it is my birth right to have a British passport so thnkfully didn't haveto have the NHS money. One thing I did have to do though is have proof I had access to £10,000 in my bank. That was a lot of money back in those days.
whoa, that's still a lot but I'm actually relived. I thought it was going to be much much more. still gonna save up like $10,000 or more though , can never have to much savings lol. all the specific amounts and things were very useful! :D
When I moved from Toronto to London at 22 with my girlfriend in 2018 (youth mobility for me, student for her), we randomly pulled $15k from our savings to take with us. It didn’t last long 😂 that initial conversion is a KILLER!
Big time!! All the Canadian money disappears so fast 😩 lol
Same here. My money depleted so fast when I moved to Canada but that was more due to me having trouble finding work. I kinda miss Canada though.
Might be worth mentioning the initial cost of renting - things like the rent in advance, the bond and the other upfront charges. It can easily cost the equivalent of 3 months rent just to be able to move in.
I work at a UK immigration firm. . . I'm also on visa #4 having applied for 4 slightly different ones and have never paid for a solicitor, honestly though you're right. In my case, I had some wierd stuff on my last one and I wish I'd paid (It was a hot mess and ended up being really scary). My next one is ILR in a couple years and I'll pay this time becuase that one's intense. But for the easy ones, nah. If you can afford it it will save you time and guarantee everything you need is there, but I didn't and I'm still here.
Also I'm not a lawyer (just work there) and I get no info on what we charge private clients (my team work with the sponsor, not individuals applying), so nobdy ask me for any advice, video above is pretty much all I can tell you 😂
Good luck with your ILR!!
Great content ;-)
Glad you think so!
Wow! You'll definitely need to look under the couch cushions for extra coin...💰
😂 No kidding!
Did you miss adding the NHS in your final figure?
I wonder when Alanna will get the first complaint from someone who rents in Portabella only to find the commute from Edinburgh excessive.
I thought exactly the same thing when she mentioned Portabello - I stayed there on my visit to Eddie a couple of years ago, I parked right near the sea - lovely ✔💯👍😁
I'm somewhat envious. I'm English, but living in Minnesota and for my American wife to come (our kids are fine as dual citizens) would take a lot more than that (or it did last I checked). Frustratingly the rules changed a few years after the move I made to the US -we didn't plan to be here this long but I believe its the case that (for my wife) to move to the UK :
- I need to move to the UK while she remains in the US and work in a job paying 25-30,000GBP/year for 6 months or
- to show 60,000GBP in savings for 6 months
I should probably confirm these assumptions are still accurate.
We are homeowners so most likely the route will be to sell our house and rent for 6 months or however long while paperwork goes through but in doing so keeping the family together. For now, nothing imminent, and travel (not moving somewhere we haven't tried to visit) is harder with Young kids and Covid.
I moved from the US to London in January. I lived with my parents for the past 3 1/2 years so I could save money and was able to move over here with a little over $40,000 and I’m so glad I have such a large amount because London is expensive!
That rental cost made me choke. I didn't realise how expensive the South is. I pay £485 pcm for a one bedroom flat, including bills. I think a 1 bed flat excluding bills averages £600 pcm.
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
Nice flowers, Alana
🙏🏻
£200 to fly from Canada to the U.K.! That is amazing... isn't it?
I don't really fly much/at all... But I would expect to pay £500 to £1000.
Alternatively, grab a dingy from France and get free 4 star Hotel and food, etc on arrival. No outlay required
I was so lucky that I have dual citizenship and didn't have to worry about visas and NHS surcharges. It meant I could upgrade my seat on WestJet to business class when I came over 😎
Nice Video.
£200 a month for food 😲
When made redundant so unemployed and with a debt management scheme all I was allowed was £80
For the al gorithem really.
I love these videos. I think would be interesting from a cost of living point of view to do some comparisons. Firstly how would this compare going the other way. Uk to Toronto for example, but also what would costs look like if moving to other cities, Birmingham has one of the youngest populations because it has huge numbers of international students. How does that compare to moving to London. Eg £750 a month will get significantly more in the Midlands.
Great suggestion!
Good informative video Alanna but I would just say that here in the darkest North of England (there be dragons) you can rent an entire house on your own for £750!
Thanks for the info!
I think it would have been better to quote prices for your own area or a typical UK location (Birmingham, Manchester or whatever) and just say that costs will be 50% more (I'm guessing) if you are in London. Those figures for rent in a shared house sound cripplingly expensive to me! It is more than double the rent I receive for a whole detached house in Scotland!
When I came over (as a student) I came with £6k plus whatever I paid in tuition, but it was all American student loans that my dumb ass is now paying back on a UK income. . . so don't recommend that. But also if you don't mind the debt it is the easiest visa to qualify for, even the really shit unis will sponsor you if you have no other reason to be here.
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
I saved up several thousand to go to London but that was just for a 2 week holiday so its a little bit different. And I was really goin whole hog with goin to shows and doin different stuff.
1 way is a massive commitment isn't it, it means you may never come back (as a resident)
My family paid about £5 each 3rd class Wick to St john Nova Scotia or New York NY 1890s one way, they never came back. Felt home sick the rest of their lives.
Expensive! Can't get over the cost of living in the UK - outrageous! (I've been in Spain for twenty years.)
Thanks for watching!
Where is Alana's torso?
Some legal fees are covered through insurance - contents insurance for example - not sure about visas though.
@Nicky L No, I've had an employment tribunal claim paid for via my policy. Although you have to do quite a bit of your own admin for the case because paying solicitors to prepare documents isn't the best use of money. I have a friend whose solicitors used the entire £50,000 limit for her employment tribunal case so I ended up representing her at the remedy hearing.
This sounds like a budgeting video. Fortunately, Alanna is a budgeting expert!
flight from Toronto to London 2000 dollars !!!!
Will you still have to pay the NHS fee even after you are eligible for leave to remain, I wonder?🙂
No you don't, indefinite leave to remain lets you access free healthcare..... even has an overseas person after a while you should be able to use the NHS free via the taxes you pay....I know of people who after only 1 year have.
I love how you called the uk a big place
Another excellent vid - would actually suggest £10K this would give you plenty of flexibility - and pick a bank that has ties to wherever your coming from when setting one up -
Remember don't drink out in pubs, Go to supermarket and buy cans of your favourite Larger or Beers. 😉 better value. 😁
So £4684 for 6 years on call health care services insurance, that will cover just about most healthcare requirements you might have. SOunds like a good deal. I pay more than that via my taxes.
Most British people do not realise they are paying around £3,000 per year for the NHS.
@@hairyairey Indeed, Americans take note. How much do you pay for your compulsory private health care insurance? Socialism is really bad.....
@@jjsmallpiece9234 I also have private medical insurance through my work. It comes with other benefits but I think that's around £1200 tax free. Thus far the government has not taxed health insurance!
@@hairyairey Are you in the US or UK?
If US I would take the view private health insurance is a form of tax, given most people like to have some form of medical treatment if they get ill.
@@jjsmallpiece9234 UK - here we pay extra tax to fund the NHS (which has just gone up - and in fact that tax doesn't even cover the cost of the NHS. It hasn't for years). People don't realise the US pays less tax thus making health insurance affordable.
Do I have to have the savings in a bank? I’ll be moving from us to uk. Thank you 🤞🏼
Yes! You'll need some type of official document like a bank statement to show that you have access money to your account.
With you getting older are you still on the youth tier 5 visa?
Oh yeah, you need a big one of these 💰
Flights tend to be cheapest on a Tuesday
👍👍👍
🙏🏻
Big fan From India 🇮🇳👏
Thanks for watching!
I couldn't do London as the night lighting in Canterbury was too bright when I was trying to sleep. I was use to pitch black at bedtime. Blackout curtains help or living here long enough to get use to it.
London is a place to visit rather than to live/work.
Another little tip is if you find the street lighting outside your house is too bright to sleep, most councils will install a metal plate or shroud over the light if you ask their street lighting department nicely, to reduce the amount of light shining into your windows. Quite a few people have requested them in my area.
Very good post , seems like many Americans want to leave here.
life is getting hard in the uk, anyone thinking of moving here i would leave it a few years.
do you know much about the ancestry visas?
I'm not eligible, but I think if your parents or grandparents are British then you can apply!
yes I'm eligible. It's 532lb foe that Vida plus about 3000lb for NHS...plus the bank account $
When can you apply for a permanent visa or citizenship? Citizenship isn't cheap either BTW.
Citizenship used to be a racket. A former student of mine who had lived in South Africa (she had British grandparents) had to take an English proficiency test despite having GCSE English and a Level 3 qualification.
@@geoffpoole483 I had to prove the grandparent thing too but other than that, I had to pay quite a chunk for citizenship but maybe not such a bad thing when I see what Alanna has to pay for NHS every time she has to renew.
Don't think there is a time limit on applying for British citizenship, it's just about meeting the requirements....something like the citizens advice bureau should be able to help you out with the easiest and least expensive way
I can't see you. Are you wearing camouflage gear?
Interesting Alanna - even for a resident Brit. My only comment would be that anyone wanting to live in London should also factor in costs associated with having their brain examined :-)
1,183.32 United States Dollars for two years of health care is cheap
I miss you Alanna I love you Alanna
Alanna is wearing a camo top, wonder why. Get the first train out of London and half your costs. The UK as so much to offer other than London.