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| - | == Guidelines for the people coming to UK on Study, Spouse or WHM visa ==
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| + | This wiki has moved to <font style="font-size:150%">'''http://www.foreignliving.info'''</font>. Please update your bookmarks. |
| - | Its all according to my personal experience after coming to UK, may be some one else have a different experience, but I think it would apply for the most of cases.
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| - | Following are the things that you would need just after your arrival in UK.
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| - | 1. Accommodation
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| - | 2. Contact with College or University
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| - | 3. Vote Registration
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| - | 4. NI (National Insurance)
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| - | 5. Bank Account
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| - | 6. Part time job
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| - | 7. Transport
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| - | 8. Driving License
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| - | 9. Contact with GP (Doctor)
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| - | '''1. Accommodation''' | + | |
| - | In most of the cases the students in UK hire a rented house and share it. This is the most economical and the best option for the people who bear their expanses on their own. Normally in London it cost about 800 to 1000 pounds per month for a three or four bed house. Normally, 6 to 8 people could share it, so it cost about 100 pounds for each person. If you are also having combined cooking then it cost approximately 50 pounds per month.
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| - | You can contact with some of your friends or on SAATFASE for arrange of your accommodation.
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| | + | You can locate the current page under the same categories on the new site. In case of problems, email help[[image:at_black.png]]foreignliving.info. |
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| - | '''2. Contact with College or University'''
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| - | Immediately after your arrival in UK, you would need to have a contact with your college or University for registration purpose. You would also require a letter from them to be shown in NI office.
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| - | '''3. Vote Registration'''
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| - | This is extremely important in many aspects but many people do not know about its importance. It is extremely difficult in UK, to get and maintain a good credit history without vote registration or coming on voter roll. And strange thing is that those people, who are not permanent residents but are from Commonwealth countries like Pakistan, have the right to vote as well. So it is very important to register your vote and use it for the betterment of Muslim community in UK. Further details are available on each city council’s website. For Glasgow you may access this information on
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| - | http://www.saa.gov.uk/glasgow/electoralreg.html
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| - | Vote Registration forms are available on the group page, can also be accessed on
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| - | http://www.saa.gov.uk/resources/134445/RoP5regnotes.pdf
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| - | '''4. NI (National Insurance)'''
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| - | It is most important thing, especially for the people on WHM or the students who would like to do some part time jobs. It should be noted that if you contact with them within a few days of your arrival then it is much easier to get an interview date and you would also do not need to provide them the letter from some employer, as a proof of an active search for job (explained later) would be enough.
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| - | For further details about NI, please check the following link
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| - | http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/ni_number.asp#what
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| - | To find the nearest NI office, please check the following link
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| - | http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/AboutUs/OurOffices
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| - | You would need the following documents for that:
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| - | • Passport
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| - | • A work permit
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| - | • A letter from your employer
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| - | • Your contract of employment
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| - | • Details of any employment agencies you are registered with.
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| - | '''5. Bank Account'''
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| - | To open a bank account for the first time in UK is really pain in the neck. There are lots of requirements that need at least two months time to open an account. They have such a nonsense laws like you need utilities bills as a proof of your address. They can’t understand how a person (who just has arrived in UK) can bring a utility bill without opening a bank account.
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| - | There are some shortcuts for some banks like some banks open account on bank statement of accounts in other EU countries. So the people coming to UK on WHM or HSMP from an EU country must keep their accounts in there and should bring their current statements with them, especially if you have an account in Barclays Bank or Citibank.
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| - | You can also apply for a provisional driving license and can use it as a proof of address (only some banks accept it). See the following page for driving license info; http://www.dvla.gov.uk/welcome.htm
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| - | Another shortcut is to open a saving account in any bank (it is a bit easy) and then use the saving book as the proof of address for other accounts.
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| - | Once you are able to open an account in any bank then you can use their statements as proof of address.
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| - | '''6. Part time/ Full time jobs'''
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| - | The best way to get a job is to go to the nearest job centre and look for jobs there. It could also be accessed online by using the following link.
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| - | http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/Customers/Searchforajob
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| - | This is very easy and self-explanatory website. There are computers available in job centres that you can use to access the jobs database. For part time jobs part time local jobs click on “Local Jobs”. Choose the jobs of your choice and get print out. There would be contact details written on the print out. There are also telephones available there and you can dial the numbers. First dial “9” and then the number you want to contact. For some jobs you need to contact “Jobs centre Plus”, for this just press “A” and you would be through.
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| - | One important thing is that you should go to the job centre every day early in the morning because some times local jobs are gone till the noon.
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| - | Another facility that is available in jobs centres is that you can get information on how to write your CV in a British style. I would recommend availing this facility too.
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| - | You should also register your name with the local “Recruitment Agencies”.
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| - | You can also look at the following websites to look for jobs.
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| - | www.worktrain.gov.uk
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| - | www.top-jobs.com
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| - | www.jobscout.co.uk
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| - | www.select.co.uk
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| - | www.monster.co.uk
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| - | www.stepstone.co.uk
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| - | www.fish4jobs.co.uk
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| - | www.totaljobs.co.uk
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| - | www.gojobsite.com
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| - | ''' 7. Transport'''
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| - | You can access the following website for looking of availability of transport in London.
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| - | http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/
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| - | If you need to travel frequently then it is better to buy a weekly or monthly pass. Day travel cards are also available; it cost 3.0 Pounds for bus travel. It cost 5.20 pounds for day travel card of London tube service for off peak hours.
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| - | In Glasgow travelling is cheaper by Buses, especially if you buy a weekly or monthly ticket. For further details you can visit
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| - | http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland/swscot/home/
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| - | Or
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| - | www.arriva.co.uk
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| - | Same facility is available in other cities.
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| - | There are some cheap options available in UK for intercity travelling, but important thing is if you book earlier you have better chances to get cheaper tickets. For further details contact
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| - | Mega Bus (You can buy a ticket as cheap as £1.50, from Glasgow to London)
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| - | http://www.megabus.com/uk/
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| - | Or
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| - | National Express
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| - | http://www.nationalexpress.com/
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| - | It would be very nice if students in other cities could update this information for their cities.
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| - | Trains
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| - | Check National Rail
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| - | http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
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| - | Or Virgin
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| - | http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/default.aspx
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| - | Air Travel
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| - | There are some cheap options for air travel in UK and Europe, like Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Air Berlin, BMI Baby etc., but same rule applies here as in case of buses i.e. book as early as possible. Some times you may get a cheaper ticket on airline than bus or train.
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| - | http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/budget/
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| - | [Especially for Manchester]
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| - | 1. StageCoach bus services has provided a Unirider for all the students which appears to be the cheapest option @ £150 you can travel for whole year in any of the Stagecoach buses. They span a lot of Manchester area.
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| - | 2 As of February 2007 There is a massive increase in fares because of two bus services going off the road (these are GM Buses and UK North).
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| - | 3 On long Jorneys a day saver is cheaper than return ticket and if you have to go more than 3 times in a week then weekly pass is better than anything else. There are two kind of daysaver generally (maybe more are introduced) 1 is specifically for the bus service you are using and one is for all buses. A daysaver for stagecoach is £3.30 and for all buses it is £3.50 If you are planning to go to areas where stagecoach has less frequency than other buses (like salford) you can buy a all bus daysaver to save.
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| - | '''8. Driving License'''
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| - | It is very important in UK, to have your own transport especially if you need to travel a lot for study or job. So you need to keep this in your priorities. At least you can apply for provisional driving license in start of your arrival, because it takes about two to three weeks time to receive it.
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| - | Application forms are available in Post offices, important thing to note is that you would have to send passport with the application, so only apply for provisional license when you do not need the passport for at least two weeks.
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| - | Further information is available at DVLA website.
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| - | http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers.aspx
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| - | OR http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/fs/en
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| - | Once you have received the provisional driving license, you are eligible to take theory test.
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| - | http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=28
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| - | There are many driving training schools available in every city, contact one of them just after passing theory test. It is highly advisable to take some lessons even if you have been driving for years in your home country.
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| - | Once your instructor recommends you, take a practical test.
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| - | http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=29
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| - | '''9. Contact with GP (Doctor)'''
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| - | Health insurance is not mandatory in UK. So in you should contact with the nearest GP (General Practitioner). He would have a complete medical checkup of you and sometimes they have free vaccination for you. He would maintain complete medical history of you and in case of any health related matters you should contact with him.
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| - | A list of GPs in Glasgow is available at
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| - | http://www.upmystreet.com/UK/findmynearest/health-and-beauty/doctors-and-gps/results/in/Glasgow.html
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| - | --[[User:88.111.213.77|88.111.213.77]] 19:06, 9 January 2007 (EST)
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| - | '''10. MoneySaving Techniques'''
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| - | There are many local groups on yahoo and other university websites for different areas which can help you save money. A global website which gives you a lot of money saving options like getting free mobile sims and getting free vouchers to spend in ASDA , LIDL and Boots . it is www.moneysavingexpert.com . Apart from these there are freecycle groups on Yahoo where people exchange their goods when they dont need them. You can check by a search for your area. For manchester there is one manchester_freecycle.
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You can locate the current page under the same categories on the new site. In case of problems, email help
foreignliving.info.
foreignliving.info.
