Freshwhyte

Hello everyone,

Have been away for a while planning out my big move, after a visit last April to Glasgow I decided to get the ball rolling and in that time have managed to save enough to be able to return at the end of March. Does anyone find that they drive their friends and family insane trying to bounce ideas off them ? It wasn't so bad a few months ago but as the date gets closer I find its on my mind 24/7 - I guess others can't really see my excitement

My biggest concern is getting in with a Job Center quickly to get my national insurance number, last time I was there for a substantial amount of time it was never needed - can anyone share their experiences with this ?

Cheers !

scot47

Have you had a National Insurance Number before ? If so, you can apply online for notification.


If you have not had a NINO then you must apply and the application leads to a face-to-face interview at a time and place stipulated by them.

Freshwhyte

Cheers for the reply.

Haven't lived there full time since I was 12 (and even then it was only for eight months)

BritInParis

It'll be worth checking to see if you've already been allocated one.

https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number

If not then you'll need to apply for one via JobcentrePlus as you mentioned.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number

You don't actually need a NINO to start work if that's a concern but obviously the sooner you have one the better.

durham_lad

My son arrived back last year and did not have a NINO as he was 4 when we moved to the USA. He applied for his NINO as soon as he could and also started looking for jobs. After 3 or 4 weeks he got his interview at a Job Centre Plus and they gave him a letter there and then to show to a prospective employer. His NINO arrived in the post about 10 days later. He got his job about the same time as his NINO arrived but he had already gone through 3 interviews with that same firm on the strength of his passport assuring them that he could legally work in the UK. (His qualifications and experience were a good fit so the firm were keen to employ him).

Freshwhyte

Thanks for the replies everyone

Freshwhyte

Update, I'm feeling increasingly disconnected from the world around me as the move inches closer and closer, so I've decided to move my flight up a few weeks - my work is totally taking the piss with me which is stressing me out to the point that I can barely function. So wish me luck everyone, and thanks for all the helpful info people have provided since I've joined

Cheers

durham_lad

Best of luck in your move

Caroline in Arizona

Freshwhyte - all the very best with your move. We are returning to Scotland this summer. Obviously we have a number of months to go but I can understand what you mean about feeling disconnected. I feel that my heart is already back in Scotland but my body is still here. Good for you for moving your flight up a few weeks.

PrairieWriter

We're moving to Scotland next year and we'll be visiting in May/June of this year! I'm getting excited too. Ah, bonny Scotland. My dad and brother have lived there for over a decade each and I miss my family!

Freshwhyte

Cheers to everyone for the replies, its nice to see that a couple others are taking the plunge and I'm not the only one !

I had booked a flight for February 28 through my TA, but after some discussion with my family (mainly my mum wanting some more time with me before I go) I'm going to stick with the March 25 date. I figure this will give me some more time to add to savings, clear out my flat and say a proper goodbye to everyone. The type of person I am, I hate to be rushed and giving myself too tight of a deadline would just cause anxiety.

When I got that flight confirmation though, that was one of the oddest feelings ever, a mix of fear, excitement, happiness and sadness all combined - Glasgow is my favourite place in the world but leaving friends and family behind in Canada is of course leaving this lingering knot in my stomach. Though I know I'll be back to visit often.

The biggest obstacle I'm trying to overcome is finding something (a home, a job) before arriving, houses don't last on the market long and jobs always want a face to face within the first couple weeks of applying. So it looks like I'll be couch surfing for the first week or two.