Hello everyone u guys seem to have a good community going here, this is the first site i have found that catters to uk citezen that want to return to the uk. i can't belive that in the whole wide web there is not much information on this toipic so i'am really glad to find u guys.
Okay so i am a Uk citezen i have lived in trinidad all my life buy have visited the uk on many occasion on summer vacation etc. Me and my soon to be wife will be migrateing to the uk next summer(8/08/08).
I have never lived in the uk and have no idea what i need to do when i get there. I have been reading about new tenancy agreement whih say u need a job referance and bank account to secure a rental.... how will i be able to do this if i have just moved to the country i will have rent money but no account or job letter. How can i open up an account if i have no proof of address ? And how can i get a job if i don't have bank account ? These are issues that have been worring me is there nothing in place for new uk citezens? I know about the naturalization laws about haveing to be in the counrty paying NIS inorder to recieve benifits like cheap education free health care etc.
Has any one else done this moved to uk for the first time can any one give me some advice on makeing the move easier?
Sorry for the lengthy post guys

Oh yeah i forgot to say i have british pasport and have never had any other my two sisters currently live and study in London. But i am hopeing to head to plymouth both me and my wife have bsc's in enviromentla science and have worked in the field for over 2 years.My fathers family all live in the uk. But none of my future wifes fmaily life in the uk as all of them live in trinidad. My wife has never traveled and i would like to mkae this move a smothe transion for her.
Is plymouth a nice place?seems nice on the web anyone live/from the south west?

It's funny to read all the same questions on a thread, that we all asked when we were trying to leave the UK ie, opening bank accounts without an address, etc. Can't really help but give you best wishes for a big move.

You are lucky in one huge respect though - and have a very useful resource at your fingertips, that many of us never had when we moved - YOUR FAMILY!

First of all, ask one of your sister's if you can use her address for opening the bank account. You can easily update it shortly afterwards when you have your own address. You wouldn't necessarily need an account to get a job - but you will need one when you want to be paid ! You can start a job and supply banking details a few days later if necessary.

I would try to do the bank bit first. And try to obtain a cheque book asap. Depending on the bank, this may take a few weeks for all the cards, cheque books, etc to arrive. Then approach rental companies (who I'm sure, if they are reputable, will prefer a cheque rather than cash) and hopefully find a home that you like and can afford - and pay X month's rent upfront as required. It's a massive Catch 22. Can you bring any professional references with you? Will a sister provide a reference/guarantee letter? Can you obtain jobs in your specialist field before you arrive in the UK, or is it something you will have to wait to do?

Sorry, don't know Plymouth - visited once, very pretty in parts - others can be more specific for you. Others will also provide lots of useful links I am sure.

Thanks ann m
Un fortunatley for me where my sisters live is totall inclusive of bills etc and could not be used as an address to open a bank account i have no idea why thats just what the man a loyds tsb said when my sis tried when she went up in august. They also live in london so the wont be much help on my way over to plymouth which is like 6 hrs drive away.
I know it may take a while to get the ideal job in my feild but i'm willing to work anywhere just to pay the bills incially.
I can't wait to go up though shure beats living here in trindad earning 8000 tt a month and having to but a house which cost way over 1.5 million for a decent place thats like totally impossible for young people like my slef.

Plymouth's alright - it has good and bad parts just the same as any city.

If you're looking for jobs you might want to start at jobcentreplus.gov.uk to find something in your field. Failing that you could use the mighty Google. Obviously you will want to look a little closer to the time you are considering moving.

Best of luck with everything.

what i found when i was back there a couple of years ago and wanted to set up a bank account was you generally had to lie and cheat the system .So this is what i did .1] said i was staying at friends paying rent 2] registered at local council to get on electoral roll and make sure that you take whoever you are staying with [wink wink ie sister ]and make sure you get a To Whom It May Concern letter and that cost me a tenner 3] change your driving licence ASAP .
Once you have those sorted go to the nearest HSBC bank as they seem to be the most helpful and take your passport ,driving licence and To whom it may concern letter stating your address they will more than likely give you a basic account .
In the mean time if you manage to get work and get paid by cheque you can change the cheque at cash convertors but they will charge you a percentage and are only any good for a stop gap ,a lot of the polish use them .
You will need to get in touch will National Insurance people in newcastle so they can give you a number , i would suggest trying to get hold of them before you get to england as they are an absolute nightmare to get hold of .
All i can say is bear with it on the beaurocracy side of things as it comes good eventually ,we can all thank 911 for the security measures etc .
Inregards to renting be prepared to stump up anything up to 6 months rent in advance if you have no references etc or you will have to get some one to gaurantee you [ie sister umm bad move i think].
I would give yourself a minimum of two weeks to sort this stuff out and i would certainly somehow use your sister or family member and the area they are in to get you on the electoral roll and bank account ,once thats sorted than move to plymouth .Its a pain in arse i know but thats what i would do ,you need as much help as you can get in the first few weeks .
Good luck

Hi,my husband and i and our two kids are moving back to the uk to live for the first time in February 08.i am a british citizen,with a british passport,my kids have a British passport becuase their mother is British but my husband is Australian going to the uk on a ancestry visa.
I am in the process of opening a uk bank account from here with loyds,based in the isle of man, its so easy to do based on what i do here,all they wanted was 3 months payslips,proof of address,certified copy of my passport and 100 pounds to open the account,easy!!
There are no set up fees,it cost 7.50pounds per month in bank fees but is free for the first 3 months.
Once the required details have been recieved by them and the account is set up they will post the details including the bank cards ect to me here in perth and im good to go.it will make everything so much easier when we get to the uk.
Cant help you with the renting side of things as we will be buying a house when we get there.
Good luck with it all,do your home work,find out all you need to know about everything and it makes everything far less scary!!

HI ,wouldnt that count as an offshore account ? would this help you get an account on the mainland where proof of identitiy is more strict ?

Thanks i will oo into the internationa account and if there are no fees for the first three month i may do it two month before i get there in august then have them transfer it to a basic account.I really just would rather have my money safe in the bank rather than walking around with my life saving for me to lose it some how7.50 is not that much to pay for the peace of mind inically

Thanks king koong i will take your advice try to setup the stuff asap when i get there hey do you know how much a britsih drivers permit cost? 6 month rent huum that is more than i have bargined for I don't think i want to pay so many month in advanced especially if i don't like the place after a month or so i don't want to live in an area where there are hoodies around all the time or where teenagers are up to no good. i'm 6'3 250lbs and can handle my self but my wife is a little thing less that 8 stone. i need some where safe and secure..Anyone knoe which areas in plymouth which are desireadle and which are definately a no no?

I would suggest looking at areas that are further away from the city centre, not closer. Public transport is generally very reliable for getting around there.

It's tough to say exactly where to stay away from. A few years ago I would've recommended the area where I used to live in Plymouth as a 'not too bad' place to live but I wouldn't say the same now.

Oh so around the city center is not 'safe' or desireadle .i guess thats the same all over city centers have more crime
So barbican ,the hoe, stoke etc are no good? or is that too broad a generalization , i mean i live in Trnidad which was listed by the british high commison as unsafe to travel to, but it's not that bad here ,yeah there are areas where no one would walk the streets if they are not from that area or if your car breaks down u leave it and run but thats by no means the norm. I have been reading the Plymouth herlad online and it seems alot like the headline we get here. Gross dramatisation of the truth and sensationalism, i guess thats what sells papers any how.

Why is he going on an ancestry visa rather than a spouse visa? Do you understand it takes a lot longer to get permanent residence that way?

Reading the local paper is a good start - you'll also find adverts for places to live, (to rent or buy) and ads for jobs to help give you an idea of some of what's available in the area.

No, I wouldn't recommend any of the areas you mentioned nor Stonehouse or Devonport.

Visa uum i have a british pasport and my finacee' is Trinidadian. My dad was born and raised in the uk but moved here after he meet my mom iwas born in th uk and lived there for two years as a baby before the rents desided that sunshine in trinidad would be better .
Thanks for the info FlyergirlUK i will stay clear of the areas u mentioned.