laurakonsitzke

Hello!

My name is Laura, I am 23 years old, and I'm a dual citizen of the US and UK. I am currently living, and have done all my life, in the US (Michigan). My mother is American and my father moved here from England in the early 1990s. I have since received full British citizenship (dual nationality). I have a 4-year, Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in Nutritional Science. I will be attending graduate school in the US (Pennsylvania) in Sept of this year, but am very interested in moving to England for the early spring and summer before I begin. I've got family living in London (Islington) and Birmingham, but would ideally live with an aunt in Islington (free of charge), so housing is no issue. Does anyone have some suggestions on what I need to do to prepare for the move? I would like to work while living there, most likely in a restaurant/bar, as I understand being employed within the field of science/nutrition (per my degree) for such a short time is not very realistic. What I am looking to gain out of this experience is to work to pay for travel within Europe and to make friends, use this experience for personal growth, and "be 23" before I have to enter the "real world", settle down, and begin graduate school. I'm not sure how the whole process of this works. So I've come up with a couple of questions:

1.) Do I need to complete any work permit paperwork? (I assume so)

2.) Where would be the best location to work? I don't mind a reasonable commute. I want to be around young people (20s age group preferably), in a position to make cash to pay for outings and basic living (exclude housing costs - bonus!)

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! This is a new, but urgent thought, since I'm on a time crunch!

Thank you

quiltman

From what little I know;
Work - absolutely no problem as a UK citizen, so long as you have an NI number, getting one is easy if you don't currently have one. No permit needed.
where: Islington, or parts of it are now considered very upmarket for the new labourites- Blair et al all lived there and so it has lots of coffee shops, restaurants etc so you would not have far to go. Plenty of places in the capital need workers so just get the Evening Standard and pick. Canary wharf is another easy place to get bar/restaurant work.

As soon as you get to UK , sign on with a GP - if you can find one - and you'll get an NHS number. Just google "getting an NI and NHS number" for details. Have fun!

quiltman

Sorry, forgot to add, just make sure you have enough funds to keep you going for a couple of weeks while you find your feet. Lucky you having accommodation already lined up - FREE!

Pollyana

Absolutely no need for a work permit if ou are a British citizen.

As qultman said, you just need to get yourself a National Insurance number.

I'd echo the Islington idea too, regardless of whether blair and his croies have spent any time there its a great area with lots going on

BritInParis

You'll need a valid British passport and a National Insurance number to work in the UK. The former you should obtain before you arrive if you don't have one already and the latter you can only obtain after you arrive. As a British citizen there's no restriction on your ability to work in the UK whatsoever. You should also have a valid US passport as it is a legal requirement that US citizens leave and enter the US on a US passport. You should present your British passport at the UK border.

You should also register with a GP and obtain your NHS number. As a British citizen resident in the UK your healthcare is free of charge under the NHS. You should also register to vote. You can do this online once you have your National Insurance number. There are elections in May and June, including the London mayoral election and the EU referendum, which you can vote in.

Most young Londoners would give their right arm to be able to live rent free in Islington. You could either work locally or in central London. I would familiarise yourself with London's geography and the tube map in order to get a better idea of your potential commute.

holly_1948

I'll certainly agree with what BritInParis says - that finding work in London is relatively easy but for many immigrants finding somewhere to live that they can afford is next to insurmountable.
You can work while your application for an NI number is pending, you may need to be able to prove that you have applied however.

You will not be entitled to free NHS health if you come to London with an intention to reside in UK temporarily. However if you come with permanent intention, live and work for a while and then after a few months change your mind and decide to leave then you would be entitled NHS from the first day of arrival.

One advantage of obtaining an NI number is that you become entitled to make voluntary NI contributions while "overseas" (out of the UK). This is far and away better than any pension deal you could possibly obtain elsewhere. Being young you probably give not a fig about pensions, however the entitlement persists until you are older, and hopefully wiser.

Pulaski

That only works if you have already made a minimum number of years contributions - three years, I think, so doesn't really apply to the OP.

Cynic

Hi Laura,

I was in the same situation as yourself (albeit, some time ago now). I had no problems at all. To answer your questions:

• You don't need a work permit; this link tells you how to apply for a National Insurance number.
• Work - depends what you want really; bar/restaurant work in Islington seems to be readily available; this link will take you to the current offers on Gumtree.

Have a great time in the UK.

Ozzidoc

Slug and lettuce Islington.

Pulaski

That's just a chain - the Applebees of the British pub world.

Ozzidoc

I knew the guy who was the assistant manager when it opened- and wasn't a chain - he went on to open and run the Bank one. First day's takings equated to more than first week projected, first week more than first month projected etc etc Mind you that was in 1998 so practically decades ago!