National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Maybe I am in the wrong forum , but I have a question for someone who is from the UK, I got an offer for a well paid job and live in London, I am European Citizen in (EU) I have applied for the NIN number. I would be call for an interview. My question is, is the NIN number in UK something like SSN over here in the States?
Can u apply for loans, shool, open up bank account etc...? Is it such a credit like we have in the USA? I would appreciate any answer. Thank you.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

milan, I've moved your thread to the USA forum; many US + UK residents who will know the answer/differences for you.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Hi Milan,

I don't know about the NIN number, but I would think twice about leaving the USA for extended periods while you're waiting for your I-751 to be adjudicated.

Rene

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

A NIN is what the social security number was supposed to be. It is just used for tax purposes in the UK, loans and all that stuff are not tied to it.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Thank you for your answers, so how Do you apply for a credit card or student loan etc..?

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

I know Rene, but here is my other question, will I have to contact USCIS about address change? Because of that?

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

credit records in the UK are based on your name and home address. You will need proof you are living at the address ie utility bills etc to get started. If you move they will ask how long at current address and if under 3 years will ask for previous address so they can check there too.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Hi

I've been in London for 8 years and just found out that the tax people and my employers had an incorrect NI number for me. Its been wrong since my first job!

With that in mind I've never had any issues in living here at all. I think the only time I've given it to anyone is:

a) a job (only my first one)
b) The doctor when I first signed up.

You don't need it for to achieve any of the above but if you start a job without one you may be taxed at a higher rate (emergency NI) rather than the correct rate. Once you get it you tell your employee and your next pay will be adjusted to the correct rate once they have the correct tax code from HMRC.

It is used to store your National Insurance contributions against - ie Pension, Unemployment if you are eligible.

Banks are never interested in it.

To apply for a credit card / loan contact a bank. Word of warning it will take sometime to find a bank that will give you a credit card if you have no credit history in the UK. Do you have an Amex card in the US ? They are the only card issuer who will consider your worldwide Credit History with them and it may be easier to get a credit card which would then build your UK Credit history for loans etc....

Goat.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Hello to all of you! :-)
Your answers are very helpfull, so are you saying that credit is build on your name and home address? But don't people have same names sometimes? what if you are moving ? And if you are renting a room and utility is included how would you proove the utility bill if it not might be even in your name? How could you get a student loan? Thank you again

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

then a mobile phone bill, or a medical card, or a bank statement, - some form of type written official letter that was sent to the address. Often requitre 2 of them anyway.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Dear MsElui
So all you need is to show mobile phone bill that is paid on times and bank statement to be able to get credit card?

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

You have to do what the company issuing the credit card asks. Different places may want different things. Fill in the form and see what happens.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

irrelevant that you paid on time at that point - all your doing is proving your address is legitimate. Once they have extablished you do live there - They would then search your name against that address to see if you had bad/good credit info. - look at my answer on the other post - i put a lot more detail there.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Other id you can use -
british drivers licence.
Medical card issued when you register at a local doctors practice.
Benefit book (although think that may be old hat now and all done electronically - but a letter from the child benefit office, tax authorities, pension dept, etc would probably do).

basically its an official letter of some kind that has your name on it and was addressed and sent to your home through the post.


and the bills and statements should be within the last 3 months or so.


If you apply online - they you could be asked to send the address proof in.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Think about this for a moment. If you tell USCIS that you're going to change your address to some place in the UK... what do you think their reaction will be? What do you think will happen to your PR status?

Ian

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Use a copy of the lease then...

It's hardly rocket science to show proof of address.

What helps in the UK, paying bills on time will boost your credit rating unlike in the US, but like the US, being late will ding it, so it'll be easier to get a start.

As for student loan, go to any bank and ask for a student loan with proof that you've been accepted at a place....you won't be eligble for the government student loan through the student loans company though.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Hello Ian
Well, is it against the law to work in another country while you are PR in the USA? As long as I come every 6 months for few days, will I still loose my GC?

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

As a Perm. Resident, you are expected to live here permanently. That's the whole reason for someone to gain PR status. If you plan on living outside the US for a period of longer than 1 yr or so, then you need to get a re-entry permit which will allow you to remain outside the US for up to 2 years (I think). I have no idea if these are renewable, so after 2 years you may be expected to come back to the US. If you don't, you're PR status is considered abandoned and you would have to start the visa process all over again to come back to the US. If you're not physically living in the US, eventually your PR status is revoked, as far as I know.

But why bother with the I-751 if you plan on moving to Britain and staying there? Seems a waste of time and money. Not to mention, if you try to maintain your PR status, you run the risk of having to pay US taxes even though you live abroad. Remember, a PR has to report all worldwide income, no matter where they live. So depending on how much money you make, you could wind up owing money to the US, if you try to keep your PR status.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

also.


it wouldn't be worth the hassle of lending someone money if there is a chance that they're gonna do a runner back to the USA.

I'm not saying you would.......... but if I were a loan officer I'd stay WELL clear of that possibility

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Why would I have to own money to the US if I won't be working here? Doesn't make any sense to me, so let's say you go back to your own country because someone is ill in your familly and you will be there for 6 months , who cares if you going to work over there? I mean I know you can be out of USA without loosing your GC up to one year. After that you need the re-entry permit. Am I wrong?

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

You are sadly wrong. A privilege of being a Perm Resident is that you have to no choice but to file US taxes every year, no matter where you live, or what monetary denomination you are paid in, or where the company is located. That being said, you may or may not owe taxes to the US on any money earned overseas, depending on any tax treaties in place between the US and the other country. For example, if you earn more than (I think) $85k in the UK, you may need to actually pay taxes to the US government even though you've paid taxes to the UK gov't. Is this fair? No, but it's US law.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

Ok, I didn't know that. But I won't be making 85k in the UK ha ha wish I could. Thank you for your information.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

You still have to file a tax return though.

Re: National Insurance Number -UK Please help!
 

and filing taxes is a good indicator that you aren't abandoning your US permanent residence...