Asking people who have immigrated here about the challenges when you move here, people have told me that 3 stand out:
- How expensive accommodation is and that you might start out sharing a 3 bedroom houses with ten people. The UK has a serious shortage of houses and so people are surprised that saying an engaged couple might not have their own place, compared to the spaciousness of accommodation in their country of origin.
- It can be really difficult setting up a bank account, you need an address but you need a bank account in order to rent somewhere so you need to find a bank that will give you an account without an address and then you can get an address. One friend told me that if she returned to her home country, she would always keep her bank account in the UK open as it been so tough setting one up. There are a couple of banks that will open an account without an address but you need to check this out.
- The challenge of getting your professional qualifications recognised here, you need to make sure all your certificates are together and to have kept close links with your home university or sometimes be prepared to study again in order to work in your profession.
