I can’t
believe there is less than one month left before I leave! It seems like time has flown by since I made
the decision to go live abroad. My focus
has really been on finding a job and a flat but, as you can read below, “even
the best laid plans often go astray” (Robert Frost, Of Mice and Men). Every day,
more and more random questions are popping up in my head. By researching various sources (e.g., other
bloggers, Government websites SWAP and BritBound, financial institutions), I have managed to
find some answers. Since it took quite a
bit of time to research all this, I thought I’d share my findings with all of
you other Swappers or long-term travelers in the hope that you will find them
helpful.
Storage
Storage space
is expensive! And I’m a girl who
accumulates a lot of stuff…I like stuff.
I am lucky though since various family members have offered to keep my
things for free (thanks grandma, mom and dad!) while I’m away. This is just a warning for those of you thinking
of doing this that you will need storage that it’s a lot more expensive than
you think (you’re looking at around $2,000/year…in Ottawa anyway).
Health
If you have
any prescription drugs, you have to see your doctor before you go and get a
prescription for one (or two) years’ worth of your prescriptions because they
may not be available abroad. I found out
that it’s also a good idea to get a note from your doctor detailing the medical
reasons why you need each prescription and the recommended dosage. While travel insurance like Bon Voyage for
example does cover some health issues (mostly emergencies), it does not cover
everyday prescriptions for existing conditions so that’s something to consider.
Flights/Return Date
I was happy
to learn that I don’t have to choose my return date yet and that I don’t have
to buy a return ticket. As long as I
come back within two years of my visa being issued, there are no problems. One less thing to have to figure out now!
Canadian Embassy
Registering
with local police has been recommended but from what I see, it is far simpler
to register online for free with the Canadian embassy (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration). Basically, you're just letting them know that you're in the UK in case there is a natural disaster or another major event where they would want to track you down and let your family know you're ok. I plan on doing this when I get to London.
Jobs
I thought
applying for jobs from Canada, before I leave, would be wise since by the time
I arrive in the UK I would be able to interview and there wouldn’t be a huge
delay between arriving and starting work.
However, what I found out through the good people at BritBound, is that
most employers won’t hire someone who isn’t in the country yet. I can see the reasoning behind this but I
found it a little bit discouraging when I found out. My plan is to keep an eye on job postings
that I’m interested in and dedicate several hours a day to submitting
applications when I arrive. At least I’ll
have done some research and won’t need to start from scratch again. The websites I have been using for jobs are:
- www.jobs.civilservice.gov.uk
- www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/jobs
- www.gumtree.com/jobs/london
- www.monster.co.uk
Finding a Place to Live
Many people
have suggested Spareroom and Gumtree for finding a place to live. Personally
I prefer Spareroom and I have found several places that I am interested
in. After speaking with some landlords
in the UK, I found out that you can do a “pre-let” before being in the country
but you have to pay your deposit before even seeing the flat…there is a risk
involved. After much deliberation, and
despite the fact that I really wanted to have a home to go to when I get to the
UK, I will spend a few days living in a hotel/hostel, visiting flats and hopefully
finding my new home quickly once I arrive.
I did also
find out that it is common for landlords to ask for references (professional or
personal) and also to provide a CV or proof of income to a landlord to prove that
you can make payments on time Also, the deposit in London can range from six weeks to 2 months' rent so I thought that was good to know.
Ok, I think
that’s enough rambling for one night, I hope this will be of use to some
people; it was quite an educational process for me. Finding all of this information has been
stressful at times and I’ll admit that I have had a few panicky moments when I
think about what’s to come; I’d say that, on average, it’s a pretty even mix of
excitement and fear. These moments of
fear are what made this tweet from SWAP really relevant for me today:
“If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself
into?’ then you’re not doing it right.” — Roland Gau
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