MOVING FROM USA TO UK

[nsepulveda]

My name is Norma and I was born and raised in New York City, USA. I have lived there for 21 years before I moved to a small town called Nesquehoning, PA, USA. From the big city to a small country town. My husband and I are thinking to move overseas. We decided the England would be a great place for us to live. We are currently trying to have a baby. So planning to have the baby before we move and was wondering which area would you suggest that would like to find somewhere similar with good local (not private) schools, a slightly bohemian feel or diverse, green spaces where the kids could play when older, and friendly liberal people to make friends with. Any suggestions? What are the nursery waiting lists like around there? And how tough is the competition for primary school places? And Jobs? Colleges? Renting apartments fees? What the procedures of becoming a citizen in UK?

The answer to all your questions is 'it depends' the uk is a reasonably sized country with very diverse areas. There is no 'best place' for this, 'best place' for that. Where you live will depend on where you find work, you can't live here without a job. Every major city or large town has areas around it that would provide you with good schools etc so you need to narrow it down.
Please don't dismiss those offering you sound immigration advice. You can't just move countries on a whim, immigration control prevents that.

BECAUSE OP TOLD PEOPLE NOT TO POST ON HER THREAD if they thought she was in error. Only she is. And I can't resist saying so. Because MN lets me.

Do you realise how rude you sound? Living overseas would be the best place to post.

Oh, in answer to a few of your questions,

Brighton is seen as a liberal place to live
there is a lot of competition for primary school places now
renting costs vary a great deal - the closer you are to London the more ££
Nursery places are not so competitive but not subsidised until the child is 3.

The uk is a big place (OP hasn't even specified England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland).

There are thousands of different places she could move to all over the UK. The cost of living varies quite considerably.

Surely you can't just move here from the USA with no employment arranged? They don't even know where they want to live let alone what they're going to do?!

All sounds a bit pie in the sky!

No offence OP but you need to do some real research of your own first.

Where has the OP said that she doesn't believe immigration laws exist?

This might help

You need a visa. You can't just rock up and live here

England is full of bohemian friendly people, and green spaces are abundant. Around here nursery place waiting list vary drastically. Some you can just walk into, and others have lists you need to get on a year or more ahead.

Competition for primary places also varies....I've never had a problem getting my DC into the school of my choice. Other people on MN seem to have a nightmare.

The UK is a very diverse place, even though it's not large. Do you want a town, a city,a village to be near the sea, live in the cold north, or the sunnier south?

And in the UK, we don't "sale" things to people, we sell them.

Yep, Norma has specified that she wants to live in the England...

I don't actually think she does realise that the procedures are unbelievably restrictive

Oh haha I take that back then! She did specify England.
The rest still baffles me though.

I suppose the "jumping on OP" is because she doesn't seem aware of the immigration requirements, I she thinks they can move to a rental property whilst they job seek. Unless OP or her DH also hold UK or EU nationality, this may have to remain a daydream, as it is unlikely that a company would be able to justify a working visa in those sectors as there will be plenty of qualified candidates who already have right to reside.

It hey secure a job with a US company with aim of transeferring here, they will know roughly which part of the country they'll need to be in to work, and it would be easier to advise when there is a geographical start poit.

Unless of course OP is super-rich and can essentially buy her way in. In which case I suggest a small estate in Fife plus apartment in Edinburgh? Or does I have to be England?

schools have league tables - so you can pick out the best schools

There are plenty of jobs in london, Birmignham or Leeds and other major cities

Bohemian I don't know where the most bohemian people live - there are a few where I live

green spaces

head for Wales

Yes but people do move to other countries successfully when they have no current ties to the country - I have family who moved to Australia and to Canada with no relatives there. If you are going to start looking into the process then you would need to have an idea where if anywhere you would want to live - I don't think that's silly.

oh renting an apartment in London nottinghill

cornwall renting prices

Not so many jobs in the south west though - but the sea and the countryside is beautiful and they are liberal voting down that way

OP or her H. need to acquire some truly unusual & valuable skills or come up with a terrific business idea that makes them uber wealthy. I went thru work permit renewals for years & it was quite hard work, but doable, if you have the right in-demand skills.

It's hard to become a UK citizen even if you do have lots of money. Seems a rather sweet though actually wanting to come and live in the UK.

It sounds as if the OP is missing her NY lifestyle so if I were her I would focus my attention on central London, probably South Kensington. Good schools, nice parks and museums, handy for the airport for those weekends away.

According to a news report on the BBC today 74% of new build flats built in London last year were sold to overseas buyers so the OP is not alone in wanting to live here. I assume many of those would just want to visit rather than live here permanently though.

Here is the info on how to become a British citizen.

But if you could live anywhere in the US (which is a very diverse place) why would you jump through massive hoops to live in the UK?

I'd move to Oregon or Boulder,CO first.

Portland or Salem are good candidates for OP, no?

Lottie, moving to Canada or Australia is a complete different ball game. If you have a necessary skill they are keen to have you. So builder, nurses, doctors etc will find it much easier. I have a cousin who is a nurse and she was able to get a visa for Oz quite easily. They are large countries with relatively small populations and a lot of outward emigration. They ae quite keen to encourage people in - so long as they have something useful to offer.

Office workers and salesmen are not so in demand.

Go and live in Hebden Bridge, plenty of liberal minded folk there.....

I think the OP would like something like this

Leeds is full of bohemian lefties, and a city

Or you could buy this

sales jobs Leeds

random childcare I happened to Google in Leeds

I'm American myself, and I think it's a great idea to move to England because it's fab.

BUT there is really no point answering any of your specific questions, because on the face of it there is no legal way you can move over here. It is VERY difficult to immigrate.

Your best bet is to figure out if there is any way you can legally move, and then take it from there. For example there is no point looking into little villages up north if the only place you could get a work visa is in London.

Were all your parents born in the US?

And pesonally, if I could, I would move to the US West Coast.

My feet are flipping freezing here in the UK today.

Aren't Canada and Australia also different for Brits because they're all Commonwealth?