New members of the Scotland forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Hello everyone!
My name MoyseyFalce.
Im from Australia.
Nice to meet you.

National Insurance numbers are free; there is no charge for these.  There is so much wrong with this, it's almost certainly a scam; be very careful.

Thank you so much. I would like to ask any advice for this because the employer and the immigration services seem legit. They have websites and contact numbers. Thank you so much!

Yeah scammers do sound very legit.  I've just checked out the hospital website, it looks very amateur and has spelling mistakes in medical terminology, just the sort of thing a scammer would create.

I second what Cynic says the website looks very strange. For a Private hospital to use Wordpress does ring alarm bells to me. On the home page, a contact phone number is a mobile number, no landline number given or a fax number.

On the careers page

We are always on the lookout for intelligent, hardworking and active individuals who seek to better themselves professionally and personally.

If you have great qualifications, please send your CV to: career@huntingdondayhospital.co.uk

The wording is very suspect.

A quick search and the mobile number given comes up at Fake number.

UK Fake number directory.

I am sorry to say but this is a Scam,

Just to add, if memory serves correctly we have had a similar case with the same hospital last year and we found it to be a scam.

huntingdondayhospital.co.uk was created in Nov of 2018.
New hospital?

Just checked three photo from the site, one is a hospital in Malaysia, another from India, the third a shutterstock image.
Looks like the money he sent is lost.

By the way, National insurance numbers are free, so the scam is a bit obvious.

For posters reading these answers, it should be noted they refer to a post that was removed.
A poster has been scammed with a visa money con job.

Thank you so much everyone for the enlightenment.  I guessed I'm wasted my money and my job for nothing.

Thank you so much!

Speaking as an American - is anyone else embarrassed by the evil inhabiting the White House in Washington, DC? 

We are horrified that we will be blamed for the insanity and not as welcomed as say EU citizens are.   Does anyone have any experience with this issue?

Thank you,
Ruthand Mike

LOL - well, speaking as an American, no, I'm not embarrassed by the current POTUS.  I must admit he makes me smile sometimes at the silly things he says, but he's not a politician, I expect nothing else to be honest.  What does embarrass me is a system that allows such people to be elected; if he was/is unfit to be the POTUS, then the system should have prevented it happening, it didn't, we got what we voted for; both sides politicians are like a bunch of kids squabbling over a bag of candy - pathetic.  The system needs changing so that all citizens can feel represented, not ignored.

You are correct. The Electiral College was out in place to ensure this kind of thing cannot happen. They did not to their job!

He makes me cringe. I was depressed for months after the election.   He is another reason we are trying to “”escape”.

We live Scotland and believe it is more welcoming. Isn’t that true??

Thanks
Mike and Ruth.

My opinion - no, a country is what you make it.  If you think there is something wrong in the US, then you should join like-minded people and work together to try to change it for the future generations, for your children and grand-children, for those who don't have a vote.  If you find yourselves in a minority, then I'm afraid that's what democracy looks like when your side loses.  Just running around screaming that Trump is a "whatever", is entirely pointless and a complete waste of time; people have just completely wasted 2 years of their lives hoping that Trump had done something that could be proven as illegal with the Russians; people who believed that were completely misled; was it me I would be furious with those people who were making these allegations - I would never vote for them ever again.  You need to find out what enabled it to happen, then work to change that - can you do that from Scotland?

I don't believe that Scotland is any better or any worse than any other country; some parts are beautiful, others are not so nice; some people welcome other people from other lands, others are xenophobic, in those examples, it's really no different to the US in my opinion.

What a beautiful forgiving reply. Thank you for the balanced approach. We are often at a loss for words when expressing frustration.

However that does not stop our desire for a place in Scotland that we can call home. Whether purchased or rented it will be our home.

We know that the current POTUS is temporary. The hills of Scotland-the history of Scotland-the light in Scotland-and many more attributes are forever. That is where our heart lies. We are willing to work hard at capturing the love we have for Scotland and giving the country its due. We are determined our experience there will be the best it can be.

Are you a permanent resident?  What is your experience with government officials in dealing with the rules and regulations?

Hi again.

I get the attraction of living somewhere else and the pull of other countries; just remember that Braveheart was a work of fiction eh? 

It's not for me or anybody else to cast judgement on you or your wife's aspirations.

I'm a dual national (US/UK - mother was a GI bride); my family are all from around  Kentucky.  I used to work as a UK regulator, many times dealing with Customs and Immigration matters; I guess it's fair to say I know where to look for answers and how the regulations work.  Just about retired now and contemplating moving back to Holland (where my wife is from).

I wish you both the best of luck in your journey.  If you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Understood about the Braveheart reference and we are aware of the Outlander effect, but have visited three times for a total of 2 months.  We have visited Neolithic sites from Orkney to the Isle of Arran and beyond.  We are in love with history and culture. We find it to be very rich in Scotland and in line with our values.

I am glad to know dual citizenship is attainable. Was that hard to do?  Where would we start to make that happen?  Is it better to spend some our time when we visit going to the various official offices to accomplish that goal?  We usually find ourselves spending more time in Edinburgh because the streets are easy to manage. Is that the best place as well? Or, would you recommend another place?

Your answers are very helpful and my husband and I are grateful. I know I am being a pest and thank you for your patience.

Ruth & Mike

Hi again.

I'm a dual national because my father was a US citizen, my mother was a Brit; most countries use the legal process known as "Jus sanguinis" to allocate nationality (don't know why they use Latin words to describe a simple process that basically means "you inherit the nationality of your parents, not the place where you were born"); so out of that, I have 2 passports (UK and US); I can't recall the last time I used the US one, it was probably over 30 years ago.

The UK Gov website has a page devoted to obtaining British citizenship; this link will take you there.  As to whether you'll ever be eligible for British citizenship is another matter; the UK no longer issues retirement visa's to anybody, so I don't see how you will ever qualify; however, if you have the time and money to spare, you may as well invest a bit of both in speaking to an Immigration adviser; the UK Government actually have a webpage where they offer some help in finding reputable people who can help you; this link will take you there; one word of warning, there are a lot of scammers out there, so stick to the recommended guys.  There is nobody that can offer you a cheap and simple visa, they just don't exist.  I've witnessed many people being turned away at airports because they "bought" their future from some guy on the internet.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Blessings on you and yours. You have been very helpful. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👵🏻👴🏻❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Hi! I am Stella from Athens, Greece!
I visited Glasgow a couple of months ago I fell in love with the city. Long story short, I am planning to move there in the Summer and I am trying to figure out what are the things that need to be done in order to have a successful move to my new city!
So excited for the new start, and so happy to find this forum! Nice to be here!
Cheers!

Hi,
I just joined and I'm seriously looking to move abroad but I'm in a very unique situation. I am a flight attendant for a major US carrier and I can live anywhere with this job. Scotland recently stole my heart so I'd like to start there and then move to another country for a set time and so on. Basically be a 3-6mo nomad.

When it comes to the UK from the information I can find I could only stay 6mo but I can't find any information if I can leave and come back frequently as I would be NYC based for my job. I know the visa doesn't reset, the time clock starts once you enter, but I can't find anything about constantly traveling in and out on the visa. I'm just starting on this journey to get information and would like to make this transition happen early next year.

I will also be traveling with a small cat and wondering if there any nomads traveling with pets.

Lastly I have been picking up working trips to Edinburgh each month so would love to meet in person!

Cheers,
Kyle

Hi Kyle and welcome to the Forum.

You seem to have pretty much already found the information regarding the normal visas.

The issue will be that you will be working; there are different rules for aircrew arriving in the UK and either leaving on the same aircraft, or another aircraft within 7 days - basically non-regulated, you guys can come and go pretty much as you please.

However, you are not in that category and as you'll be working for your current employer, you would be regarded as resident in the UK (so attract the attention of the UK tax authorities) and would need a work-visa and residence permit to do so.  The next issue is the UK is not short of flight-attendants, so they do not feature on the skilled shortage lists for which you can get a work visa, so you won't get any work-visa to enable you to do what you are considering.

Further, considering these are pretty much EU rules, you will find similar hurdles in every EU country.  Does your employer have any outbases where they could try and transfer you (and your cat)?

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

p.s. not all UK airports will accept domestic pets.

Hi Cynic,
I already know I cannot get a work visa because my company is USA based. So no I can't get them to sponsor me over either. From reading though, my understanding is if I did do the travel visa I can work as long as it's not in the UK. I got that impression from the UK gov site and digital nomad blogs. If this is true great! But my concern is most people stay a whole 6months while I'd be popping in and out for say every few weeks. Basically work 2 weeks in the states then come back a for a few weeks in the UK.

I have spoken to FAs that do it in other European countries but they have different policies that are not as strict.

Do you know which airports by chance?

Hi again.

To clarify and try and answer your questions.

There is already a derogation granted for all visiting aircrew to the UK; these are described in UK law; you can read these rules on the UK Gov website; this link will take you there.  You will almost certainly be aware of the GenDec procedure completed by the aircraft captain on arrival at the destination airport; that process and a current passport allow the crew to exercise the rights described in the UK legislation.  So, GenDec and a passport and provided you behave yourself, you can stay in the UK for up to 7 days totally without any other government interference, but then you must leave.

Outside of being aircrew, so assume now that you arrive in the UK as walking freight; as a US citizen, you may not reside in the UK unless you have a visa to do so.  If you reside in the UK and are working there, then regardless of from who or where you get your paycheck, you would be recognised as working in the UK and would need an appropriate residence permit and work visa to do that.  The only people who currently have the right to live and work anywhere in the EU (so not just the UK) are citizens of the EU and EEA countries (see link).

Further, the UK has introduced restrictions for non-EU citizens in so much as that  Work visas will only be issued to people whose profession, skill etc appears of the UK Government shortage occupation list; this link will take you to a copy of the list.  So if you can get a job that appears on that list and your future employer will sponsor your living in the UK and pay the appropriate salary, then you can apply for a work visa and residence permit.

So, that's the negative bit about living in the UK and please don't take it personally, there is no discrimination here, the UK is nasty to everyone and all house pets.  For example, you couldn't retire to the UK, they don't issue retirement visas to anyone for any reason (unless of course they are filthy rich, own big hotels or golf-course and have funny hair) - actually that's not wholly true, Trump would qualify for a UK passport; he, like me, has a US father/UK mother).

What you can do is with a UK Type C visa is spend up to 90 days of every calendar year in the UK; you can get these visas for 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years; you don't get to stay any longer, you just pay more up front, but save money in the long-term.  You could then do a similar thing for other countries; the only thing to watch out for is that many countries have a language exam you have to get through.  You'd have to think about things like health insurance and you wouldn't be able to open a UK bank account, or buy property, even register a car.

As for your colleagues; perhaps you should ask them how they do it.  I suspect some of them may have dual nationality; like me - I'm a dual national with 2 passports, family both sides of the pond and could if I wish to come and go between the UK and US as I please; the reason I don't do it is among other things, it would make my tax affairs extremely complicated.

As for pets; the UK government have just (2 weeks ago) revised the rules; the latest version can be found at this link.  I notice that they've removed the list of authorised airports, so from experience, you basically need to choose an airline that flies into an airport that has DEFRA cover when your flight lands - DEFRA is the UK government department that clear all animals on arrival; if you're working for one of the major US carriers, then Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester will almost certainly qualify.  You should be aware that while it's quite common to carry pets in the cabin in the US, it is not the same in Europe and many airlines just won't do it; you can find out more about this on the Internet.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi,

My wife and I have had a growing feeling/impression that we need to prepare our family for a move to Scotland.  We are very excited for this new journey in our lives and are doing all we can to learn how to make this a reality but, we have very little experience in these things and are struggling to know what to do.  We have 4 littles ages 5 and under and are looking for a multi-year relocation.  I believe a work visa allows for up to 3 years with a possibility of renewal for a max of 6 years but I'm not certain.  Additionally, in order to get a work visa I believe I would need a company sponsor.

I have been working for the same software company for 8 years since getting a bachelor's degree at university.  My experience is in Client Account Management, Technical Support Team Management, Software Quality Team Management (including managing international teams), and Product Management.  My current employer does not have international offices in the UK and couldn't be a sponsor for a relocation.  I am trying to find the best options to get sponsored employment but feel a bit both over and underwhelmed at the possibilities. 

Any tips and guidance would be most helpful.

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I recommend you read the post below yours titled "NON EU CITIZENS APPLYING FOR A UK WORK VISA".   The bottom line is that you will need to find a job that fit's into one of the categories for the Shortage Occupation List", then find a job with an employer who is willing to sponsor your move and meet the other requirements.

If you think you can qualify for a work visa, then I'd suggest you read our Scotland guide (top left of the page, mouse over the Discover label and a drop down appears).
Once you've read those, if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi, I am indonesian woman just move to Edinburgh. I am looking for a job to start my new life in here.  I already try to find a job door by door but still no call till now.  I dont like to use agency to find a job. my experience is a chef and I need to find a job as soon as possible. any idea ? thanks

Yuyun2017 wrote:

Hi, I am indonesian woman just move to Edinburgh. I am looking for a job to start my new life in here.  I already try to find a job door by door but still no call till now.  I dont like to use agency to find a job. my experience is a chef and I need to find a job as soon as possible. any idea ? thanks

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

You say you are a Chef; in the UK Chefs have qualifications in this field, do you have recognisable qualifications?  If not, it may explain the lack of interest in your door knocking up to now.

Unless you entered the UK on a family visa, you must have had a sponsor to enter the country, what happened to the job you must have had to get sponsorship?

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi. I'm Huda from Malaysia. I'll be going to Glasgow this September for my master's degree. Nice to meet you all.

I am very pleased to be here on this platform.

Hello there!  My name is Traci and I am from the US.  I am currently in the process of testing for placement on Nurse and Midwifery Council registry.  Pediatric nurses are on the national shortage list.  This is a daunting and expensive process.  Once the testing phases are completed, I will begin my job search with an employer that will sponsor me.  I would be coming with a lot of experience so I am hopeful it won't be too difficult.  This forum seems very helpful.  Glad to be here!

Hi Am Abraham
From Ghana
In Glasgow
Nice to meet you

Hey All,

My wife and I are coming to Glasgow in April 2020 from New York City; I'm accepting a position at U Glasgow. We will be looking to engage the alternative art scene as well as exploring the Highlands. Thoughts?

Thanks...Ross

On the point of pets I have a question, and I am hoping you can help. We are moving in April 2020 to Glasgow from the USA and have an 11 year old mixed breed shelter dog. Our dog looks like a sharpei/pit mix: wedge-shaped head, etc. We are aware of the rules against bringing pit bulls or 'pit-adjacent' dogs. Is there a way to get our dog checked here in US--so he is not at risk of being taken from us--and how serious is the risk of having our dog taken? We need to make sure he is safe, and will leave him in the US if absolutely necessary.

Advice would be appreciated.

Ross_Cagan wrote:

On the point of pets I have a question, and I am hoping you can help. We are moving in April 2020 to Glasgow from the USA and have an 11 year old mixed breed shelter dog. Our dog looks like a sharpei/pit mix: wedge-shaped head, etc. We are aware of the rules against bringing pit bulls or 'pit-adjacent' dogs. Is there a way to get our dog checked here in US--so he is not at risk of being taken from us--and how serious is the risk of having our dog taken? We need to make sure he is safe, and will leave him in the US if absolutely necessary.

Advice would be appreciated.

Welcome to the Forum

My only guess is that you would have to go to a vet and ask them?

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

In the UK, dangerous dogs are legislated for via the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; with regards to banned breeds, four types of dog types are specifically identified by the Act:

    Pit Bull Terrier
    Japanese Tosa
    Dogo Argentino
    Fila Brasileiro

Basically, if your dog looks anything like any of the above it may be prohibited in the UK.

As advised above - ask a vet, but he/she could be over-ruled by a UK judge.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Ross_Cagan wrote:

Our dog looks like a sharpei/pit mix: wedge-shaped head, etc. We are aware of the rules against bringing pit bulls or 'pit-adjacent' dogs. Is there a way to get our dog checked here in US--so he is not at risk of being taken from us--and how serious is the risk of having our dog taken? .

The British embassy is the place to ask but, if it's a banned breed and you bring him, your chances of him being taken away are 100%.

The Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 was brought into law after a serious of vicious attacks by dogs that resulted in death or serious injury.

The Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991

Hello we currently live in the United States,and have decided to move to Scotland my wife is from the U.K. I have not lived there not even sure where to start!im going to ask alot of questions thank you in advance.

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

Assuming your wife is still a UK citizen and holds a passport, then she will have no problem; you as a US citizen will need a family type visa; this link will take you to the top of the start page where they are listed and have links to help you further in the application process.

Once you've gone through the link, if you have any further specific questions, then please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team