Rachel Brown Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Okay So my Mother and I are planning on moving to the UK. She is originally from there and I am a dual citizen (born Australia). Our problem is my Mother has not been back in 34 years and I have never been , it is a new world, one we are both unfamiliar with. This is where we need help! like hints, tips, website address just so I/we can start to find some grounding and gain realistic focus in to what the logistics will require. A Bit of Background, these are our initial concerns.... Jobs My mother will need a job, she will be fine for a few months or so. But where does she look? prospects of someone finding a job and having no professional or trade qualification? I graduate from university in little under a year with Honours and planning on going onto do 'Master By Research' or the equivalent. A job for me is no worries (sales cashier, what ever I can get to put me through masters). Housing She is looking at buying a house/semi-detached in Norwich as I am considering the Uni of East Anglia. We wont be taking anything with us, no shipping needed, we are a very minimal family anyway, we'll be buying furniture there (yay for Ikea!!!!) clothes come in suitcases. (she will be selling her house, no mortgage required and just downsizing) Do you pay commission when buying a house? What other things should we know about buying a house? Land Tax? Annual rates from the local council? On another note what is your perception of UEA? Good Uni? Big Uni? Worth its prices in education? Government Support Is there support for Students as there is in Aus? Is there also support for job seekers such as my mother? I understand owning a house is consider an asset and can effect what is offered etc what are the rule around this? Health Here in Australia my Mother and I pay for private health and receive medicare, what would be the most suitable option in the UK for private health, do we even get it? Tax What is the equivalent in the UK I assume I will need a 'tax file number' or something similar what is this? Transport we wont be taking our cars, but where do we look to buy a decent second hand car and get a british license? I'm sure I'll have more question in near future, if you can help, even only with a few concerns I am grateful. Thank you!! :notworthy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Some comments on your questions, in the same sections. Jobs I think on the whole looking for a job works in the same way in both countries. In my occupation it is very much through recruitment agents, for other people there are different channels. A she is not looking for anything too specific or specialised I would say there are a number of options including: local newspapers, job centres, look for ads in local businesses windows, register with one of the temping agencies like Manpower or Reed perhaps. Houses It is the sellers that pay commission to the estate agent not the buyer (think it is same in Australia). The buyer has legal fees and stamp duty as well as the cost of the property to pay upon purchase. Stamp duty varies by price bucket, I am sure you can google that easily enough, I don't know the rates. In UK you pay council tax whether you own a house or just rent it. This varies by council so it is not possible to say what that will be, but think maybe £1.5-2k. Government Support You will not get support as a student, in fact you will need to pay international fees, so this is definitely something you will need to look into. I am not sure if you would be eligible for a loan or what kind of fees you would be looking at. There are two types of job seeker allowance, I don't believe your mother would get either. This is because one is contribution based and she has not made contributions and the other is asset /income based, so if she has funds for a house (or a house) then she won't get this one either. Health Some good news, I don't think you would have too much trouble registering for NHS. You will just need to prove you are planning to stay. Maybe get private cover later on if you think you need it. Tax You need to apply for a National Insurance number. I don't know how, but that is what you need to google. Cars You will see plenty of dealers around,nor exchange and mart and other magazines. Again works just the same as you would be used to. I don't know how you transfer a licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 If you have UK passports you have the right of abode but not automatic residency which does make a difference on some aspects of living in the UK you would need to apply for National Health cards to get put on to a doctors panel you can't just go to any doctors in the Uk IF you buy a house and then apply for any benefits you will be asked why you bought a property and did not use the money to live off take with you as much documentation as you can to show how you are severing ties with Australia it will help if you need to apply for residency Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Okay So my Mother and I are planning on moving to the UK. She is originally from there and I am a dual citizen (born Australia). Our problem is my Mother has not been back in 34 years and I have never been , it is a new world, one we are both unfamiliar with. This is where we need help! like hints, tips, website address just so I/we can start to find some grounding and gain realistic focus in to what the logistics will require. A Bit of Background, these are our initial concerns.... Jobs My mother will need a job, she will be fine for a few months or so. But where does she look? prospects of someone finding a job and having no professional or trade qualification? I graduate from university in little under a year with Honours and planning on going onto do 'Master By Research' or the equivalent. A job for me is no worries (sales cashier, what ever I can get to put me through masters). I would have thought plenty of jobs in retail but best a quick email to HR departments will usually get a reply. Housing She is looking at buying a house/semi-detached in Norwich as I am considering the Uni of East Anglia. We wont be taking anything with us, no shipping needed, we are a very minimal family anyway, we'll be buying furniture there (yay for Ikea!!!!) clothes come in suitcases. (she will be selling her house, no mortgage required and just downsizing) Do you pay commission when buying a house? Estate agents usually charge 1~3% negotiable paid by seller. What other things should we know about buying a house? Coveyancy fees, land regestry, Council tax band, stamp duty (i don't think it applies to 1st time buyers) Land Tax? Annual rates from the local council? see council tax On another note what is your perception of UEA? Good Uni? Big Uni? Worth its prices in education? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankings_of_universities_in_the_United_Kingdom#The_Complete_University_Guide Government Support Is there support for Students as there is in Aus? Is there also support for job seekers such as my mother? I understand owning a house is consider an asset and can effect what is offered etc what are the rule around this? https://www.gov.uk/ Health Here in Australia my Mother and I pay for private health and receive medicare, what would be the most suitable option in the UK for private health, do we even get it? NHS is free and enough for most people but http://www.bupa.co.uk/ is good. Tax What is the equivalent in the UK I assume I will need a 'tax file number' or something similar what is this? National Insurance Number. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/number.htm Transport we wont be taking our cars, but where do we look to buy a decent second hand car and get a british license? You can just exchange your aussie licence for a EU licence for a small fee. Find your local DVLA office https://www.gov.uk/dvla-offices http://www.autotrader.co.uk/ for buying cars (many more) I'm sure I'll have more question in near future, if you can help, even only with a few concerns I am grateful. Thank you!! :notworthy: Some answers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 That's interesting that you can change an Aussie licence to a Uk one as we thought we would have to go through doctors test etc for my hubby as he has just turned 70 and his uk license has run out he has gone through the docs test for his Aussie one but when I contacted the DVLA to ask if our doctors assessment from oz would suffice in the uk they said no it has to be a uk registered doctor there was no mention that he could jut exchange his license for a euro one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 That's interesting that you can change an Aussie licence to a Uk one as we thought we would have to go through doctors test etc for my hubby as he has just turned 70 and his uk license has run out he has gone through the docs test for his Aussie one but when I contacted the DVLA to ask if our doctors assessment from oz would suffice in the uk they said no it has to be a uk registered doctor there was no mention that he could jut exchange his license for a euro one I believe different rules for over 70 year olds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Just had a quick read of the DVLA site and you need to have been a resident of the uk for 185 days to exchange your license however you cans drive on your Aussie licence for 12 months thanks for that info Simmo that means hubby does not have to go through hoops to renew his uk license as soon as we get back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Does not say anything on the site but I might email DVLA and ask have found them helpful i was thinking because hubby has passed the criteria on his Aussie licence when he turned 70 then it might just be an exchange job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Brown Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Thank you. That answers alot, gives some good references. The amount of information on this stuff is a minefield.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Brown Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Some comments on your questions, in the same sections. Jobs I think on the whole looking for a job works in the same way in both countries. In my occupation it is very much through recruitment agents, for other people there are different channels. A she is not looking for anything too specific or specialised I would say there are a number of options including: local newspapers, job centres, look for ads in local businesses windows, register with one of the temping agencies like Manpower or Reed perhaps. Houses It is the sellers that pay commission to the estate agent not the buyer (think it is same in Australia). The buyer has legal fees and stamp duty as well as the cost of the property to pay upon purchase. Stamp duty varies by price bucket, I am sure you can google that easily enough, I don't know the rates. In UK you pay council tax whether you own a house or just rent it. This varies by council so it is not possible to say what that will be, but think maybe £1.5-2k. Government Support You will not get support as a student, in fact you will need to pay international fees, so this is definitely something you will need to look into. I am not sure if you would be eligible for a loan or what kind of fees you would be looking at. There are two types of job seeker allowance, I don't believe your mother would get either. This is because one is contribution based and she has not made contributions and the other is asset /income based, so if she has funds for a house (or a house) then she won't get this one either. Health Some good news, I don't think you would have too much trouble registering for NHS. You will just need to prove you are planning to stay. Maybe get private cover later on if you think you need it. Tax You need to apply for a National Insurance number. I don't know how, but that is what you need to google. Cars You will see plenty of dealers around,nor exchange and mart and other magazines. Again works just the same as you would be used to. I don't know how you transfer a licence. This helps, great information. However as far as being an international student, I know as a dual citizen i am considered a domestic student. Which will hopefully allow me to be eligible for a student loan. At very least the fees arent as high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 However as far as being an international student, I know as a dual citizen i am considered a domestic student. Which will hopefully allow me to be eligible for a student loan. At very least the fees arent as high. You might want to check (and double check) that. For most courses at UK universities you aren't classed as a 'home' student unless you've lived in the UK for three years immediately prior to your first day at Uni. This is regardless of the passport you hold. It's something that trips up a lot of people. There have been plenty of people (on PIO) who have lived their whole life in the UK, leave for a couple of years and suddenly don't qualify for 'home' fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 This helps, great information. However as far as being an international student, I know as a dual citizen i am considered a domestic student. Which will hopefully allow me to be eligible for a student loan. At very least the fees arent as high. Afraid not. Domestic fees are not based on citizenship but on residency (and historic residency at that) in the UK. I am a British citizen (my only citizenship) lived my whole life in UK, paid taxes there for 18 years, then went overseas for two years and could not get domestic rates when I got back and wanted to do a course. You would be very, very lucky to be treated as a domestic student but I believe it is down to the institution in the end in terms of what fees to charge and as I say I think you will need to look into the loan situation. I would be very surprised if this was cheaper than in Australia to be honest, if that was a motivation I would rethink. But UK domestic university fees are at least £9k which I believe is well above Australian fees and then you probably have to pay more anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 This helps, great information. However as far as being an international student, I know as a dual citizen i am considered a domestic student. Which will hopefully allow me to be eligible for a student loan. At very least the fees arent as high. You need to check that out. You have never been resident in the UK and I am not sure if you would be eligible foir a loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 As someone that has done post grad courses in the UK i cn also add that help is rare even for British residents with post grad courses. Normally students recieve no funding for living costs and have to pay their own fees. This is one of the reasons British students often go straight to a Phd rather than a masters - Phd's normally come with funding for uni fees and living costs and students can earn a reasonable amount acting as assistants to staff. However, many universities can provide bursaries that cover fees and some cover living expenses, but it is often for very particular courses. A number of the main banks do special loans for education with very low interest rates known as career development loans. I would contact the department at the university to discuss this. As for that particular university, it depends on what you intend to study as to how good it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Not sure about the educational fees because I have a feeling there is a residency qualification which you may not meet. Certainly in reverse you would have to pay fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 This is the Government information on finding out if you are a "home" student for the purpose of fees: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/International-Students/Fees--finance/Home-or-Overseas-fees/England-Higher-Education/Who-is-eligible-for-Home-fees/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 As someone that has done post grad courses in the UK i cn also add that help is rare even for British residents with post grad courses. Normally students recieve no funding for living costs and have to pay their own fees. This is one of the reasons British students often go straight to a Phd rather than a masters - Phd's normally come with funding for uni fees and living costs and students can earn a reasonable amount acting as assistants to staff. However, many universities can provide bursaries that cover fees and some cover living expenses, but it is often for very particular courses. A number of the main banks do special loans for education with very low interest rates known as career development loans. I would contact the department at the university to discuss this. As for that particular university, it depends on what you intend to study as to how good it is. Everyone has to pay their own fees now, whether the course is undergraduate or post graduate. I remember (showing my age) doing my original Bachelors in the UK and paying no tuition fees at all. We had to pay for Masters though. The 'good' old days hey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 You'd still be able to apply for a scholarship though, worth checking to see if EAU has any postgrad options for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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