Greetings!

Hello to everyone! Thought I should introduce myself before I hit you with the LONG (and ever growing) list of questions!
I'm Belle and I am from Mississippi. Here's the story - My husband is planning on applying for a training program with the Royal Horticulture Society. he will be working/studying at the RHS garden in Wisley for 12 mo. So, we are looking at moving over September 2007 (I know, a long time away but I am a little OCD    )
I am a Social Worker and will come over under the Highly Skilled Migrant program to work.
We are both very excited about this opportunity but also a little nervous (well, I am anyway!) I am so happy to have found this site and hope I will not drive everyone insane with my questions!
Glad to be here!
Belle

Welcome, Belle! 

I don't know anything about social work, but there are lots of people in the UK who need some.  Bring a solution to the "culture of drink" with you and you'll win a knighthood during your time here.

Jim

Welcome to UKY!  It's a brave thing to leave ones country behind.  I wish you both the best of luck in your plans to move to the UK.

Welcome to UKY! 

Welcome to the board and best of luck with everything...use the search link a lot...it helped me tremendously!

Actually, you can come over on the basis of your husband's visa once he has one and still be able to work...or he can come over on the basis of your HSMP visa and work/study.  You wouldn't necessarily need both.

Hi, I live near Wisley, in Guildford so any questions just ask.   

Hi, I live near Wisley, in Guildford so any questions just ask.   

Me too, but I have no answers about Wisley!  Guildford a little.  Welcome just the same

I don't know anything about social work, but there are lots of people in the UK who need some.  Bring a solution to the "culture of drink" with you and you'll win a knighthood during your time here.

      

Welcome Belle, Good luck with your plans.

Thanks for the warm welcome!
Peedal, could you explain the visa thing for me? You are saying we don't both have to get one? I would love to not have to deal with the HSMP visa - it looks like a pain. You have to send all original documents and something about sending my original birth certificate, marriage license, etc across the ocean is NOT appealing! Also, they are just beginning to process application received June 2004. good grief...
So, my husband could get his visa (also, if anyone know what visa he needs please share, I am confused) and I can come on it? Do I apply for anything? Is this cheaper??? cheaper is good 

Mindy, just a warning - you may get very tired of me! I do have one quick question. My husband is provided a dorm at the garden. However, I can't stay there so we will still have to rent something. He talked to a lady at the garden who said Wisley was "difficult to approach by road" and he might be better of staying in the dorm during the week and coming "home" on the weekends. I am not thrilled about the possibility of living alone. So, how difficult is it to get from Guildford to Wisley? Is it something that can be reasonably done every day? how much do you think it would cost?
Again, thanks for the welcome and thanks in advance for the advice!
belle

Having worked at RHS Wisley a couple of years back, a car is the only way I knew how to get there. Its off the A30 and can only be approached either from the northbound carriage road or via winding backroads. Its a fair clip from Guildford (roughly 8 miles) so I can see where they are talking having 2 residences, of sort. Of course, am approaching this thought with the thought of no transportation.

Wish you were coming sooner, I could sell you one of my two cars for transportation!!!

Good luck, RHS Wisley is world renowned and gorgeous!!

You can join your husband as his dependant on whatever visa he gets - not sure in this case if it's a student visa or a work permit or something else?  And you'll be eligible to work, as well.  If he's a student, he can only work 20 hours a week, but there's no restriction on your ability to work.  Strange, I know, but that's how it is!  If he comes on a work visa, again, you can work wherever you find a job.

And, yes, cheaper is better! 

Mindy, just a warning - you may get very tired of me! I do have one quick question. My husband is provided a dorm at the garden. However, I can't stay there so we will still have to rent something. He talked to a lady at the garden who said Wisley was "difficult to approach by road" and he might be better of staying in the dorm during the week and coming "home" on the weekends. I am not thrilled about the possibility of living alone. So, how difficult is it to get from Guildford to Wisley? Is it something that can be reasonably done every day? how much do you think it would cost?
Again, thanks for the welcome and thanks in advance for the advice!
belle

It would probably be a pain, but possible to get the bus.  The woman that he talked to probably meant that it's because it's off the A3(a very busy highway).  Guildford is quite a big place in itself-you may find that you're able to work there.  And it also may be cheaper to find somewhere to live closer to Wisley. 

Sounds to me like you should think about buying a cheap little runabout car...