Whelp, I'm back in good ol' gray Birmingham and I thought I'd do a tiny post to all of thoese ready or planning to make the big move across the big pond. I've been here less than a month and so far we've got debit cards and cheque books (and I'm even spelling stuff like a Brit!
)
Anyhow, for all of those stressing about banking, etc....HSBC is a great bank to go with. Aquila is the only one who is working right now since I'm not on the spousal visa yet (4 more days thank God) so we didn't get any credit card, only a SOLO card which is fine because it's accepted virtually everywhere except for Debenhams. On her salary alone we got offered a mortgage as well, which is funny.
So...the process at HSBC for a joint account.
Make sure that the UK Citizen has some kind of ID. Aquila doesn't have a driver's license or a passport and birth certificate won't do for someone over 18. So she used her Inland Revenue tax notification that listed all her tax information, etc.
I, the American, used my passport to identify myself.
For proof of address we used our council tax booklet because we're both listed on that. However, since I've been in the UK less than three years or something like that I had to provide information on my address back home. I used my California driver's license for that.
All in all, not as difficult as I thought it would be. Once I start working we'll be able to get credit cards, etc. Regardless, at the end of the day it's great, a bank account plus with a ton of extra features and all.
If you want to open your own account it would be the same process, identity verification and address verification...But...don't expect to get much if you're not working. You'll probably get the most basic account which only has a Cash Card which means you'll have to carry cash everywhere.
Anywho...So far everything is going alright. So there is hope at the end of the tunnel...Be it visa wise, banking wise, etc...etc...etc.
-Raul-
