California to London soon-excitably terrified!

Hi there!

I am trying to move to the UK from the US by no later than this time next year. I have never left the US on my own and this move will just be me and my 6 year old 12 lbs dog. I have no idea where to live or anything but this is something I have wanted since the age of 3 and now at 29 it is time to do it. I have an MA in counseling Psychology but have no idea how that transfers to another country. I have never written in a blog before so please prompt me along.

So where to start? What should I do before hand? I am working on saving and should arrive there with about $5000.00USD which is not very much at all but I have faith in my abilities to get a job... any job to start. It sounds as though finding an apartment before you go is impossible which is kind of saddening.

Oh yea, My dog is Bella and she is a 12-pound 6 year old terrier mix. She is well trained and has been with me since she was 6-weeks old. I am not too picky about neighborhoods as I don't have much for people to steal at this point in my life. I have found that people like to travel in pairs so maybe someone else is trying to move in the next year or so? I am always happy to have a travel buddy.

Jennifer

Do you have UK or EU citizenship? If not then you need a visa to move to the UK. Try looking for a job in your field and see if you can find one with a company that will sponsor you for a Tier 2 visa.

I know I need a VISA but I am not sure if my credentials are transferable that easily... But I will definitely look into it. Thanks!

The thing is, you won't be able to move until you have the visa sorted, so it's more than just a question of looking into it. It sounds like you're planning to go to the UK, find any old job, and work the rest out from there, but that's not allowed. Getting a visa has to be your number one priority, because without it you can't do any work, get a flat, get a bank account, nothing. In fact, if you showed up at the airport with no visa and told the immigration officer your plan, you'd find yourself on the next plane back to the US.

It's great that you're trying to live out your dreams, but what you're proposing to do is not easy. Definitely start by looking into what you'd need to do to meet the UK's standards in the field you want to work in, then start looking for a sponsor. Here's some info on Tier 2 visas:

https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/overview

And the list of registered Tier 2 sponsors:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers

Yeah, it's not as easy as picking up and moving here. You have to jump through all kinds of hoops.

You also need to look at the requirements for bringing a dog into the country because that isn't straightforward, either,

Hi Jennifer,

I'm from California too. I have lived in England off and on for 12 years. I plan to move back later this year. If you want to be buddies, please let me know. I would be happy to share my knowledge and contacts with you.