Minnesota to London...I just want to be there already!

Hello All!

I'm new to this board.  I wish I would have known about it a year ago...could have saved myself a lot of time and money asking questions and getting answers (since the UK Visa and Immigration service doesn't do such a good job).

I met my spouse through work...she worked in the companies London office and I worked out of a Minnesota location.  We married last July and decided I'd move there.  I started the visa process in August 2015 and I'm still not able to enter the UK.  I received my 30-day travel vignette (I applied for a UK Settlement visa as I didn't know any better) with only 13 days to travel two weeks before Christmas.  Needless to say, I didn't get to use it.  It took me until now to figure out (with the help of this forum as the UK Visa and Immigration office gave me incorrect information costing me another month of hassle) what I need to do to apply for a new vignette and cross my fingers it's approved quickly.

I'm hoping to travel in March to secure a job and then move in May.  I've been ready to move since August so it's quite difficult to be stuck here without a passport.  My spouse and I also don't see each other much...so we're anxious to be in the same home so we can finally start our new life together.  It's hard being 4,000 miles and 6 hours apart!

This forum has been so incredibly helpful.  I'm looking forward to using it once I finally get to move.  Really glad I found all this information in one easy to search place!

I have a masters degree, will it be hard for me to secure a job?  I also have 15 years of experience in accounting and finance.  I'd like to be able to work as soon as I arrive as we can't really afford to go without the income.

Welcome to the forum .

I have a masters degree, will it be hard for me to secure a job?  I also have 15 years of experience in accounting and finance.  I'd like to be able to work as soon as I arrive as we can't really afford to go without the income.

To be honest, I think you'll find it very difficult to get a job in March without having a visa yet - you'll have a much easier time of it if you get the visa first and then try to find a job.

Basically, without already having the visa, you may not even get a look in as you won't have evidence of the right to work in the UK and employers have to give priority to UK citizens and people with the right to work in the UK.
 
So, with the visa, you should be given the same consideration as UK citizens for jobs, but without it, your application may not even be considered. Also, if you have no UK work experience, that can hinder the application too.

Also, bear in mind that it can take a while to find a job - I would allow several weeks to several months to secure employment. I'm a UK citizen with two masters-level degrees in physics and it took me 2 years to find a graduate-level job (though it was during the recession)... I ended up working in retail for those 2 years, because I couldn't get any other job.

I'm in finance also.  As you are moving to London, you should have a decent pool of jobs depending on your field.  Not having UK qualifications will limit opportunities, but there will still be opportunities.  Most jobs are placed via recruiters who upon registration will want to see your visa.

I've changed jobs twice (well, soon to be second time as I'm in my notice period).  With UK experience (came as skills shortage) but no UK qualifications it has taken me two months each time to find a good fit.

What kind of finance do you do?

Good luck to you! My family lived in Minnesota for a couple years about 3 years ago.  What town are you from?  My husband moved to England in November.  We visited for a couple weeks over Christmas and some of the kids and I are moving in May. 
It is quite the process isn't it? 
I plan on visiting the first week of April to find a house than apply for the kids and my visas.

Hopefully you'll have some luck in the job search!  Take care!

When I finally arrive to London I'll be able to go to the local post office to pick up my Biometric Resident Permit.  I assume that gives me the right to work in the UK?

KFDancer...I have 8 years of tax and 4 years as a senior financial analyst.  I have an undergrad in Economics and an MBA in finance.  My spouse was contacted by a recruiter, we do the exact same job, who I've contacted from Robert Half.  I also have a connection with Deloitte.  I'm hoping these will be good starting points for me.  Since I don't have UK experience (I mean, my previous Sr. Analyst position was for a company that is global and I worked VERY closely with my coworker in London who did the EMEA region) I'll be open to just about anything just to get started.

Kansas2UK...I live near St. Cloud, MN.  Almost right in the center of the state.  It's incredibly rural.  Mostly farms and tiny villages of a few hundred people. 

I've never had luck with Robert Half, but that's with the Reading branch.  They send me jobs that pay £35k to £50k.    Wade MacDonad has been very good to me with not having UK qualifications.  They understand my US education and job experience and know how to sell me to hiring managers.  Get your EMEA colleague as a reference, which will help.

You'll likely end up working for a U.S. corporation doing business in the UK.   .

I'll add Wade MacDonald to my list.  Thank you!!  I'm hoping that because I have experience with a couple of employers with headquarters outside of the US I will be able to work for any company that is hiring.  Fingers crossed! LOL!  I also hoped the visa process would be affordable and timely and so far that hasn't been true.  I better set my expectations low.