Just some typical newbie questions...

So here's the deal: I'm a nursing student, I should finish my RN in 2 years. We want to relocate to the UK to either a) work in NHS or private practice; or b) train as a midwife. Realistically, it will likely be both. Anyway, we're fairly baggage-laden: two kids (currently 3 and 8 months), a houseful of stuff, 6 cats and 2 dogs. (!) Obviously, the house, most of the stuff, and the animals have to stay here.

How do you cope with this?

I can deal with getting rid of most of my stuff-- I'm a proponent of travelling light, anyway. Can't part with the kids, so I want to know how to make it easy (or easier) for them-- I think it should help that they're little. The animals... eek. the dogs I can relocate. The cats are harder. One of them is absolutely irreplaceable, he's my baby. We can't board 6 cats for 6 months-- but maybe one? Or two? (Three? Four? Aaigh!!) How does the whole quarantine thing work? If I had more than one cat, would they be allowed to be together-- or does that defeat the purpose of quarantine? Should I scrap the whole notion and wait till the cats head off to that big litter box in the sky? I don't think any of my relations will take them, and I can't bear to hand them over to strangers.

Questions! Where do you start?? Arrgh!!

I should end by saying that we *really* want to do this. I'm just not sure where or how to begin planning. TIA for any thoughts!

Can I play the devil's advocate and ask why you really want to do this?  Have you visited the UK before? .... often?  What about is it that appeals?  ... What do you expect, and what are you looking for?

Unless you can work your way through the hoops on your own you will need to find a job offer or course (your American nursing exams won't work in the UK), before you can apply for a visa.  Also bear in mind that as a non-citizen you'll be stuck with overseas fees rate for courses, and like in the US, those are massively more than the domestic rate.

Ouch.  

I've been to the UK twice, dh once. We're planning more trips in the future. How can I put it? It... calls to us. Why does anyone emigrate anywhere?

My chosen field (midwifery) faces serious restrictions and difficulties here in the States. While UK midwives have problems too, overall they're more accepted by the establishment, and therefore find it easier to practice. I have it on authority from British nurses working here, and from at least one in England, that nurses are in high enough demand that transatlantic job applicants are pretty successful.

Beyond that... we just want to. Is that not good enough? We plan to be active, productive members of society. We're well educated and upstanding citizens, and we love the country.

I don't know what else to say. We're still early in the planning stages. we're willing to jump through whatever hoops are necessary-- we just need to find out what those hoops are!

Thanks,

It's not a problem, I was just wondering, and (unfortunately  ) I don't believe in beating around the bush - it comes with being a Yorkshireman!

I emigrated to the US 18 months ago, but my wife is American, and I was just wondering what your "angle" is.  I think that it's great that you want to move the UK, many others have done so sucessfully, but many have not.  I have no stats to prove it, but it seems that the sucessful ones are often those who have a spouse from the UK, or other family ties.  

IMHO, those who make a move like you are more likely to be dissatisfied.  I'm not sure where in the US you are from, but British houses may be a lot smaller than you are used to (few are more than say, 1,500sqft), and more expensive (across much of the country you'll pay $150,000 or more for a modest 3bed/1,000sqft house in a "nice" area), and many other things are much more expensive, but without correspondingly higher salaries.  You won't find many cars for less than $20,000, and something like a Honda Accord will probably start at over  $25,000.

The weather also may be a shock to you - it doesn't get that cold, but for much of the year the air is so damp that the cold goes right through you, even if the temperature is above freezing.

If you want to do it then good luck, but find out as much as you can before you go.  There are lots of threads here that'll give you useful background information. ... And ask more questions and I'm sure that you'll get lots of opinions.  

I quarantined my dog and I distinctly remember pairs of cats sharing the same kennel together and at a reduced rate.

"I'm not sure where in the US you are from, but British houses may be a lot smaller than you are used to (few are more than say, 1,500sqft) and more expensive (across much of the country you'll pay $150,000 or more for a modest 3bed/1,000sqft house in a "nice" area), and many other things are much more expensive, but without correspondingly higher salaries.  You won't find many cars for less than $20,000, and something like a Honda Accord will probably start at over  $25,000."

We're in Arkansas. We've always lived in apartments since we got married, until we moved here last summer. Our largest apt ever was 917 sq ft. This house is about 800. Since we have virtually no furniture, it works out! Seriously, we don't need a big expensive place-- smaller is better for us. We only have one car, a Toyota Corolla with 140k miles on it. We don't mind walking, biking, or using public transport (love the tube!). John used to bicycle  7 miles to and from work in subzero (F!)weather. Which brings us to...

"The weather also may be a shock to you - it doesn't get that cold, but for much of the year the air is so damp that the cold goes right through you, even if the temperature is above freezing."

We left Los Angeles for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the weather! It's hot, it's too sunny, and it never rains. We LOVE rain and cold and damp. I'm not kidding. My trips to the UK have been in late fall and early spring, and I found the climate fresh and delightful!

I think you're probably right about the rootlessness factor, for most people. But in truth, we aren't especially rooted here-- in seven years we've moved five times.

We aren't looking for status or huge tracts of land or a big house or gobs of money. It's really more a question of personal and spiritual satisfaction. So... on to finding the hoops!

Thanks for the reality check.

Willow

Hopster-- thanks for that tidbit. HOw do find out about kennels? Are they govt run, or independent/private contractors?

Ok, I'm going to probably say some things and take them or leave them at will.  None are said as a way to change your mind.

1.  Nursing in the UK worries me.  do you know why there is a shortage of nurses?  Because they're over worked, under respected and under paid.  Perhaps you know this.  I was attempting to go to school and become a certified nurse midwife in the US.  I intended to follow through with that in the UK.  After being here for a while and reading the newspaper and so forth, I have decided that it is not something I wish to pursue in the UK.  It would be an uphill battle that I am just not prepared to take on.  Kudos to you for being willing.  

2.  I think there's plenty of info about on UKY about housing and such that you will find many if not all of your questions answered.  

3.  Pets...I begrudgingly gave up my cat when I came here.  Fortunately, I had a friend willing to take him.  I gave him up because we just couldn't justify the costs of the travel and quarantine.  It was going to cost several thousand dollars to do it.  Had I had the money, I probably would have done it.  But I didn't.  If you do, go for it.  But do expect it to be pricey, especially if bringing more than one pet.

Where to start?  Starting saving!  The more money you have when you get here, the better off you'll be.  

All the best and hope it all goes well for you!

Hopster-- thanks for that tidbit. HOw do find out about kennels? Are they govt run, or independent/private contractors?

Check out the DEFRA (Department of Environmental Food & Rural Affairs).  When I was looking I found they had listings for kennels and catteries in the UK that could quarantine pets coming to the UK.  http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/

willowandoak, have you seen this? it's a better and possibly cheaper option to quarantine, the Pets Travel Scheme.

http://www.uk-yankee.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=mov;action=display;num=1036177903

Well they beat me to it WillowandOak! Hope it's of help.

Where are you from in Arkansas? I just had a new baby cousin born in Ash Flat a couple of weeks ago. Arkansas is awesome!

My computer is doing funny things :-/ sorry for double post.

..... We aren't looking for status or huge tracts of land or a big house or gobs of money. It's really more a question of personal and spiritual satisfaction. So... on to finding the hoops!

Thanks for the reality check. ....

It sounds like the UK will be your little piece of heaven!  :-/

BTW Do have a look for British recruitment and real estate ("estate agent") web-sites, so that you can get a better handle on your likely income and housing costs.  

You may find that life anywhere within 50 miles of London is out of your price range as even modest housing can be frighteningly expensive - I sold a very ordinary 750sqft / 2 bed row house (i.e. adjoined on both sides) in SW London last summer for $360,000 ..... and the same property today is probably going for well over $400,000!!    Apartments in the same area are likely to be at least 75% of that price too.

.  I have no stats to prove it, but it seems that the sucessful ones are often those who have a spouse from the UK, or other family ties.  

IMHO, those who make a move like you are more likely to be dissatisfied.  I'm not sure where in the US you are from, but British houses may be a lot smaller than you are used to (few are more than say, 1,500sqft), and more expensive (across much of the country you'll pay $150,000 or more for a modest 3bed/1,000sqft house in a "nice" area), and many other things are much more expensive, but without correspondingly higher salaries.  You won't find many cars for less than $20,000, and something like a Honda Accord will probably start at over  $25,000.

Ok, I've been going over  this one in my mind, and I have to say that I really don't agree.  People have been immigrating all over the world for centuries, for all sorts of reasons.  Theres really no reason to think that people who immigrate for love are any more successful than people who immigrate for a dream.   As a matter of fact, I think the opposite would be true.  After all, you're pinning everything on one person, one relationship.  And if everything were to go pear-shaped, your reason to be there may not be .  
And as for this idea that Americans can't be happy without a big house or a new car.  Well, frankly that strikes me as a stereotype.  We lived in a flat outside of Boston-where we payed astronomical rent and drove second hand cars.  We now live outside London in a nice but smallish house that we love.  But the thing is, we live outside of London-which is a great place to live.  My kids have had fantastic experiences and opportunities that they wouldn't have had growing up in a big house in rural PA.  It's all about what works for you.  Truly this is a decision only you can make, but I say if it's something you really want then go for it.  
Another thing is, my experiences with midwives and the NHS has been excellent.  They are  very respected and do a wonderful job.  

I agree, Mindy, one of the things my husband and I are so excited about is not needing a car, and the ability to live a simpler life, not having to have so many posessions, etc...I also know that you can still but used cars there, as some friends of ours puchased theirs for about 3k pounds, and our best friends also just bought one of about 12k.  We like the idea of taking long walks instead of going shopping, stuff like that.  We also agree with you about the weather, Willow, we absolutely loathe the horrible S FL heat and can't wait to go somewhere where it's actually NICE to be outside.  I've also made each of my three UK trips in early spring, and although I was a bit chilly (it snowed on my first two) I thought it was GREAT.  (I am terrified about my first winter, having lived here in the ^&$% tropics for 10 years, but still looking forward to it!)  Mr. Val, if you could understand how thrilling the idea of having SEASONS again is to someone who has lived so far south that there aren't any, you would never wonder about our ability to take the weather again!
Our house here is what in England would be called a "bungalow".  It's barely 800 square feet.  It has a tiny tiny yard where nothing grows because nothing will grow down here (OK, citrus trees and tropical plants will...but tulips, daffodils, lily-of-the-valley, most rose varieties, and vegetables won't).  Luckily, we bought this house 5 years ago, and so will double our money when we sell (that's our stake to move with.)  If we were trying to buy this house now, we would pay over $100k for it.  It is a two bedroom one bath house.   We also face here the horrors of the "Homeowner's Association", which is basically a group of people that you have to pay money to so they can refuse to allow you to do anything on your own property.  
Good luck Willowandoak!  Have you checked the immigration website's (IND) info on programs for nurses etc to immigrate?