All this anti-immigrant stuff is scaring the crap outta me

they wanted to hire Scottish first (understandable)

I am not sure this is understandable.

If I am going in for an operation, I don't give two hoots what colour the person is...I want them to be able to put it all back in the right place. That's all.

If I order a pizza I could care less if if the server says Bon or Bueno. I just don't want a cheese skimper.

If I own a BMW repair shop I am going to hire the person who can fix BMWs.

Sorry, I meant I could understand them wanting to give a job to a *qualified* Scottish person before, say, giving it to a qualified American. But, I was one of two Americans on our team and we were not always treated fairly. It was all quite subtle, though.


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No, I understand where you are coming from....

And we all have little biases and stuff....it's true...

For instance, I am a little suspicious of a skinny cook. I see these famous chefs and they are always skinny and angry. I think they are angry because they are around all this good food but haven't eaten. A Philly steak and cheese would probably take the sass right out of Gordon Ramsey.

Healthy musicians bother me a little. It's some sort of Joe Piscapo effect. I mean somebody like Jarvis Cocker....he's thin but not buff....and that is OK. But Chris Martin? Hasn't written a decent song since he took up yoga.

Well, first of all I'm scared of being denied the visa but after that it's the acceptance thing.  I am concerned about getting a job offer, being a foreigner and my age may work double time against me and yeah, it's just not comfortable to not be liked because of my ancestry (gee I know no one else knows what that feels like    Here though, in Louisville, my husband has met 0 negativity.  People LOVE him.  If I had a penny for the number of times people have said "I could listen to you talk all day" to him I'd be a wealthy woman. Not to mention the patience it has taught me on how to keep my hands to myself and not rip other women's hair out of their heads for openly flirting with my Scottish husband when I am sitting/standing right there!

Well, if you're moving anywhere outside of London be ready to have random people tell you "I could listen to your accent all day!" I can't tell you how many people I've had tell me that since I moved here in Feb 2014!

Well, if you're moving anywhere outside of London be ready to have random people tell you "I could listen to your accent all day!" I can't tell you how many people I've had tell me that since I moved here in Feb 2014!

Yep. I previously lived in Staffordshire, in a relatively small town area. I got so many accent compliments, especially at work (I had a part time job at Bonmarche). Even one of the cashiers at the Co-Op down the street addressed me as "the girl with the beautiful accent" whenever she saw me lol.

I never really encountered any anti-immigration stuff while over there. No one has seemed to mind it and most all have been nice to me. All my coworkers were lovely except one, who made a couple snarky comments about America in front of me once and was often unhelpful and grouchy towards me. I don't think she was necessarily anti immigration though- just rude.  Our boss had issues with her too. But hey, there's bound to be at least one bad egg in most workplaces

LOL, sonofasailor. Completely agree about skinny cooks. How do they resist?! At least Nigella is reassuring in her curviness.
Did Chris Martin take up yoga after A Rush of Blood to the Head? I only like the first two albums.


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I am not sure this is understandable.

If I am going in for an operation, I don't give two hoots what colour the person is...I want them to be able to put it all back in the right place. That's all.

If I order a pizza I could care less if if the server says Bon or Bueno. I just don't want a cheese skimper.

If I own a BMW repair shop I am going to hire the person who can fix BMWs.

Please share where the cheese skimpers are, as we don't want that.   

Well, if you're moving anywhere outside of London be ready to have random people tell you "I could listen to your accent all day!" I can't tell you how many people I've had tell me that since I moved here in Feb 2014!

Well I sure hope so, it's my hubby's turn to have to stomach that for a while  In all seriousness I've never experienced anything but the utmost respect and kindness everywhere I've been in both Scotland and England. Admittedly never spent a lot of time in London but I prefer York.  Never ever miss a trip to York when I'm in the UK, not since 1999 

Please share where the cheese skimpers are, as we don't want that.

No one likes a cheese skimper! There's a pizza place I've been going to for some 30 years (since childhood) famous for their loads of cheese and every once in a while when a new person waits on us and we order extra cheese on our pizza they feel compelled to explain to us how much cheese they already put on their pizza. That's when I launch into the every servers nightmare of how the owner used to make my pies I've been coming here so long. I know they want to punch me in the throat lol oh well,  SHUT it and put on more cheese!

Well I sure hope so, it's my hubby's turn to have to stomach that for a while  In all seriousness I've never experienced anything but the utmost respect and kindness everywhere I've been in both Scotland and England. Admittedly never spent a lot of time in London but I prefer York.  Never ever miss a trip to York when I'm in the UK, not since 1999 

York? I haven't been to the middle of York since about 1986......and I only live about 15-20 miles away. I am NOT a very good tourist. I'll take the Nidderdale anytime.

On another note......a real classic thing happened to me a couple of days ago. My morning walk of 5 miles I take down the Nidd Gorge near where I live. Towards the beginning of my walk where I first get down next to the river I find a guy in wellies standing next to the river looking like he's about to commit suicide (just kidding).....his dog is tied up to a post right next to him. He has a huge tree limb that he is leaning on and he is staring at the water. We start talking and of course he notices that I am American.....and of course I can't help but ask what the heck he is doing. He says yesterday his wife was down here with the dog with a new £10 dog toy/ball and she threw it in the river thinking it would float.....nope. His wife made him come down this morning to get the damn thing back......his comment was literally....."I'm a Yorkshireman and that thing cost £10". He ended up a little over the top of his wellies and we both thought it was a bit silly......but he got the toy back. Ya gotta' love this place.....

I'm UK born with a US accent and am not treated with suspicion, in fact people are very interested in my "immigration history".

I don't think you'll encounter any problems, being slightly different makes you more interesting!

From my experience most Brits are horrified when they learn about all the stuff we immigrants have to go through just to live here.  Of course, they assume that those of us from the dominions/former colonies have a free pass.  They have no idea what the actual rules and regulations involve.

And this is the reason that immigration is so often and so easily used as a political footlball... Perception.

From my experience most Brits are horrified when they learn about all the stuff we immigrants have to go through just to live here.  Of course, they assume that those of us from the dominions/former colonies have a free pass.  They have no idea what the actual rules and regulations involve.

That's been my experience.   Everyone assumes that my wife can just get on a plane and come live in the UK (I'm UK citizen born and raised in the UK).  They're absolutely shocked when I tell them we needed 65 grand in cash savings, and nearly 1500 pounds for the application ... and then need to do the same again in 2.5 years.(I don't have a job offer in writing for the UK so cash savings was our only option).

To be fair most Americans assumed that when I married my wife I would immediately become a US citizen.   They know little of I130 adjustment of status, advance permission to travel, waiting 2 years for a green card, HIV testing, TB testing etc.   Nor do they know that admitting to having smoked marijuana in your youth could get you permanently disbarred from the US, spouse or no spouse (one of the most ridiculous aspects of the war on drugs)

As a Brit living in the US for 18 years I've found Americans extremely friendly and welcoming.   I sincerely hope my wife will find the same of my fellow Brits when she arrives in the UK at the end of this month.

Very true.  I'm always surprised at the number of people who stumble upon this forum and are surprised about the rules.  People often think they have freedom to move anywhere in the world.  Especially if there is a relationship involved.