Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

You'll have to join our meetup group!  if you are on Facebook, search for Americans in Reading Wokingham UK.   

I vaguely recall seeing someone else mention a group on Facebook, but I take what other people on the different US-UK forums say with a grain of salt. I don't think I really thought it existed cause of that XD

Hi!

Email stating receipt at Sheffield on April 23rd...no further contact...

Ugh I figured. I had figured they might close even earlier cause my local council has a habit of "closing early" at 4.30 on Friday.

We have a flat in Reading. Half my stuff is still there Realised I left like all my summer clothes there lol

I'll be in Reading as well! Small world. What's the commute back and forth into London like? My husband seems to think it will be terrible, but I don't think it sounds too bad. My commute to work here is 45 min to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on traffic, and there I wouldn't be driving so I could read or whatever.

We plan on moving into London when our lease is up, as that's where most of our friends have ended up. So I really wanted to avoid the temp job in Reading for 6 months and then having to job hunt again when we moved to London. Moving into London when one of us would be out of work would be a bear as well...

I'll be in Reading as well! Small world. What's the commute back and forth into London like? My husband seems to think it will be terrible, but I don't think it sounds too bad. My commute to work here is 45 min to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on traffic, and there I wouldn't be driving so I could read or whatever.

We plan on moving into London when our lease is up, as that's where most of our friends have ended up. So I really wanted to avoid the temp job in Reading for 6 months and then having to job hunt again when we moved to London. Moving into London when one of us would be out of work would be a bear as well...

Good luck with temp job hunting in Reading. At least in my field, there isn't a lot so I had to do retail for a while. Which wasn't bad for six months.

Personally, I don't think the commute is bad cause I'm used to driving 40 min to my nearest grocery store in the USA. I did the trip between Reading and London every day for like two years. For me, the TOTAL time it took from home to where I was in London was an hour including walking everywhere. And I definitely took the time to read. I got through like 40 books one year- a personal record!

Pro-tip: get the month commuter ticket from National Rail. It's about £500 up front for the month, but it covers your commuting into and out of London at peak times as well as the Tube. It's really worth it when one round trip ticket is £50 (or £33.50 with a 16-25 railcard) daily, and you get to skip the ticket purchasing queues.

And I agree. It's super expensive in London if only one person's working. We chose Reading cause it was directly between my uni and my husband's uni. Now, he has a job in Reading for the next two years so we're a bit attached to the place. XD Living in London would be nice for me and my job prospects but a pain for him.

Edit: The actual train travel time between Reading and London Paddington is about 30 min on a direct commuter train. There are a few that will take longer which stop at other towns between. Reading to London Waterloo is about an hour if not longer.

KFdancer: Just sent my request to the Facebook group. Had to wait for my birthday boy to go to sleep so I could get back on Facebook. 

Hi!

Email stating receipt at Sheffield on April 23rd...no further contact...

Welcome to the waiting room, take a seat and wait for your number to be called  >:]

love the spreadsheet! thanks so much for posting it! will certainly keep everyone updated.

I'll be in Reading as well! Small world. What's the commute back and forth into London like? My husband seems to think it will be terrible, but I don't think it sounds too bad. My commute to work here is 45 min to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on traffic, and there I wouldn't be driving so I could read or whatever.

We plan on moving into London when our lease is up, as that's where most of our friends have ended up. So I really wanted to avoid the temp job in Reading for 6 months and then having to job hunt again when we moved to London. Moving into London when one of us would be out of work would be a bear as well...

I always need an hour and a half door to door when I need to go into London.  But my office was first by Borough Market then moved to the City on Leadenhall.

Yeah, the train ticket prices are insane.  And you NEVER get a seat!  Hopefully your company covers travel expenses, especially if there are two of you.

Yeah, the train ticket prices are insane.  And you NEVER get a seat!

Agreed on both accounts.

Agreed on both accounts.

If you can afford it, buy your tickets a month at a time. For me it saves $30 a month to do it that way. Would probably save more if we did it for longer.

If you can afford it, buy your tickets a month at a time. For me it saves $30 a month to do it that way. Would probably save more if we did it for longer.

Totally agree! I sort of described it above but the actual price break down:

At the Reading station, you can buy a "season ticket" for a month of National Rail and Tube services for about £500 a month.

When the daily price of a round trip peak ticket (peak trains travel usually between late 7ish - 9:30 AM and 4-7 PM) is £50 a day. So in two weeks of M-F travel, you'd already meet £500. Buying the travel card is already saving money if you're planning to work in London cause you'd be travelling during peak hours at some point. Monthly price (without travel card): £1,000

Even with the discounted railcard I have, the same daily ticket was £33.50. At the end of the month, you'd spend £670 a month.

So the railcard is a big saver of £170.

Link: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/season_tickets.aspx

I did a load of budgeting at the beginning of this year. £170 is basically our council tax and monthly food budget without splurges. So that's really awesome to save.

For example, the food splurges being my hubby decided that he really wanted to try out some Easter candy and Skypes me with puppy dog eyes going "I couldn't decide." And the fridge is full of chocolate eggs and bunnies.

Which is why I'm the one who budgets for the month including travel lol

Just had an email from UPS saying a package had been delivered to my door.

Got sooo excited like "WHAT?!"

Turns out my mom bought me a shirt and put my email on the tracking info.

 

Totally agree! I sort of described it above but the actual price break down:

At the Reading station, you can buy a "season ticket" for a month of National Rail and Tube services for about £500 a month.

When the daily price of a round trip peak ticket (peak trains travel usually between late 7ish - 9:30 AM and 4-7 PM) is £50 a day. So in two weeks of M-F travel, you'd already meet £500. Buying the travel card is already saving money if you're planning to work in London cause you'd be travelling during peak hours at some point. Monthly price (without travel card): £1,000

Even with the discounted railcard I have, the same daily ticket was £33.50. At the end of the month, you'd spend £670 a month.

So the railcard is a big saver of £170.

Link: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/season_tickets.aspx

I did a load of budgeting at the beginning of this year. £170 is basically our council tax and monthly food budget without splurges. So that's really awesome to save.

Holy Hell!

I lived in Lower Earley, near Earley Station and later in Wokingham back in the '90's. I worked around Holborn in London and I took a coach from Winnersh Triangle to Victoria Station daily return and then a quick tube to my job. It was slow and cost around £200 a month total. I would have taken the train to Waterloo but it was more costly at £300 and just as slow. I ended up quitting my job because of the amount of time it took me to get to work and back and found a firm in Reading instead.

I cannot imagine spending so much money on transport now. My husband and I were discussing returning to Wokingham in a few years time because we loved it there. I'm rethinking that option now. That commuting cost is insane!


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Holy Hell!

I lived in Lower Earley, near Earley Station and later in Wokingham back in the '90's. I worked around Holborn in London and I took a coach from Winnersh Triangle to Victoria Station daily return and then a quick tube to my job. It was slow and cost around £200 a month total. I would have taken the train to Waterloo but it was more costly at £300 and just as slow. I ended up quitting my job because of the amount of time it took me to get to work and back and found a firm in Reading instead.

I cannot imagine spending so much money on transport now. My husband and I were discussing returning to Wokingham in a few years time because we loved it there. I'm rethinking that option now. That commuting cost is insane!


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I agree. I have no idea what the price of transport between Wokingham and everything else is now cause I really only travel through Reading, but it's extortionate. Especially if I want to ride the bus to the station on top of everything. Which is normally why I walk everywhere.

If I could get a job closer to me I would just to avoid all the travel costs.