Hello! Our family of 5 is moving to London!

Hi, Everyone!

Two weeks ago today, my husband was approached by a former colleague about an opportunity to move to London.  In that time, he's flown to London to interview and now been given an offer we can't refuse!

Assuming the work visa goes through as they expect, he will start work in June, remote for 2 weeks and be in London for 2 weeks, alternating through July.  The entire family will likely move over the first week of August.  In that time frame, we plan to sell our house and 95% of our belongings (including the new minivan we JUST bought!!!)

As you can imagine, my head is still spinning.  I will be leaving behind a 15 year career as a genetic counselor (though I found out that job does exist in the UK, spelled with an extra "l"!) and will focus on getting my kids settled.  The kids are 11(g) and soon to be 9 year old b/g twins.  My biggest worry is getting them into a decent school.  Everything is working against us in that regard and any guidance you might have is appreciated!!!

We are looking for housing within a 30-45 minute radius of the Piccadilly or Oxford Circus stops.  Potential locations have included Richmond, Chiswick, Earlsfield, Willesdon Green, Hampstead, and Crouch End.  I'm open to other decent neighborhoods within the hoped-for radius, if you have suggestions!   I've been getting quite familiar with www.rightmove.co.uk [nofollow] .  We have a decent housing budget of up to 4k a month for a 4 bedroom.  I expect to have half of our current square footage, but at least a small bedroom for each of us to have as a haven.   

Once we are settled, it will be nice to connect with some US expats, but I am also excited (and nervous) about embracing the culture of our new country.  We hope this will be a long term move and we plan to make the most of it.

Any tips and advice you have for helping older kids adjust to new schools and education systems, or for me to figure out how to manage laundry for a family of 5 without a dryer, or anything else, please share!

Thank you in advance for such a great resource!  I already jumped onto a post about schools and am so impressed with how helpful people are!

- Andrea

Welcome! 

Welcome!

Have you been to London or the UK before?

Dryers: my fiance has a rack that he dries clothes on and opens all the windows in his flat to get them to dry faster. So there's this option but perhaps you might need more than one for such a large family.

Dryers: my fiance has a rack that he dries clothes on and opens all the windows in his flat to get them to dry faster. So there's this option but perhaps you might need more than one for such a large family.

They have a good housing budget. With that amount to spend, they will hopefully be able to find somewhere with a tumble dryer. 

Welcome!

Have thought about renting out your US house a selling it? (At least initially). Just gives you an easier option to return should you not like it after trying it (unless you’ve been and know it’s right for you). I would just suggest that - unless you have to (which it doesn’t sound like you do as you’ll be qualifying with a work visa) - you hold off on selling the house as this is all so new and seems to be going so quickly that you might not get a chance to process properly before the move.

All very exciting though! Can’t say personally as I’ve not lived there but Richmond - I hear - is great!


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Chiswick is very nice as well.

We used to be good friends with a family that came here through work.  They lived in a giant house in Richmond, stayed for two years or so.  They had a fantastic time.

Welcome!  Wow, selling your home!  I take it this is a permanent move then? 

No real advice on London.  I've always heard good things about Hampstead for families though.

Where are you moving from?  Sometimes that can help us give you an idea of where would be a good fit.

Welcome and good luck getting settled!!

I can confirm that there is probably a need for more genetic counsellors in London, so hopefully when you are ready you can get any qualifications required (I don't know if there are any differences) and continue doing that if you want to

Have thought about renting out your US house a selling it? (At least initially). Just gives you an easier option to return should you not like it after trying it (unless you’ve been and know it’s right for you). I would just suggest that - unless you have to (which it doesn’t sound like you do as you’ll be qualifying with a work visa) - you hold off on selling the house as this is all so new and seems to be going so quickly that you might not get a chance to process properly before the move.

We did briefly consider renting our house, but the reality is that we will likely not move back to our current area, even if our time in the UK ends up being just a few years. But we are also hopeful that this will be a long term move.

We currently live in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  I won't lie, we have a great house, excellent schools, and a social net we have built up over 10 years.  But we have also started getting the "itch" to try new opportunities.  Staying here would be safe and easy.  But having the opportunity to experience another country and travel in our down time?  It's a terrifying adventure, but we are up for the challenge!

Welcome and good luck getting settled!!

I can confirm that there is probably a need for more genetic counsellors in London, so hopefully when you are ready you can get any qualifications required (I don't know if there are any differences) and continue doing that if you want to

I am SO EXCITED to find someone who has even heard what a genetic counsellor is!  I have been looking into regulations in the UK and figuring out what it would take for me to get a work visa (I think I am able to get one because my spouse will have one?), so I will definitely be exploring that option once we've transitioned.

Welcome to the forum .

I am SO EXCITED to find someone who has even heard what a genetic counsellor is!  I have been looking into regulations in the UK and figuring out what it would take for me to get a work visa (I think I am able to get one because my spouse will have one?), so I will definitely be exploring that option once we've transitioned.

You won’t need a work visa .

You will have a Tier 2 dependant visa which is tied to your husband’s work visa and which allows you to work without restriction from the day you arrive in the UK .



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Just to note though, that on a Tier 2 Dependant visa, you can’t take employment as either:
- a professional sportsperson
- a doctor or dentist in training.

See here for more information:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/791595/SWS_Dependant_Guidance_03-2019.pdf


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We did briefly consider renting our house, but the reality is that we will likely not move back to our current area, even if our time in the UK ends up being just a few years. But we are also hopeful that this will be a long term move.

We currently live in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  I won't lie, we have a great house, excellent schools, and a social net we have built up over 10 years.  But we have also started getting the "itch" to try new opportunities.  Staying here would be safe and easy.  But having the opportunity to experience another country and travel in our down time?  It's a terrifying adventure, but we are up for the challenge!

As long as you’re both committed I jumping into this headfirst with no life vest, you’ll be fine! If anything, it’ll be a push to make you stay and sort things out first if you’re unsure of how you feel after moving.

Wishing you the best of luck!


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Just checking that he's being issued a Tier 2 General visa?  And not a Tier 2 ICT?  There's a big difference between the two and I'd hate for you to be caught off guard.

Hopefully you guys love it here.  Moving in the summer will help A LOT. 

Welcome to UKY!

London will have lots of opportunities, and many charities have counsellors as well.  Do you specialize in a specific disease or group of diseases?  Specific population? 

You'll likely need to be registered to be able to provide genetic counseling in the UK (or genomic counseling, which the NHS is keen to use as a more indicative and comprehensive representation of what you do).  If you haven't already, check out the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellers (AGNC) and definitely the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board (GCRB).  You might need to have your degree(s) assessed for UK equivalency by UK NARIC as well. 

Some healthcare registration boards are very strict (?stubborn) about their requirements - especially in regards to education qualifications.  A degree from a US school may not always be considered equivalent to a degree from a UK school.  Sometimes significant practical clinical experience is accepted if the US degree is considered "lesser" than the UK degree, but sometimes not and the board will be adamant you complete specific UK education modules before they'll register you.  You might be able to sit an exam if there's concern about degree/experience equivalency, or they might still want you to complete the top-up classes.  Hopefully, it won't be too difficult for you to register if you want to. 

My area of healthcare science is notoriously picky about what they will accept, and many international practitioners are advised to re-do their degree specifically with a course accredited by their professional body.  Even some UK entrants are advised when they try to register that their UK degree wasn't from their accredited courses, so they should re-do their degree and/or take the accredited top-up classes.  (we actually think it's as much about making money as ensuring quality of service)   

http://www.agnc.org.uk/
http://www.gcrb.org.uk/
https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/

And to echo KFdancer, if you're looking at this as (hopefully) permanent, make sure you guys have a Tier 2 visa, and not a Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa.  The latter (Tier 2 ICT) does NOT to permanent residence and you'll have to leave the UK at the end of it.

Sounds exciting, and best of luck with the move!