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My husband and me are considering a move to London three months from now. Although we are really excited about the move especially based on the good times we have had vacationing in london, i want to make sure that we make the right decision both from career as well as personal life perspective. So here is the current scenario:
1. We are very keen on living in central london. we have a 4 year old who will soon be ready to be enrolled in school. So essentially, we are looking to be in a neighborhood which has the british charm, kid friendly (good schools, parks, children activities) and have its share of cafes and restaurants. We are budgeting GBP 750 per week rent (excluding council tax) for a 3BR flat. What neighborhoods can we afford based on my above 'must haves'?
2. What are the other big monthly expenses should we consider while budgeting and negotiating pay package? We do not want to own a car.
3. Debatable as this may be, but any reasons why we could regret our move from NY to London?
Well, first off, does one of you have a job to go to with all the visa issues in hand? If so, where abouts is it ? Do you want to be within walking distance of it ? If not, how far are you willing to commute? Are you sure you want to pay $50,000/year rent ? You do know that the US-UK no-double-taxation rules only apply to the first $90,000/year and even that will be taxed at UK rates ? How long are you thinking of going for ? a year, 5 years ? Will you want to put your child into an American school or a British school ? state or private ? There are lots of things to consider !
What visa issues are you referring to? Maybe I am not in sync with the latest. Also we are not US citizens so I do not believe the double taxation rule will apply to us. But we do have a pending permanent residency application so not sure if that will trigger the double taxation rule on income above $90K.
We certainly do not want to spend more than 45 minutes in daily one way commute. My husband will be working in Canary Wharf so I am thinking living in the vicinity of Jubilee Line would reduce the commuting time. Any ideas?
Its tough to say how long we will be there. I guess it depends on how much we love or hate the place when we actually move. The relocation is though intended to be long-term.
Since my child is not yet in a school, I think I do not have any preference on American or British school. I think for all practical purpose I would like her to be enrolled in a British school. State or private - I am guessing that would depend on what we can afford. Here in NY, private can be pricey.
Do you mean a pending permanent residency application to the UK or the US ? Are you EU citizens ? If so, there are, of course, no visa issues. But, regardless, I would check out what tax arrangements exist between the UK and whatever country you are citizens of to see what limitations there may be. The $90K rule only applies to US citizens.
I would check out Greenwich if work is in Canary Wharf - see Neighbourhood Statistics for SE10 | UpMyStreet (http://www.upmystreet.com/local/neighbours-in-se10.html - broken link)
My husband will be on a Tier 2 visa by way of Inter-Company transfer. My understanding is that as a dependent of a Tier 2 visa holder, I am also eligible to work in the UK. Also, Inter-company transfer category is excluded from the recent limit that has been imposed on number of visas that can be issued annually. I hope I am not missing something crucial here but we were not considering work visa as a deal breaker.
Thanks for the tip on taxation, we will certainly look out for implications of double taxation on our finances.
My husband will be on a Tier 2 visa by way of Inter-Company transfer. My understanding is that as a dependent of a Tier 2 visa holder, I am also eligible to work in the UK. Also, Inter-company transfer category is excluded from the recent limit that has been imposed on number of visas that can be issued annually. I hope I am not missing something crucial here but we were not considering work visa as a deal breaker.
Thanks for the tip on taxation, we will certainly look out for implications of double taxation on our finances.
Can my dependants join me in the UK?
Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner and children under 18 can join you as your dependants in the UK if:
they have a visa for this purpose and
you can support them without any help from public funds. You need £533 for each dependant accompanying or joining you in the United Kingdom, and that money will need to be in your, or their personal bank account for a minimum of three months before the date of their application.
Your dependants will not be entering under the points-based system. They are entering as the dependant of a points-based system Migrant.
Partners (married, unmarried, same sex) must intend to live together and the relationship must be subsisting. They must be maintained and accommodated in accordance with the section on Maintenance (Funds) and your partner must not intend to stay beyond any period of leave granted to you.
If your dependent child is working full-time or earning enough money to support himself/herself, it is unlikely that he/she will qualify for entry to the UK as a dependant. Dependent children must also be able to demonstrate that they have not formed their own independent family, are unmarried and not leading an independent life. If a dependent child has previously been married or formed a civil partnership, or lived in a relationship that is similar to marriage or civil partnership, he/she will usually be considered to have formed an independent family and will not be eligible to enter the UK as the dependant of their parents. Although dependent children may seek employment whilst in the UK they must remain financially dependent on their parent to qualify as dependants.
With your budget you should be able to live fairly centrally. I would try to get utilities/council tax included in the package.
You need to think about where the next move 'could' be before enrolling your child into school. It will help with the next move if they are working towards the same exams etc. If you are planning a move back to the US then an American school would make sense. Will the company pay school fees for private school?
Where are you from originally ? With a child so young I would first look for schools that you would like him/her to go to and then move to that area. It will make getting them back and forth easier esp without a car!!
I didn't expect my thread to become active after 8 months! Anyway, thank you for the tips. We are now few weeks away from our move, so no room for further negotiation. Visas came through. We got the school confirmed for our lil' one, and will be looking for a house in the same neighborhood as we don't want to own a car. But I have to admit that I am not finding much for 750 for the size I am looking for. Might have to up that a little :-(
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