Los Angeles --> London: Logistics of moving to a new country

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

Expat life- Round 2 to London!

Back in 2013, I moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area to Singapore all within 4 months, so having almost 2 months to prepare for London seems like a lot of time, but there's so much to do.

Here's my to-do list, to share with you as much as it is for me to keep track:

Photo by Henning Witzel on Unsplash

Wrapping up life in Los Angeles

• Leaving current job- 7/27 Last day!
  • I'm working up until the bitter end because I need $$$. Thankfully, I have a very supportive manager!
• Finding someone to take over my room- Done
  • Craiglist is awesome! That's how I found my current apartment and how I found someone to take over the room.
• Transfer my car lease- In Progress
  • Another shoutout to Craigslist!
  • I didn't realize that breaking a car lease means that you have to pay the rest of the lease term. Thankfully, I was about to find someone to transfer the lease to. But, the process is taking longer than I expected since California's title change takes a long time.
  • Also, need to cancel car insurance
• Packing up- In Progress
  • I've donated SOOO many clothes and things. The goal is to be able to move there with 2 pieces of luggage and 1 carry-on...let's see how that goes.
• Book the flight- Done!

Photo by Luca Micheli on Unsplash

Prepping for life in London

• Apply for UK Visa (T-4 Tier) In Progress
  • After gathering all the required docs, I submitted my application online and scheduled a biometrics day. Then I mailed my application into the NY office. (submitted all within 1 week)
  • Processing time: 15 days
    • Expedite service is available.
    • Con: The only way to track the progress is through a paid service
  • Upon arriving, will need to:
    • Pick up the biometric residence permit (BRP)
    • Register with the police
    • Register with NHW (Hospital close to you)
    • Apply for European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
    • Apply for National Insurance Number
• Find a place to live In Progress
  • Check Facebook to see if there are groups available for where you're moving to. For me, there was an LBS page that I joined and am looking for a room with other LBS students.
  • London specific:
    • Typical to work with agents, which will include an administration fee on top of deposit & first-month rent. Often, references are also requested.
    • There's something about local council tax, still looking into this.
• Open a bank account Researching
  • Need a way to transfer $$$ internationally (with low cost)
    • Revolut
    • Monzo
    • Transferwise
• Cellphone Researching
  • VodaPhone
  • Three
  • Giffgaff

Any advice on moving to London? Is there something I haven't thought about? Share with me :)

---

Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://joybeingjoy.com/?p=3911

---