ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomWhat was the transition like?
I'm experiencing first-hand the problem with US employment laws after Alex was laid off earlier this month with only five days' notice and a severance that didn't even cover the rest of the month's pay. It's a little scary! We are so fortunate that his parents live nearby and are being very supportive. I couldn't have asked for better in-laws.

Fortunately I managed to find a duvet my first day here in BB&B. The local IKEA also has a huge selection. I was quite surprised, if there's anywhere you don't really need a duvet it's in California (such beautiful weather we've had!). It was the first thing I wanted to buy - I get so cold at night and Alex only had a couple of old blankets.

I've actually found the transition easier than I expected, though granted I've only been here a couple of months. I rarely get commented on my accent, but then nearly everyone I have met or socialise with is either an immigrant themselves or has travelled extensively in Europe. It's actually crazy how few people I have met have actually lived all of their lives in the US.

There is a British food store here that carries the few items I can't find in the regular supermarkets. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by how much is actually available in the regular supermarkets and you also find other things in unexpected places - for example, Costplus carries quite a few McVities biscuits.



Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2009-01-28 05:04:00
United KingdomNew Flavors of Walker's Crisps
I'd love to try the chili chocolate - I've mixed chocolate and crisps before, and hey, chili goes with chocolate very nicely.

But then again I imagine rocks is correct and it probably doesn't taste anything like chili chocolate at all.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2009-02-16 17:05:00
United Kingdomwhile waiting for green card
Oh - and networking! If you plan to work as soon as you have your EAD, this can be really valuable.

It's certainly hard to know where to start, though. Fortunately I have a wonderful mother-in-law who, as a preschool teacher, gets to talk to a lot of parents, quite a few of whom are recruiters/looking to hire in the future. Alex and I are both pretty shy, but we've still forced ourselves to attend parties and gatherings, as making connections is always valuable.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2009-02-20 04:04:00
United Kingdomwhile waiting for green card
So far I've done several things:

- Completed a few games. wink.gif I finally have access to a 360 and the backlog of games that comes with it (I'm not very good at them, though, so by 'few' I really only mean 'two').
- Study! I'm learning accounting.
- Long walks. I also sometimes walk a friend's dog.
- Babysitting for my landlady.
- Fortnightly D&D roleplaying session with a group of people down in Santa Cruz.
- Odd 'jobs' here and there; for example one day I cleaned out my MIL's kitchen cupboards.
- Rearranging the apartment - last week we spent four days at IKEA and then assembling furniture and unpacking boxes.
- Catching up on TV shows.

Overall I've been kept quite busy with things here and there - I've spent far, far fewer hours in front of the TV/computer than I thought. Certainly far fewer than when I was in the UK!



Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2009-02-19 21:22:00
United KingdomTaking furniture or Personal Possessions to the USA?
I didn't have any furniture worth taking with me, but I certainly don't regret bringing over 12 boxes of personal items, books, DVDs, etc. I consider it inexpensive (less than a plane ticket) and it saved me the hassle of having to sell everything and then buy new copies.

The boxes took twelve weeks to arrive, and only one thing was damaged/broken (a glass, which is always risky anyway, but I liked my glasses).

I thought all the forms and everything would be super-complicated, but in the end I packed everything up and had it shipped out in less than a week, and I encountered no extra fees/problems with customs other than a $50 x-ray. It was fun to unpack it all at the other end! (I gave exact cost and other details in the thread linked on the wiki page).
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2009-08-02 03:34:00
United KingdomRenewing British Passport
Here's the link:

http://ukinusa.fco.g...k/en/passports/

and the forms:

http://ukinusa.fco.g.../passport-forms

It looks as if you'll be using the C2 forms.

The address to send the form to is:

The UK Passport Service for the Americas and Caribbean
British Embassy
19 Observatory Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20008

EDIT: Too slow! Oh well. They're taking a bit longer now so apply asap.

Edited by Alex & Rachel, 09 February 2010 - 06:11 PM.

Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2010-02-09 18:10:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
Six months. However, on packet 3 the embassy quite clearly states that for visa purposes they will accept them as being valid for one year. smile.gif
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-07-23 13:07:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
I am sorry to hear that, Bex! And yes, I'd have it done at the Knightsbridge clinic in that case, too.

Fortunately my doctor's surgery seems very clued-in. I've been really impressed with everyone I've spoken to there so far - I've had bad experiences with doctors before but this clinic seems very professional. The nurse has been exceedingly helpful.

The prices she quoted me for the HPV are exactly as follows:

Ceravix £189.16 (for two doses)
Gardasil £174.98 (for two doses)

She did some research for me and apparently the Ceravix protects against two strains of HPV and the Gardasil protects against four, so she was very surprised that the Gardasil was cheaper! That's what I've ordered and I'll have that next week.

She also said that she'd have no problem obtaining the Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis, (TDaP) and that it would come with Polio also. However as an adult I have to have a lower dose of the Diptheria so that needs to be special ordered too. (The dose they give children is apparently too high for adolescents/adults to cope with).

She even said that the Varicella is now available in the UK, but I don't require it anyway as I had chicken-pox when I was younger.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-06-09 04:40:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
Just to add to what others have said, my nurse, too, quoted £80 per injection for the HPV vaccine.

However she was able to give me the MMR no problems; didn't have to consult a doctor or anything. So that's one down!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-06-02 05:18:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
Thanks! That's what I'd assumed but it's always best to make sure. star_smile.gif
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-05-14 12:33:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
Quick question; sorry if it's been asked before. The police certificate application form asks you the country you are visiting and the UK departure date. Is it okay if the exact date is not known yet to approximate?
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-05-14 10:40:00
United KingdomOfficial HPV Vaccine/New Police Certicate Thread
Thank you, Jeraly good.gif

Sucks that I'll have to get the HPV vaccine - I'll hopefully have completed AOS long before I am 27. I just have to work out whether it's going to be better getting the vaccine here or in the US - it may be cheaper in the US, but I'd to get as much as possible out of the way before I emigrate.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-03-19 17:40:00
United KingdomUSD-GBP exchange rate
I have just been paid for three months' work this week that I was hoping to send to Alex as soon as possible! sad.gif To lsma and anyone else who was planning on sending money - you have my full sympathies!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-11-12 15:47:00
United KingdomSo my cat (who belonged to somebody else) is legally mine as it happens
Good for you for fighting for your cat! I'm glad to hear it was successfully resolved.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-05-13 17:23:00
United KingdomWhere the hours turn into days, and the days turn into weeks!

Here's a heads up tip for you: Your greencard will be for 2 years only. Then you have to file for removal of conditions. Yes more money and forms. But with it you have to document the whole two years of your married life showing you live together and co-mingle your lives and money. So get a shoebox or folder and toss things in it that show both your names or photos with friends/family. Otherwise two years down the road you may not have a copy of a 2011 joint bill, or bank statement, or boarding passes from trips, or car insurance form, or cards mailed to Mr./Mrs. You don't have to have every one but a smattering from the beginning of your marriage, middle, and right up until you file is helpful. Then when the time comes, you'll have a handy collection of documents you can organize into a ROC packet.

:thumbs:

I must confess I didn't do this. Fortunately I have easy access to all of my records at work, and we had moved within the past six months and I have a copy of our lease. Without either of those things, I would have been in trouble!

Good luck to all of you who are waiting! Believe me, once you have that visa in hand time will fly past (well, it has for me...) and soon you'll have forgotten how agonizing the wait is.

Oh - and make the most of your time in the UK! I swore I'd be back every year, and so far it's been a year and a half since my last visit and when I next go, it'll probably only be for a week. Flights are hellishly expensive these days and American vacation policies suck! :crying: One thing I am really glad I did is spend a lot of time with family & friends before I left.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-06-16 17:50:00
United KingdomBritish views on emigrating to America
Ugh, root beer! :dead: It tastes like soap to me. Alex loves it, though.

I've actually found the immigration process easier than I thought - it always seemed to me that it must be near impossible to become a US citizen, but on a family-based visa it does not take long at all!

Most all of my non-work friends Alex and I actually met through the same forums we met! Two of those people are now our roommates, too.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-07-11 12:45:00
United KingdomBrits in the USA
Woo, thank you!

California's popular, indeed.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-02-20 12:29:00
United KingdomBrits in the USA
I'm not there yet either, but it'll be:

Rachel (UKC - Sheffield, UK) & Alex (USC) - San Jose, CA

There are lots of us in California biggrin.gif
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2008-01-28 04:31:00
United KingdomAny of y'all homesick?
After living here for nearly three years, there are only a very few things I have not been able to find:

- golden syrup/black treacle
- good-quality joints of lamb at a decent price, including things like lamb's liver
- Jaffa cakes! I can find McVities digestives, rich-tea and all kinds of Jaffa cakes substitutes/rip-offs, but not McVities Jaffa cakes (or, I think I did once, but they were INCREDIBLY stale!)

Pretty much everything else, from all varieties of chocolate to good bacon/sausage, bread, biscuits, the particular brands of curry pastes/chutney I like, even mint jelly (for the non-existent lamb), jelly babies, etc., I've been able to find, even if it is in some specialty market at a ludicrous price. Then again, I'm fortunate enough to live in a heavily urbanised area.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-07-28 12:46:00
United KingdomAny of y'all homesick?

- Lastly: allow him to rant! Being stranded in a country where you don't know exactly how things work without your normal network of friends and family to ask for help can be incredibly frustrating and then even a little thing might trigger a tirade of how much better everything is at home. Should he start a rant like that, let him vent and try not to get defensive / insulted by him attacking what is normal and right for you.


This is really important! I don't get too homesick (and there are many things I enjoy far more in the US!) but every now and then I feel like a mini-rant, even if just to remind myself that I am still British. ;) Considering that 99% of the time I am full of nothing but praise for the US I don't feel like it's too much to ask. :)

It also bugs me when Alex or my housemates 'correct' me. 'I think we ought to have a herb garden' - 'you mean an 'erb garden?' Usually ends with me saying rather irritably, 'no I do not!' I already use a lot of American words where possible - sidewalk, elevator, truck, faucet, etc. - in order to be understood better, but I don't think any American is really going to misunderstand me if I pronounce the 'h' in herb! I know they're only teasing, but it's still irritating!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-07-19 11:52:00
United KingdomThe Big Day
I hated my dress. Fortunately it was only £50 in the sale, and I only had to wear it once (what happened was, I'd been shopping very briefly to look for dresses - my mother insisted on a 'traditional' style - and hadn't liked any of them. I went back home, and a couple of days later my mother rang to say she was concerned that I might not have a dress, and so she'd used my birthday money from my aunt and uncle to buy the 'best' of the ones I'd tried on. I was saving all the money I possibly could, so I figured I may as well wear it).

Most people I know who have a registry office wedding still wear a wedding dress - really, it's up to you! If you have a dress that you like, excellent, and I'm jealous. ;)
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-05-23 14:38:00
United KingdomCheap phone calls to the UK ?
To phone to the UK I would use Skype. I last topped up my Skype account over a year ago with 10 euros... I phone my parents for 40+ mins once or twice a month, and I've only just used up my credit! I have it on my mobile, and use it to call their landline.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-05-23 14:32:00
United KingdomDebt in the UK when you move to the USA?
Do you really need to inform your bank?

I never have... I have been making regular payments on my UK credit card by using paypal (I just transferred $500; according to Google at today's exchange rate that's 305 pounds, I got 298 pounds - doesn't seem too bad to me). I still have a UK address linked to my UK bank and I find it easier to just use my UK bank card when I'm over there.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-08-24 16:59:00
United KingdomUK Debt in USA - Relaunched Topic
I use paypal. I got a good exchange rate (very close to that given on google that day) and paypal charged just $2.50. So, yes, paypal is a little cheaper.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-06 10:36:00
United KingdomWorried but hopeful
Congratulations! :D

Hope there's equally good news from Tumbleweed, too!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-13 10:06:00
United KingdomSetting up a call
I find howtocallabroad.com really useful; it allows you to input any two countries and get the correct code. :)

Dialling 00 + 1 + phone number should work. So, for example, 0014085550942.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-14 10:24:00
United KingdomMedical
For me, about twenty minutes - and that included being in the queue! Very easy. But it really depends on where you're flying to, what time of day, and who you get. I flew to San Francisco, where I have never been hassled, and I landed in the evening, when it was relatively quiet.

Are you having a layover? If so, I'd leave at least three hours, especially when going through immigration.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-15 13:37:00
United KingdomDual Citizenship question?
aorobert, as I understand it you DO have British citizenship (depending on how your father obtained his citizenship):

If you were born outside the United Kingdom before 1 January 1983

If you were born outside the United Kingdom before 1 January 1983, you became a British citizen if, immediately before that date, you were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and had the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

You may have had citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by descent from a father who had that citizenship, or because you were registered or naturalised as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.


Source: http://www.ukba.home...p/bornoverseas/

Also, although my children will be British citizens automatically, as I understand it my grandchildren cannot, unless my child (their parents) decides to live in the UK for a period of at least three years:

A child will have an entitlement to be registered under section 3(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 if:

they were born outside the United Kingdom; or
they were born after 21 May 2002 outside any of the British overseas territories; and
they were born to parents, one or both of whom are British citizens by descent; and
the parent who is British by descent was born to a parent (the child's grandparent) who was a British citizen otherwise than by descent (or would have been but for their death); and
the parent who is British by descent lived in the United Kingdom at any time before the child's birth for a continuous period of three years*; and
during the period they were living in the United Kingdom the parent was not absent for more than 270 days; and
the application is made before the child's 18th birthday.


Edited by Alex & Rachel, 19 September 2011 - 01:48 PM.

Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-19 13:48:00
United KingdomUKers, beware of CANADA!
I just have to say, every time I see this thread's title I have to laugh!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-09-22 11:43:00
United KingdomWhat time to join the queue?
In my experience they were really lovely and friendly at the embassy. London is definitely one of the best embassies in which to be having your interview!

Best of luck!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-10-03 13:52:00
United KingdomWhat to wear to the interview?
No need to! A nice pair of trousers and a button down shirt sound absolutely fine. He may be more comfortable in them than a suit, anyway.

As I remember most people wore semi-casual clothes. I remember wearing jeans and a tank top (well, it was summer!) and not looking out of place.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-10-06 14:27:00
United KingdomFinally! We have our date!
Congratulations!

It's a pity you won't be together for Thanksgiving - definitely my favourite American holiday. :) But there'll be plenty more years to come!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-10-13 13:29:00
United KingdomInterview Review - London Embassy
Congratulations!

Most people do seem to only have 3 or so questions asked of them at the London embassy. I had 15! It was still a very pleasant experience, however.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-10-18 16:32:00
United KingdomWhy did you decide to make the move to the USA and not the other way?

Plus, ive always loved America, whereas Nick's not so keen on England (cant understand why people are always rushing about!)

I think just the opposite! The one thing that perhaps drives me a little crazy here in the US is how fast-paced life is. Stress has caused me all kinds of problems! I presume this all depends on where you live, however. :)

I 100% cannot stand it here. Born in the lowest sector of society, not expected to go to uni so I didn't, nor did any of my friends, raised in poor northern town, no prospects, had to live in low rent housing, plagued by, teased by chavs, been called a spastic more times than I can remember because of my disability. Set up an importing business that got plaugued by tax and ridiculous import taxes, went to live overseas for 4 years, loved it there. Came back because I met my husband to pursue whatever visa we could get, been supremely miserable for 2 years and not earning half my potential thanks to aforementioned import taxes.

I hate this country but IMO the aforementioned "unfettered immigration" is the best part about it. The anti-foreign feeling makes me want to leave the most. Lord only knows how somebody on an immigration forum can complain about immigration. :/ Gotta hand it to the British to do just that.

:( Hopefully you'll be in the US and enjoying life very soon!

Barry and Jackie, I also feel that the standard of living is a little better. I was discussing this with my coworkers (also immigrants; in the two jobs I have worked here only 5% of the workforce have been American-born!) and they all feel the same way. My only two gripes with the US are healthcare and education. Unfortunately they're two very important things!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-05-13 16:54:00
United KingdomWhy did you decide to make the move to the USA and not the other way?

And the weather.

Sunshine in California is grand ;-)


I hear you on this!

I originally came for a multitude of reasons:

1. Money! Salaries are low in the UK.
2. I have a degree, and my husband doesn't. He wished to continue school (and he's still going... I've also returned to school! Boy, working full-time and attending school full-time is fun, I tell you)
3. I had itchy feet! I can't stay for too long in any one place. :) I thought, hey, why not a new country?

Now... I'm staying for the weather. At first I thought we might return to the UK some day. But I am currently still too in love with California to contemplate it!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-05-02 16:03:00
United KingdomInterview Questions??
Well, I have all of the questions they asked me listed in my timeline, but I interviewed just over three years ago now; not exactly recent!

But you can certainly look at the embassy review page for London, a lot of people tend to give a quite detailed write-up of their interview experience, including questions asked. :)

Edited by Alex & Rachel, 02 November 2011 - 10:07 AM.

Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-11-02 10:07:00
United KingdomFor UK only please!!
No. :)
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-11-30 12:16:00
United KingdomBread Pudding Recipes from the Old Country
Good question... I love my mother's bread pudding but I'll have to wait to ask her for the recipe! However, I can't recall that, apart from sultanas, she adds much else to her recipe.

Now I've been reminded that I haven't had bread pudding in several years! Certainly not since before I moved here. :o
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-12-01 18:25:00
United KingdomWell, my interview is tomorrow
Hehe, everyone's already said what I was going to say! London really is an easy-going embassy.

Good luck for tomorrow!
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-12-01 14:54:00
United KingdomAmazon & UK Treats
Pickled onion Monster Munch is the best!

Bangers = sausages (proper sausages). My preference is to grill them, mm.
Alex & RachelFemaleEngland2011-12-15 13:46:00