Hi all, I’m thinking of buying a 5 bedroom house in Abuja. My intention it will be geared to much more retirement where I will be living. I lived in abuja before relocating in 2019 and I’m currently 31. Do you think it is a wise decision. The developer says 80m naira but 18 month payment plan. My plan is have some investments to make me retire early (FIRE). After retiring then live in naija.

Xanderlex:
Hello Everyone. Need advice. I'm into IT working full time 8-4 in manchester. Bills back home and other responsibilities are building up. What other side hussles can one do? I thought of combining this with care jobs (part time from friday night to sunday morning). How feasible is this? Also, referals for part time care jobs within manchester would be helpful.

If you are not on a sponsored visa just find a high paying job. What IT field are you into?

Don’t carry anything for any body. Don’t.
How can you be coming to nairaland and asking for delivery with all thats going on.

Anyone working in london hybrid and living outside london?

I secured a role which would require me coming in twice a week during my probation period. Also I beleive the human interaction with my manager is good for the first few months to have a better bond.

My plan is spend a night in a hotel every week with my commute being just back and forth from outside the city weekly.

Two questions -

Where can i stay once a week for 3 months asides a hotel? Are there people I can pay to stay once a week close to paddington?

For people in this situation that don’t want to move to london. How do you navigate this predicament?

How does one get a credit card?

Experian is asking for 3 years uk address which I don’t have.

Also can I get a credit card if I’ve not lived here that long.

I added rent to creditladder.

I’ve don’t basics like NI, electoral role. So what else?

IamE:
Just wondering which unskilled job pays that high.

Sorry sir. I didn’t know you were unskilled. But you do have a degree right?

IamE:
Hello guys,
It's barely 1month since my Visa came out. I had to cause a little traffic by sending multiple job application to uk indeed.
I use my wife's current address and phone number coz I am currently in Nigeria.(joining her soon)
I got some rejections, did 1or 2 interview
Finally got an offer at one of the companies as a fraud analyst.
9am - 5pm (remote after 3months training)
£10.6 pH.
Please big brothers n sisters with experience. Do I take this job or turn it down.
I am eyeing something around £12-14 pH.

,

Too low. Aim higher.

From my calculations thats like 20k p/y

Alternatively, I recommend you take the job while you keep applying to other roles. Don’t put it in your linkedin or cv yet as recruiters will see you as a flight risk for wanting to jump ship. But keep applying to see if you can get something above 30k p/y. When you see something better you bounce.

Use paypal to pay pay someone in pounds while paypal converts. Its the best deal.

abubarakat:
Stop applying for a while. Everytime you make an application, most of the vendors perform a hard credit search on your credit history. This leaves a mark on your credit file. Multiple applications in quick succession will make you look desperate and potentially in a bad financial state.

If you haven't lived in the UK for long or have credit facilities with a few vendors, your best bet is to apply for credit building cards. When I first arrived in 2017, capital one credit building card was my first card with £250 limit. Immediately It arrived, I started using it for everyday shopping and paid everything in full a few days later. I did this for a few months and got my limit raised to £1,200. A few years later, I now have a credit limit of £12,000 for one of my cards.

Also, you should be using vendors with soft credit check facilities. This gives you a success/rejection probability of your application, if you were to make one.

You should also open an account with ClearScore. Their app gives you an indication of vendors that have you pre-apporved for their cards.

Note to thyself, use your credit card wisely. It is not free money.

missjekyll:


You kidding? Cheltenham is pretty posh. Gloucester is full of artsy , hippie shops.

I ve only been on day trips ,mind.

Dope. Thanks. Looking for friends in the area

Any one know much about Gloucester/Cheltenham? Is it nice?

Viruses:
Below is my experience at Qatar airport that may not be seen as a risk but may get you into a watch list. Also, you really do not want to experience it for your own sanity.

Before traveling, we got several advises to go with malaria drugs; that there is no malaria drug in UK and that if the small malaria parasite in our body manifest, no treatment, we will be isolated, so wifey got some sachet of coartem and paracetamol and put them in her handbag.

On getting to immigration at Qatar, I was holding her handbag because she was carrying baby, seeing that she was with a baby, she was allowed to pass without hindrance but I and her bag with me with my own bag was scanned. While her bag with me was being scanned, the scanner sounded an alarm indicating the presence of illicit drugs, see the way these guys focus attention on me, I con be like celebrity. See the way they were making calls, took my passport and ticket, made several documentation, instead of me to be scared or worried, I was like shey na on top Coartem them dey form activity like this?

Then a female officer asked me if I was with any drug, I said no, they cleaned the scanning instrument and scanned everything again but there was no second alarm, so they began to make calls again and I overheard them saying things like "false positive, negative ..." and then they asked me to pack my things and go. My wife was already worried because she was observing from a distance. They still took some of my data and made certain documentations though.

So if you have gotten such advice and plan to go with any drug for any reason, think about it well. For me, I don't think there is any illness that is beyond these guys, so don't bother yourself too much with over preparation.

Have you seen nhs queue in hospital? I stayed waiting to see doctor from 9am to 4pm. If small coartem fit prevent that stress I don’t mind. But yes think am am well. I traveled with antibiotics, box of panadol and malaria meds in my box without issues sha.

TheGuyFromHR:


Bolton, Oldham and Leicester are definitely Asian.
Boston is virtually eastern Europe.
I wonder why Leeds, Plymouth and Southampton are on that list..
As for Barking, I would have thought it would be higher, lol.
and I didn't see Birmingham - by reputation alone, it should be there.
Along with Newport in Wales.

No Scottish location on the list, I see.

I thought newport was cool. Plenty bristolians who commute back and forth live there.

StarMonkey:
Hello Everyone, thank you for all the contributions.

I'm a Data Analyst and I work remotely with a firm in UAE. I couldn't move over there due to some constraints.

Now I've gotten an offer with a company in UK (London) and another offer with a company in Channel Islands (Jersey)

Honestly I'm confused and I need your advice to help me make a decision.

The UK offer is £2,650 higher than the other one.

I'm married with 2 children (3 and 1 year olds)

Thanks

Please what tech stacks do you use readers might be interested to learn.

Schoolhike:


Monzo has a feature called pot.
Check it out

Starling has saving space.

Seeing a lot of uk care giver ads in naija social media. Saying its quick sponsorship visa and you can come with dependant. How legit are these posts and anyone used them?

kaylov12:


Tesco app charges 8p/min, although it uses internet and generates some random numbers.

Skype is 10p per minute to nigeria.

ShalewaT:

Do you mean MBA isn't a productive course to study in the UK?

I kind of agree. If sponsorship is what you need. Mba, msc hr might not help you. Go for a skilled degree check linkedin and see for example, The internationals in the uni you got admission to did they get a job after studying same mba, msc hr with sponsorship and stayed back. Pay for linkedin premium and you have to dig deep and do in-depth research.

How long before one can apply for a credit card as an immigrant on sponsored visa. Which one is easier to get?

Ndessien:
Thanks my brother. I saw one on gumtree now. The
Asian guy said I can come for viewing this morning. Please, how do I know is not scam?

Just try to rent from an agency. Always the safe bet.

Ndessien:
Please house, help your sister. I am seriously looking for 2-3 bedrooms house or flat urgently. In Swindon, Chippenham, Corsham or Keynsham. I have tried Rightmove, Zoopla , Openrent, Gumtree and Facebook market. No availability till late December or early January.

Are you in amazon as I’m hearing lots of them looking in those areas. Try malmesbury if not use airbnb temporarily.

Anyone wants to buy $100 lufthansa voucher. Can be used and added to buying a ticket. Can sell for $90.

Googledrive12:


I have a BA voucher: my brother bought the flight ticket as a gift I bought another without knowing he already bought me one. BA said they can't refund us cash but I can use or transfer the ticket voucher to anyone , it is worth $689 most be used before October 2022. I will give it out ... with a discount of 100 dollars . Please anyone interested should send me a message . I need Christmas money abeg .

Sold yet?

Specialtee:
Hello all.

First of all I want to say thank you to all who keep posting and providing those of us who have newly migrated or planning to with so much valuable information. This thread, especially part 1 has been a treasure trove for me and my family. God bless you all.

Secondly, I will like to contribute this important information, as my own way of helping out as well. It comes in form of a warning, Please do not send your BRP to the DVLA at this time in the name of applying for a provisional licence, if you have any intentions of travelling or using it to apply for work within at least 6 months. There are terrible delays at this time, people are having to cancel weddings, not able to visit sick parents, not being able to get a job or work etc because the DVLA is holding their BRP or passport and there is no way to contact them to send it back earlier. A quick Twitter search will show you hundreds of people who are crying out of frustration with only bots giving them standard replies. My advice is not to apply for your provisional licence yet, enter bus, train and uber and postpone your application till you don't need the BRP for at least 6 months to even a full year! Also when you do send it, pay extra to send it by special delivery signed for mail ( to and fro) so that if anything happens along the way, you have evidence it was sent to them and also that you included a signed for, self-addressed envelope to them to send it back.
I also applied and my BRP has been with them since August, I am hoping and praying they return it soon by God's grace because the matter has now become one that requires God's intervention.

Omo this is facts sha. I am still waiting for mine applied in July. Estimate was 2 months but lets see. I have a trip for January so I dey hope dey e come out oh.

DeeOneBangin:


Pla who can shed more light on this new development of living in the uk for 185days before applying for provisional license.

I used to understand that one can apply at any time.

Not correct. You can apply for it as soon as you have residency.

Googledrive12:



Chief what's your stack?

Python, postgres, airflow, dbt

dupyshoo:
I can't agree more with the bolded. I have seen some contractors (even Nigerians) that copy other people's CV to apply for roles they cannot deliver. They usually put "Senior" in front of their CV when they have not even done Junior role before. A lot of them last only 2-3 weeks. They move from one contract jobs to another.

There are some contractors that I respect though cos they are very knowledgeable and I learn a lot from them.

Lol omo no be lie. Contractors can be hired and fired at any time. I remember one indian guynin my team. He was there for like 1 month and it was supposed to be 3 month contract. Next thing after one day I no see am again. No goodbyes nothing. Manager lowkey cut him loose sharply. But the baba was dull sha lol. I don’t even know how they hired him.

Contracting money dey enter eye sha but I no go lie, I wouldn’t want to want to be without a contract gig. Plus cos them call you for interview no he guarantee of the job. Last time I interviewed a contract role. The live coding session with 2 devs were a bit of a mess as it was timed with no time to focus and think critically. Imagine doing that every 6 months. Etc For some contract dev roles I think its live coding sessions as hiring is too quick for take home tasks. Might be wrong so someone enlighten me.

dustydee:

For me in my 2 contract roles so far, it's been 1 interview each. The second role was 1 and half. The half was for them to see me in person and lasted less than 20mins because I extended it with my questions so that my transport fare will not waste.
That's one of the advantages of contracting. I hate long recruitment processes.

Modified.
Actually all my jobs in the UK, Permanent and Contract have been 1 interview only.

I’m guessing its not IT right? Everyone always says job security. Has there been a time when you didn’t have a contract gig.

Any contractors here? How many interviews averagely do you do to land a role? Any advise on jumping from full time to contract?

Aphrodite007:


I don’t agree. CELEBRATE everything. You left a country with no opportunity to a foreign place, why shouldn’t you celebrate your first call, or interview or second interview?

We get more with thanksgiving. Also, my friend that grew up here and is a head of his department celebrates being called for interview, just because he is happy to be interviewed, even if for just the experience.

Let’s learn to not be entitled. Tech is great, tech is easier to get into. Also, you’re human, celebrate your little wins.

Interviews are not wins. You ll get to realize this in due time. Let me just say. In my opinion.

Aphrodite007:


The civil service is happily hiring DS et al. They should check there.

Good idea. But they want sponsorship. I dont think civil service sponsors. For those with papers navigating civil service or tech jobs should be a breeze with solid experience.

Yes just to add. As regards the IT thing. Be prepared to do lots of interviews to nail an offer. Nothing is guaranteed. Please don’t celebrate having an interview. Don’t even celebrate your second stage. Or your technical or even the coding challenges or take home assesments. The worst is those test gorilla where camera will be on. Or those ones where 2 guys are watching as you code. Trying to poke holes in every thing your code.
Offer letter is the koko just take your interviews as learning stage. Everyone can say data science this and that, why not django developer, or devops. But e go shock you how them they reject. But you just have to keep going.

Another pro tip for places like amazon, google and facebook don’t apply for more than 2 job openings on their sites. When you do get an interview and unsuccessful. You need to wait atleast 6 months (amazon), facebook (I think 3) before making another application.
You can scatter your cvs up and down but don’t apply to these big companies like a mumu. Even if you change email, algorithms dey to flag you out.

check www.itjobswatch.co.uk

Here you get a break down of tech jobs in uk. Also check glassdoor. For glassdoor download the mobile app i think its more convienient and you can read about the interview and company info.

jtech17:


Thanks for this though... well will see if I can switch to the civil engineering or construction .. .. ive been researching and researching about these job sponsorship possibilities though..... but Mr code breaker are you currently in the UK... can you recommend IT courses.. will do research on them and see which is easier for me to switch to if I cant do the civil or construction

Masters portal then you can redirect to the school link. Ask your school mates that have gone to the uk.