Hello everyone,

Thought to share this. Especially if you've been paying £50 per child per month for school meals.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/providing-free-school-meals-to-families-with-no-recourse-to-public-funds-nrpf

Good morning everyone, apologies for derailing.

Please does anyone know if the big difference water discount offered by severn trent is public fund? I've searched and searched but can't seem to get anything on it. The customer care team also doesn't seem to know anything about it. Please help if you can.

Mamatukwas:


Post this on the main thread as well. So people who use their service can advice.

Thank you. I'll do that now

Good day everyone,
Please does anyone know if the big difference water discount offered by severn trent is public fund? I've searched and searched but can't seem to get anything on it. The customer care team also doesn't seem to know anything about it. Please help if you can.

Mamatukwas:


You want friends who aren’t related to being your kids into the UK? If that’s what you’re asking, I’d say it’s probably possible with a lot of detailed paperwork and will most likely invite close scrutiny of the entire traveling party.

Why risk it? I’d advice you make arrangements for yourself or a blood family member to bring them if you can.

Cheers.

Or, book unaccompanied minors tickets for them. Then be at the airport waiting when they arrive. This was what my friend did. Kids were 13, 11 and 8

tushqueen:



Thanks for the details. I can't drive manual at the moment. Do I need to look for an instructor before booking the practical test. I tried to pick a date for the test so I can plan driving lessons towards it but couldn't as requesting for instructors details. Is that your experience as well?

You can skip instructor details and continue. That part is not compulsory

tushqueen:



Was it manual exam or automatic. How many lessons did you take please. I know I'my not you, just trying to figure out what it takes on the average

I took manual. I could drive both from nigeria and when I was searching for cars, manual cars were cheaper. But half way through my lessons, I got a bargain on auto but decided to go ahead with manual lessons and test.

I started my lessons in march and had 3 hours(twice a week) lesson every week till I did my test on 2nd June. Some weeks had no lessons and some had only 1. So I'm not exactly sure how many I took. I took so many lessons cos I heard Birmingham was a difficult place to learn, similar to London. If you're in a quiet city, you mat not need as many lessons.

bunsuq:

Will do same to. Driving and having my own car is one of my condition of employment

Very necessary. Like someone said in one of the groups, having driving experience from naija is a disadvantage here.

bunsuq:


Wow, congratulations. Did you take driving lessons in UK?

Yes I did. Took lessons like I was a totally new driver. Had to unlearn all my lagos driving

DeeOneBangin:


I’m not sure because I believe there is.

https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement/eligible-visas-when-applying-inside-the-uk

Thank you

Celebrate with me people. I just passed my driving test! Passed at first attempt!

DeeOneBangin:


Not sure there is much to say since I’m already here as a dependant.

Okay so the plan was to get post study visa (£2000 each) after my wife’s masters and then hopefully she gets a tier 2 job and if unfortunately she doesn’t then I will have to switch to do my own masters so we can extend our stay in the country.

Then the uk government announced the new carer visa (6145) and I decided to give it a try. Thanks to nairaland, I used the “uktiersponsors” website to search and filter out care homes and domiciliary care agencies that just got their sponsorship license and I was able to land several interviews because I was already working in the sector as a support worker. Las las I landed two job offers and I picked this one that I currently work with. I have been working here for over a month now, first salary don drop sef. Didn’t have to wait for visa to come out since I’m in the country already.

Interview Date: 17/03/2022
Offer Letter: 04/04/2022
CoS Assigned: 13/04/2022
Visa Application: 14/04/2022
Biometric: 09/05/2022
Visa Decision: 30/05/2022

It’s a 3 years CoS, though my offer letter says it’s a 5 year contract. I used Ecctis as English language requirement and my employer ticked the maintenance section.

Wow. This is very nice to read. Congratulations once again. Really happy for you.

Please do you know if priority option is available for those applying from inside the UK?

DeeOneBangin:


No I didn’t have to cancel. But now that I have a new visa, the former one that I had becomes invalid automatically. Home office said I should use scissors to cut my current brp and post it to them.

Oh great. This eases my fears. So I don't have to cancel myself. The new visa will override the old one. Thank God. Thank you so much for your response.

DeeOneBangin:


My visa came out this morning.

Student visa dependant to Health and Care worker visa.

To those expecting, yours will be out too by God’s grace.

Congratulations!

Please did you have to cancel your visa before applying for the care visa?

domin8:
You can check for going rates here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupation-codes

Thank you!

Good morning all,

Please I have another question. I'm currently on Tier4 visa, which means 20hours per week work. While waiting for my Tier2, can I start working full time? Will my Tier4 need to be cancelled before I apply for Tier2. I'm only left with my thesis and I intend to finish it. I just want to know how it'll impact my new job.

Thank you

dee1504:


Then, its eligible for sponsorship.

Thank you

Mamatukwas:


Try asking in the Uk Immigration thread if you haven’t gotten an answer.

Thank you

dee1504:


The code of the job role you are referring to is 4159 which is not open to skilled worker visa. Its salary band is Band 2 and 3 which is below the minimum for sponsorship. However, since you are already in the UK, there is no harm is trying. Just be honest about your visa status, your prospective employer should be able to advise you.

No, it's a band 4 salary.

Good day everyone,

I apologise in advance if this has already been answered. Does anyone know the minimum salary requirement for nhs admin role to qualify for sponsorship for someone already in the uk on tier4 visa?

Please help a sister.

Hello people,

Please does anyone know the minimum salary requirement to qualify for tier2 sponsorship for nhs admin roles?

Ticha:


If I'm not mistaken, to do that, the child must not have an existing visa linked into an existing passport. Once they have the passport of another country even if they haven't travelled out of the UK, that automatically means the visa restrictions of that country applies to them. That's my understanding so you'll need to clarify.

Oh okay. I'll dig deeper. Thank you

LagosismyHome:


How long were you out for?... but typically it allowed

It will be nice if its allowed o. That's over a thousand pounds savings each time we renew

LagosismyHome:


How long were you out for?... but typically it allowed

He's 8 now. Used to be resident here, so I already had nhs number and co. Came to have him with visit visa, paid and went back. But we've been coming to the uk for holidays every year since he was born, except during covid, and now we're back as residents (student visa)

LagosismyHome:


If they are born in UK then I am 100 percent sure you don't need a naija passport for them because I have a friend who didn't put her kids until they got ILR and till date they don't have a naija passport ( I just asked her), only British she did ... so you might need to recheck google or maybe the birth certificate is sufficient for a British born

Please, my first was born here. Though we've gone in and out of the UK as visitors.
We're back now under student visa. Does this mean I don't have to add him when we're renewing? Or ut will affect us because he's gone out before?
Can we renew without him and just wait till we get ilr and apply for citizenship for him?

Susom:
I stated that he was not joining us as he was working and resident in Nigeria, that was the only reason I stated for him not joining us anyway. He wrote a letter saying that as well.

Well, it’s possible there are rejections also but my point is , it’s not impossible as I was approved to come in without my husband
Also, I didn’t come on a student Visa, I don’t know if the approval would have been different.

I know it can make the application process difficult but it’s not impossible that’s why I shared my own experience. However, I wish we applied with hun because he has now been travelling with Visit Visa ( some Point of entry officers can make this difficult with questions about his job or why he is always coming into the Uk) and also if your partner applies with you, making switches to depend on each other interms of visa types can be easier.

Having said that please apply with your partner @poster even if he wouldn’t be resident here but for easy entry.

For my renewal I will add my husband as I now have another baby.

Yes, I think it's because it wasn't a student visa.

Also, people that are allowed on student visas without their spouses are those married to military personnel's. You'd need to add a consent letter from the partner that's not applying and also write a letter explaining that he's in the military(with Proof of course) and he can be posted anywhere at anytime. So kids will be more stable with you.

isialo:
Im' widowed and coming to the UK hopefully by Sept. with my 2 kids ages 6 and 10.
Do I require sole custody order or my late Husband's death cert can suffice. Secondly, how easy is it for a parent with kids without the other partner to school and work in UK.

Your candid opinion is highly solicited please.

A widowed friend came to the uk this January with her kids. So let me chip in what she did, might help.

She was asked for the husband's death certificate, funds for nanny/carer for the child that was under age. She has 2 teenagers and 1 8 year old.

She also got interviewed by ukvi and was asked about the funds, why she wants to go, why she wants to go with the kids.

She said funds were from late husband's Estate, she doesn't want the children far from her since she's the only surviving parent they have, then she was asked about her course and statement of purpose too.

Ticha:


It's not just trades though. There are apprenticeship routes to many professions. I know that Network Rail for example will take 17/18 year olds for an Engineering apprenticeship. They qualify 3/ 4 years later with a qualification, good wages (above 24k) and 3/4 years experience. Of course there is a ceiling to promotions and growth but those engineers can then head off to university for a conversion degree most times sponsored by their workplaces which then takes them past that ceiling. I have 2 friends that their sons went this route and by age 26/27 were earning well, had almost 10 years experience under their belt with a degree to boot.

for me.

You write very well. All your write ups are interesting to read.

obitryce:


My kids attend a Catholic school within my area and during the admission process there was never a time the issue of being a Catholic or not came up. In fact my second son turned 3 on the 1st of March and just started school on the 7th of March. Same Catholic school.

My area gives preference to baptised catholics too. They specifically told me this.

Ticha:


I don't speak my language at home because my husband is not Nigerian and of course does not understand the language. However, they all understand certain words and whenever I switch, my children sit up and take notice cos e mean say I don vex

My children are also mixed race so there's the knowing their culture from my perspective, their culture from their father's perspective and their culture as mixed British children who will probably be classed as black British especially my twin 1. Because we now also live in a completely different country temporarily, they're firmly third culture kids!

Few things I do:

1. Everyone calls them by their traditional names. They also call themselves by those names as well. At school, they use their first names which are English names but everyone - in-laws, friends, neighbours. They will correct people who pronounce their names wrongly as well which I love.
I enforce the Nigerian respect with a few allowances. So they can't call any adult by name. Some very close friends (very few) are Aunty and Uncle. Everyone else is Mr, Mrs or Miss. They must without fail greet anyone that walks into our home and respond when greeted. I encourage them to refuse body contact as they wish ie hugs, hand shakes.

2. Our night time reading includes books from home. We're currently reading Passport of Mallam Illiya. I talk about the north (which is where I am from), we locate the different places on the map and as I speak Hausa very fluently - I teach them some words in Hausa as well.

3. We have a library full of books from home and other African and African American writers. Their hands down favourite books are the Binti Series by Nnedi Okoroafor and she writes comics too which my husband loves.

4. We eat a wide variety of food and I always link it back to similar foods back home with the proper names and pronunciation.

5. All my work clothes - without exception are made from Ankara and so are their clothes. Luckily they don't wear uniform at their school either.

6. We schedule a 2 weekly video call with my siblings. It lasts for several hours and no, we just don't sit and talk. We do our normal household things as well. It means they have some sort of glimpse into life at home, see their cousins in their own home and space. This weekend's call, my sister was having a small get together so we participated virtually. There was all the greeting, singing, shouting - you know what our gatherings are like

7. I try to find suitable movies to watch - this is bit trickier as majority are not kid friendly at all. So we watch SA movies too.

8. I have very close Nigerians and African friends that share similar values. Luckily for me, I can speak a few Nigerian languages so will often speak Yoruba (by far the largest number of Nigerians I've met abroad), Hausa, Idoma (very rare to find them), Igala with friends we visit.

Little steps - it's not quite enough but we'll get there. We do have plans to go live in 9ja for about 2 years in the future. Of course that totally depends on employment opportunities as I can't imagine living at home and blowing through our savings for 2 whole years!

You're very intentional and this is quite impressive. Well done!

babythug:


I’ve never met a northerner married to a foreigner!!!!!

� a good number of northerners are married to foreigners. Not all northerners are hausas. And majority of those married to foreigners are not hausas, this is not to say hausas don't marry foreigners. I'm hausa, so I'm talking from first hand knowledge

kaylov12:


What works for one person may not work for the other.
Some women like are always say are super women, I don't know how they keep it together.
I work as a full time teacher with 2 kids under 8 as well, but I must confess, it is hard and not cheap. My 2 kids have to attend breakfast and after school club. They both don't eat Oyinbo food so I have to make hot meals everyday.
Schools will call to collect kids when something happens.
If any of them have to stay at home, I automatically have tot stay home as well. Childcare is a full time job on its own.It really is a draconian task to get through everyday.

I have sent SOS message to hubby. I don't know what may happen if I continue like this.

I'm not a super woman at all. Like I said, not as easy as I put it down in black and white.

There were several nights and days of crying and helplessness. So many days and nights I packed up and wanted to leave. But determination kept me. And like I said, it's getting easier. It's been a year, I still can't say how we got through. But we did. And I've somehow become a "counsellor and adviser" on the matter.

I've had days the school called that my kids haven't been picked up by the carer, which means dropping everything and rushing down. Unplanned cab fares, plenty challenges. But it's all about your mindset and what you are determined to do.

In all, do what works for you. Your sanity is the most important.