Newbie123:
Hi guys

Me again o.

Please I'm trying to apply for a CC but the application form doesn't have a space to input overseas address. Barclays card to be precise.

Any way around this please?

Also, is it advisable to
1) check eligibility first? My CS is 968
2) just put that I've lived in my current address for 2 years as against 9 months

I think this is very straightforward. Of course, where you can, always check eligibility first.

If it doesn't permit you to put your overseas address and insists you put 2 years residency, then it means that the eligibility criteria is "minimum 2 years in the UK". If you insist on getting a credit card, try others, there are so many of them. My Bank still tells me I'm ineligible for Credit card, last I checked but I have 2 Credit Cards from other providers.

As for your score being 968, that's very very high! With a score that high, you don't have to chase after credit cards.

Peerielass:


People tend to take offence easily here and it’s actually stifling and making discussions boring. I do wonder how some of us cope in the real world.

It's ridiculous. I have reduced my comments here.

Zahra keeps quoting me to explain how dependants are benefitting off the system. The same dependants they claim come in without fees and have to work so hard to pay up. Working hard = Paying heavy taxes.

Someone mentions his Salary and everyone goes crazy.

People are quite bitter about other Nigerians coming in

My advice is: Cry all you want, as long as it's legal, Nigerians will come in. When the UK stops admitting them, they will stop coming in. This thread doesn't support illegal stuff and every dependant entry to this Country is legal and approved by the Home Office. They thought long and hard before implementing the immigration policy that is letting students in(quite poor though). Australia, Canada, Germany, Poland are their competitors in this "supermarket of global talents".

On the Salaries, people earn well and I'm excited when I see people open up about their income. We all agree the average Salary here is really low compared to cost of living or income in US for instance and we immigrants can strive to get those high-paying roles if we have the skills (and many of us actually do). If you're in or around London, go for those £50k+ roles, there are so many of them. A good example is Business Analyst, the entry barrier is so low and you can earn well!

I will try to keep giving my long epistles of advice as I think I owe it to the thread. I learnt a lot in my first few months.

kwakudtraveller:

I’m a skilled dependant in finance and I’m currently earning £75k plus bonus. If you target 28k jobs that’s what you’ll earn and If you target 75k jobs and above and you are skilled, na wetin you go get.

£75k is neat! Not sure why some folks keep talking about dependants like they all pay little/no tax and enjoy "free" children school and medicals.

Peerielass:


😂🤣😂 in the same way that you’ve argued that schooling is free but people choose to go private. The brits can also argue that immigrants should stay in their country 😜, you don’t need to come to the UK. You can very well stay in your country. Nobody forced us to come here to study. We chose to come here out of our own volition and if the government changes the goal post halfway through the match, then we should just chin up and move👍

You missed the point we were trying to make but I don taya to argue

justwise:


Its all nonsense like i said before, let me make this clear just in case anybody misunderstood my stand on this..

I'm not against any govt controlling immigration and making sure that the system is not abused. That said... These politicians are worst than people smugglers, no shame, just about the money.

These Nigerians who are on the news for all wrong reasons did not commit any crime, they followed law to the end. They paid for every resource they are using.

Last year the UK govt allowed 163,500 Ukraines to move to the UK and provided accommodation and jobs for them all paid for by tax payers.

In 2021 they allowed 21,387 people from Afghanistan to move here to settle all paid for by tax payer

Ukraines and Afghans did not pay a penny into the system but Nigerians who paid their way here are being humanised .

They should change the immigration law quietly without blaming Nigerians for their incompetence and greediness

This sums it all!

Zahra29:


Lol me too, I'm getting tired 😂

I am tired jor. Was good conversation though. Everybody will be alright las las

Peerielass:


Sorry to digress but this reminded me of the argument in Part 2 of this thread about cost of living in London and Middlesbrough where I pointed out the person will be better off in Middlesbrough by the time they factor in school fees, high mortgage costs etc @Solumtoya commented to say schooling was free in London. I decided not to continue that discussion because it wasn’t worth my time. More than 22% of London pupils attend fee paying secondary schools and an average of 25% across the entire country yet we constantly paint all British people as poor and uneducated on this thread.

Schooling, and Healthcare is free in London and every part of UK till Tertiary. People pay for private services in London and every part of the UK so don't bring that Middlesbrough argument o I know people who pay for private education in remote parts of Wales. Londoners do it because they can not because they have to.

As for Mortgage costs, houses appreciate more in London than Middlesbrough. I know folks who bought "expensive" properties worth about 450k some years back, now they are getting offers of almost £1m. So don't pity such Londoners, as long as they bought right, they will be fine, my dear.

Meanwhile, I need to visit this Middlesbrough

Zahra29:


The bolded is very likely your own personal experience which doesn't reflect the full picture or reality.

International students currently account for roughly 18% of universities' income- (up from 5% a few years ago, but still not the main source of universities' income ).

The majority of British youth do attend university(or a degree equivalent scheme or apprenticeship) - but many might be aiming for higher ranked institutions such as Kings College, Imperial, LSE and so on, or seeking universities in specific locations in order to fully enjoy their uni experience. These factors are not usually high on the list of many mature international students, who typically seek out cost effective institutions with a large population of their own people, - so it is very likely that the two paths do not mix much.

This narrative that most Brits are uneducated and unskilled is not helpful or accurate. The vast majority of skilled and leadership positions are occupied by Brits. There might be a shortage in some industries like Engineering due to the historical relative unpopularity of STEM courses, but it is mainly the roles that are viewed as low skilled and/or low paid that Brits do not want to do.

I'm with you on this. That's just a sentimental opinion we keep pushing which isn't entirely true

Zahra29:


I agree - it's the entitlement that I've been trying to address. The UK doesn't owe a student the right to stay on indefinitely because they made the free choice to come to Britain to study for their post graduate degree.

What about international undergraduates who spend a lot more time and money here? Shouldn't they be first in line? But they do not even have a PSW equivalent to enable them remain/work after their degree and they have never had the ability to bring in dependents.

And again, no student plans to stay indefinitely... That would be illegal. They become skilled workers or go home after their PSW, so I struggle to see what entitlement or why people are crying foul like the students are sneaking in or remaining illegally.

Zahra29:


The government's view and policy is that international students are only here for a short time and then return home. It is the choice of the student to pay £15k to acquire a post graduate degree (undergrad students pay significantly more), which does not consequently mandate permanent settlement.

Obviously they are now realising that the intentions of postgrad students have changed, largely due to the increase in students from Asia and Africa who would rather remain in the UK than go home, which is why the govt is looking at ways to tighten the rules.

See below statement from Jenrick, immigration minister, made in the house of commons this week:

We have seen, historically, that the vast majority of students leave the country and go back to their home country to continue their careers and lives.
It is possible that the system that has evolved since 2019 will see different trends. In 2020, only 7,400 non-EU students stayed on post study and those numbers may be dramatically higher in the years ahead. It may be that the mix of individuals, the countries they come from - if these individuals come to the UK to study and then spend a period of time here on the graduate route, and certainly if they bring dependants, that we will start to see a significant increase in the number of people staying here, making a life in the UK and not returning home, in which case policies of this kind will become more important.

I wish we could leave this topic and move on.

BUT

The more I try to understand this way they are presenting this, the less sense it actually makes.

The narrative that "students are staying back" is very weird. They're not staying back illegally, they're applying for new Visas and are being granted! Doesn't the Government have a quota of visas to be issued per year?

These students are converting to Tier-2 so are they saying that if the students went back home, those Tier-2 slots won't have been filled up A Skilled Worker is a skilled worker, whether they came in initially as students or came as employees.

The PSW is the Government that grants it and they charge each human about £2k for it. You keep saying that the IHS doesn't cover the expenses for things like childbirth. I tell you that for each dependant that does a medical procedure like childbirth, there are 20 others who don't even ever use the NHS so the IHS is still a cash-out. Have you ever sat down to multiply the number of IHS earned through Visas granted and compare it with the total NHS budget, you will be shocked!!!

Even outside the IHS, the Dependents work hard and pay taxes that is used to fund the NHS so the whole "these dependents are using up the health resources" doesn't make sense. Same with education, housing, etc. The money earned from Taxes, Visa fees, IHS should be used to provide resources for legal visa holders.

Viruses:
I need info please. This 3 months requirement, is it the online application or the biometrics?

Application

Zahra29:


And it's not just family housing under pressure. It's nursery and school places which might be free to attend, but cost the gov thousands per child, NHS waiting lists etc - that's what causes alarm for a small country with inadequate resources/ planning to cater for the large increase in migration.

I have been avoiding this conversation but...

The nursery, schools, NHS, etc. are funded by the Tax paid by workers (dependents, citizens, etc) so it's not necessarily a free meal. These guys are working really hard and paying their Taxes legally.

Zahra29:



Imagine you invite someone to stay over at yours with no restrictions, so they're there as a welcome and legal guest/resident. Then this person gets married and has 3 children. Now it's a family of 5 and your house is still the same size. They're still staying at yours legally right? But would you not have a problem with the new state of affairs and even complain that they were abusing your hospitality?

You forgot to add that the stayover person pays you heavily for healthcare, feeding, accommodation and random fees per spouse and child you charged him and continue to charge to enter your house, etc. AND the person is not entitled to benefits or funds your other house members are entitled to. Infact this person contributing so much to your household and if he defaults on any of the numerous restrictions you placed, you kick him out.

You might have a problem but you might think twice before victimising the person.

profemebee:
you must be using a reminder

another question.. whats the ideal utilization for credit card usage? I see 25%, 30% and even 70% in my research

There's no exact number. A typical good spot should be somewhere between 5% and 25%

profemebee:
Hi Hi,

For the AMEX users here, pls what's the best way to make repayment ? do you use bank account (direct debit) or manually go online to pay via debit card?

Direct debit, please.

heroshark:


Can you please reshare, I want to bring in 5 pieces of senators/traditional attires, do they accept it or it's strictly foodstuffs?

You can call 08067212084 in Ikeja, don'twant to write his name or more info here. All I had to do was to go pick it up at peckham. The phone number I had to call for pick up was 07915243229. Their office address here is Covenant Air and Sea Cargo Ltd, 9 peckham Park Rd, London SE15 6TR.

You can also use Topship https://ship.topship.africa/login They can deliver straight to your home in UK.

There's also DHL.

I have a good personal experience with 3 of them.

lightnlife:
Good evening ooo.

Please has anyone shipped food stuff from Nigeria to the UK recently?

Please share details of the shipping company, cost and timeline.

Multiple insights are appreciated. Thanks

I have previously shared 2 Companies I have used here. I am trying a 3rd Company bringing in some Abacha and Ukwa Once they arrive, I will share my experience. My wife and her Mum keep sending local food so we're big customers of these companies.

Overthinker:
Good evening people, is it advisable for a family of 4 to relocate with their kids instantly or should they leave the kids back at first and come over to get to know about life here? people talk about school commitments and how both parents can't attend that and also work, dropping of kids at school and picking them also. Is it something that can be managed or do they take their time before the kids come join them

Your moniker is quite apt.

It's your choice, you can come with your kids but know it won't be easy as it may take up 2 months to get Accomodation and a parent has to be with them while the other is either at work or school so it would be tough but leaving them behind has its own cons too so just choose and brace yourself for the tough times ahead many of us here have had to pass through.

Ticha:


Because I have no desire to pay off any mortgages till I am at retirement. The easiest investment vehicle to recycle and maximise your funds into and out of is property. Having usable equity means you don't have to worry about getting a deposit for your next purchase as you can just re-mortgage and pull those funds out for a deposit, or a new kitchen, car, travel etc.

Historically, mortgages have the lowest interest rates of any borrowed funds (still is by a good margin in most cases) so people would often add borrowing onto the mortgage than borrow from elsewhere. A huge downside is that of course your monthly payments would increase as you'll be owing the bank more money but in our case, that's why it's rented so we're not adding any more personal money in.

Basically I buy properties that will go up in value so I can withdraw that equity tax-free by borrowing against the new value. However, the amount will be capped by either the property’s rental value (if taking out a new buy-to-let loan on your rental property) or your own income (if you’re borrowing against your main home)

Similar to the BRRRR Strategy, not everyone has the heart for this. The last few pages of "The Psychology of Money" put it so beautifully, some people want to live in a paid-off house and that's fine. It may not be the wisest financial decision to sit on such capital but that peace of mind amongst many other benefits is just okay for their stress levels. I'm not one of those people though, we shall ride the debt till retirement hopefully.

Nigerians are debt-averse so most people won't want this. Again, that's also fine 🙂

misterkelly:
I have a DD on my monzo account for 4 "items" for two months now. Virgin mobile broadband, council tax, water tax, TV tax and I am on electoral list. Thought just 3 months in UK. But my credit score of Experian is 734. How come?

"How come?"

Everyone should just chill o! You're just 3 months here. In fact, what do we all really want a good credit score for? Do you intend to get a Mortgage really soon.

Building a perfect Credit score takes time, even years! One major factor is the age of your account and residence at a particular address. So, please give it time.

Just ensure you're doing the right things: paying your bills on time, etc. It will grow with time. Make it a 2-year project if possible. Within that period, don't rush things like trying to apply for too many credit facilities, it will backfire.
Don't move houses or bank accounts too often,
don't use more than 25% of your credit limits, don't carry a lot of debt,
Set up direct Debits for bills, but ensure your Account never gets overdrawn,
NEVER miss, default or be late on your bills or credit repayments,
Check your records with Experian, Transunion and Equifax regularly to ensure there are no errors.
Mix things up: phone bill, credit card, council tax, overdraft, etc.
Ensure you're on the Electoral Register early
Avoid CCJs, IVAs, etc cos those one can mess you up for 5 years or more.

UK Banks don't use only Credit score like USA, so while Credit score is important, being responsible, earning well, etc are more important factors for getting approved and lower interests.

I actually wanted to write a few lines but I decided to pour it all out. There are probably over 10 points here so do them slowly over the next 12 to 18 months and you should be better off.

Lexusgs430:



Which uk bank, allows you buy share/stocks, directly?? REVOLUT.....

Which uk bank allows buy cryptos, directly?? REVOLUT......

Which uk bank allows you buy commodities, directly?? REVOLUT.....

Because you cannot claim that free £200...... They are now useless........ 😜😭😂

Revolut is actually one of the most progressive Banks Technologically.

koonbey:


I understand where you're coming from but honestly, It's not privileged. It's simply practical.

Two things:

1. Even in your home country the advice is to have six months or so of savings kept aside, even if you are fully employed in a stable job.
How much more when you are going to a brand new place with a contract that states that shifts will be discretionary (assumption)?
Especially given the recent news that reflect that this is a common occurrence.

2. I doubt justwise or anyone else is criticising the decision in order to castigate the OP. The overarching goal is to make it clear to others watching that it wasn't a prudent decision and one they should avoid.

I certainly would have preferred people to highlight the tough side of things when I was moving, to be prepared for all scenarios.

Absolutely 💯.

I only reacted to the "You mean you came to the UK with only one month rent money?"... Like it's such a crime.

Of course, people should come with as much as they can especially now. But asking such questions to someone asking for advice is off! It was understandable when those questions were being asked to students but someone coming to do work should not be asked such even the Home Office doesn't ask for such.

The 6 month savings you are referring to is what he probably used to pay for Visa, IHS, Rent Deposit, Rent, Feeding, etc so far. These Care Employers are just being irresponsible and normal acts by relocating Employees should not be called a crime.

Yeah, folks should learn from the situation and pack more money like the 3 months buffer being referred and hope for the best.

Lexusgs430:



I can only speak for myself....... If I was in his shoes, I would ensure that I have a free allowance of 90 days (all the time) ...........😂

I have a mortgage buffer of 20 month's....... Just - in - case .... 🤣😜

Mortgage buffer is different, 20 months buffer is also a very privileged position and I'm proud of you o!

However, 90 days isn't feasible for most people coming to do a low-paying job like Care. Let's be honest. I sympathise with the guy, I won't join in bashing him for not having 20-month buffer. He came to work not school.

Ideally the Employer should even be responsible for him from Day 1 till his first Salary. It's Employment, not Vacation.

Lexusgs430:


One must always allow for just-in-case...... To avoid stories that touches the kidneys........😂😜

Absolutely. He's been here for 5 weeks and is worried he's running out soon. That's fair "just-in-case".

See this scenario: Someone gets a job of £23k. He spends about N3m on Visa. N1m on travel. Keeps extra N3m for "just-in-case" after getting a contract that he would start working few days after arrival. Now we are insinuating he should have brought in an extra N5m?

I think the guy tried biko.

justwise:


That someone is [b]justwise

If its a crime to come with one month rent? Yes its a travel planning crime.

You can't travel to any country with just one month rent even with promise of job and shifts.

Do that only when you have to ability to see the future.

Your privileged opinion.

1month rent plus deposit and 6 weeks living expenses would probably be about £3k. That's fair for someone coming to start work few days after arrival. A student would defintely need much more.

There's a reason why the Home Office doesn't require so much proof of funds for someone coming in with a Tier-2 visa. They're coming to work not to spend several months worth of their savings. It's totally wrong and anyone who didn't plan along the lines of that mess is not the one at fault here.

Of course, it would have been better if he came in with like £10k in addition to the £10k of Visa and travel expenses (for a job with Annual salary of about £23k).

Someone is asking if he came with only 1-month rent?

Coming with only money for temporary accommodation, transport, rent deposit, 1 month rent and 1 month feeding is not a crime.

He was told he will start working after 10 days and he's yet to start after 1 whole month, that should be the crime! Just unfortunate.

idee91:

If it is a care worker VISA, I would advise you start applying directly to other care related jobs that are willing to sponsor, and have jobs for you to do. Most of these Care agencies are just bringing in people as a means to cash out.

In the interim, you can apply to warehouse jobs, walk into the Bullring meat market and talk to mangers on duty, they might be able to offer you something to help with your bills. All the best.

Warehouse job on a Tier-2 Visa? That's not great advice. He's not permitted to work outside his sponsored line of work

adefoluk:
Good day sirs/mas

Please I need your assistance.

I have UK Global talent visa and I have collected my BRP card which is still valid until 2026. But I have stayed 8months on a stretch outside the UK. Will I still be allowed to enter the UK?

I'm aware I cannot count the year towards ILR application in the future. I just want to know if I will be allowed to enter the UK and not denied at the port of entry

Kindly assist.

Thank you

You have a valid BRP, I don't see why you would be denied entry

ReesheesuKnack:
Glad to be here.
Please can someone help .

My current Tier-2 visa will end on November 24 this year.
I will be eligible for ILR thereafter (Alhamdillahi ).
Please my dear people, how soon before expiry can I put in my ILR application?

Please help.

Congratulations!

Earliest date you can apply is October 27th. Hope you have passed your "Life in the UK" Test though?

Collins4u1:


okay post and mention me please.. thank you

Credit Cards (CCs) are one of the best Credit Tools you can have but yes, like every good thing, it does have its dangers.

Most folks here are trying to build Credit Score and to be very honest, CCs are the easiest way to do so. There are so many other ways, of course, and you should do them: Registering in the Electoral Register, Setting up Direct Debits for Utility Bills, Phone/SIM Contracts, etc but from experience since these are not Credit facilities, they may not boost your score as much as a CC.

The rules of CC usage are simple: ensure you pay at least the minimum balance (usually 10% of your usage as at the statement date). So if your cycle is 1st to 30th of every month, on the 30th, you get a statement saying you have used £2,000 and you are given a grace period (typically extra 14 to 23 days) to pay back 10% or more, and whatever balance is unpaid, interest will be charged to the card after the grace period. During this grace period, the next cycle has obviously started running. And the next month balance will sum of what you spent in the month, plus the unpaid balance from the previous month and the interest added. IF YOU DON'T PAY THIS MINIMUM, YOU HAVE DEFAULTED.

Now, the main reasons why CCs are a brilliant facility are evident:
1. Their Interest-free periods means you can use them without ever paying interests: to do this, you must pay everything in full as the interest only starts counting on the unpaid balance after the grace period. An exception is usually Cash Withdrawals, Interest on Cash Withdrawals start counting immediately. Another evil trick of Cash Withdrawal is usually that their interest is higher. There's another evil of Cash Withdrawals but it might be a little technical to explain in this post. Just avoid Cash Withdrawals if you don't want interest
2. CCs are revolving, meaning they are like Overdrafts, not Term Loans, so if I have a limit of £6k, when I spend it and repay, my full limit is re-instated, so I don’t need to re-apply (ever) unless I void the contract.
3. Rewards: Most CCs earn you Miles, Points, etc for usage and referrals.
4. Fees: Many CCs come with little or no extra fees to the Cardholder. I could go on and on.

So, pretty much, you can use your Debit Card for only Cash Withdrawal and use Cash for non-Card payments, while you use your CC for everything else and pay little or no interest while building your credit score.

Now, as beautiful as it sounds, in my 7 years as a Credit Card Product Manager, I have seen so many people wallow in heavy credit card debts. The truth is most humans are not just disciplined enough to handle such an allowance of funds. They deep their hands into it at the slightest opportunity and end up living above their means. CCs are very addictive so don't get a CC if you love to spend, the CC provider would love you and keep increasing your limit and you may land in a gloomy state: you earn just £2k monthly and are given a £6k CC, as you spend and spend, they keep increasing the limit and before you know it, you have a £20k CC fully spent on that Funeral you sponsored inyou sponsored in Oshogbo and that trip to Turkey. How will you pay You break the card and start paying back £600 monthly, but that covers only the interest and the amount is NOT reducing every month. You realize you are stuck and have fallen for our trap and that is how we make our interest income and cover for those who are using the card wisely.

I'm sorry this post was really long, I even had to cut this short because I could go on and on about the benefits of CC (purchase protection, chargeback, acceptance, etc), the financially wise know this and hardly ever use Debit Cards but enjoy the benefits of a CC. The financially foolish use CCs to have fun for a few years or months and spend the rest of their lives as slaves to it. The choice is yours!

EDIT: For those who want the easy-to-get AMEX card with NO FIXED fees, you can use my referral link below. You get points for British Airways flights and and Holiday bookings. You get 8,000 points while I get 6,000:

https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/jEDIDASmvK?XL=MNMNS

Collins4u1:



where can I see the post?

Uhmmm... it's in the old thread. I can't quote it from here. Let me repost.

@ ProfJYK

I have indeed gotten goodies from AMEX Card. I keep saving offers I may need. I use it for shopping, groceries, etc.

I still think the biggest source of points are referrals from Nairaland though. The post I made about how to use Credit Cards without paying interest and the benefits was quite popular. So I added my link later.

I seem to have been upgraded or it's general: My referrals now get 8,000 points while I get 6,000 so feel free to sign up, you might just get a free flight soon:

https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/jEDIDASmvK?XL=MNMNS