₦airaland Forum

Irenenwaka:
750k-1milla

APC nomination form?

Viruses:
My previous address in UK is AirBnb. Can I use it?

Yes.
Any address at which you have lived is valid, irrespective of whether it was a short let or a long let.

Adazeal:
Greetings house.

I know no one prays for such, but please elders, I've been wondering if one applies for PSW and along the way gets Tier 2 sponsorship and somehow manages to lose sponsorship or not being able to renew, can such a person switch back to PSW visa having not exhausted the years stipulated?

No.
You've got to have a valid Tier 4/Student visa at the time you apply for a PS visa.

hustla:
Alright
Seems chase offers it though
Maybe it's just them

Already mentioned.
Scroll up.

Ticha:
Definitely - NZ doesn't allow anyone without PR to buy a family home either. Foreigners can only buy land to build apartments or commercial developments and must apply to the Overseas Investment Office for clearance plus proof of funds, have a team on ground etc.

Interest rates are most certainly climbing. There seems to be very very few sub 2% interest rates in the UK now. In NZ, we're looking at 4% and above! Last year we fixed at 2.39%! Our floating rate (offset account) went from 3.15% last January to 5.25% last week! Luckily, we have funds in it to offset the interest. Once we draw that money down, we'll fix it!

Ah, that's good to hear.
I read in the papers last week that a lot fewer people are on floating rate products than there were in 2008/09 (and all that), so far fewer people to be affected immediately by increased payments, which will slow down the impact in the interim, while giving people time to gather themselves before they need to re-mortgage, so that might lead to fewer repos down the line.

Boris also floated the prospect of another Right to Buy scheme for housing association tenants. After the Tories 'lost' last week's elections, that idea might die a natural death, but the UK needs to do something more political than fiscal about reducing the insane lack of supply in the housing market, whether by restricting short-term lets to some extent in major hotspots (Cornwall and parts of Wales come to mind here), possibly unlocking some green-belted land for development (which means fighting the powerful local interests, so that won't happen during this government), etc. Rents are becoming frightening, wages are stagnating and that pushes more and more people to want to buy as opposed to renting, and increases demand, all with no supply increases forthcoming.

At some point, even the long-suffering non-complaining Brits go do their own gilet jaunes movement and come out into the streets.

Ticha:
The COVID effect which seems to be be affecting property prices all over the developed world. Economists say it's because being cooped up means people have saved more money, stopped houses from being built (lockdowns, disruption to shipping and supply of building materials), stopped people from moving and therefore there's more money floating around and it's fuelling house a property price increase. Who knows? The market is bonkers here in NZ as well!

However even if you sell for 50k more, that won't translate to 50k extra in your pocket and you'll also pay more for your next one. The last 2 years seems to have thrown everything into kilter. It'll be interesting to see what the current high inflation brings

If Morrison wins in Oz in 2 weeks' time, negative gearing and all that is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Time for a correction in the housing market. It's becoming necessary. Canada has temporarily banned foreigners from buying. UK needs to do the same as a minimum first step as well.
Ultra-low interest rates are probably on their way out, however slowly central banks might drag their feet.

hustla:
Which other bank offers cash back?

For debit cards, none that I'm aware of.

mex551:
Thanks Team

I registered now on revolut and was able to use their disposable card within few mins of registering. Very fast Indeed. But I just remembered after using the card, �what if what I paid for was not delivered and merchant wants to reverse payment, how do you handle that?

I can't say specifically, not having had that issue, but I should think it would work just like any other reversal.

justwise:
Kidding right?

Maybe....?

Lexusgs430:
It probably still remains........ So revolut seems to king of new generation banks..........

I like monzo for pots and ability to get paid one day in advance (free) + direct debits notifications (days in advance).....

I switched Monzo for Chase.
the 1% cashback from Chase is something, it adds up.
Its only for 1 year though, so when that ends, I'll switch the Chase to some other bank for any available switching bonus.
No loyalty for jungle.

Lexusgs430:
Does revolut offer VC, to free accounts .........

Yes.
I've a Revolut free account, and I can generate a virtual card for individual transactions, unless that has recently changed.

deept:
@investment and money people in the house, which currency should we hold cash in because the way the pounds has being dropping past days no be here.

What are the viable/profitable investments to make for short/medium term?

Russian roubles, where possible.
It has defied all the sanctions thrown at it so far.

mex551:
Good morning

Can anyone please recomend a nice virtual prepaid card to use for online transactions. I don't want to use my bank card

Revolut offers virtual cards.
Or you can try Curve.

JustJoy0717:
Hello gurus in the house,

I need your input on this on. Just received my 1st electricity bill for a flat i moved into on the 15th of March and it was a ricuclous £296 for 11th march to 29th April. Is this normal, or can i contest it. I live with 2 kids who are in school from 8-4pm, so i must say it was moderate use, except for the period i turned d heaters on.

Please advise.

Is it an all electric-heating flat? Cause leccy can be expensive when used for heating, even more so these days with the April increase, as someone else has pointed out.
That apart, did you take a meter reading when you took possession of the flat? Also note that some providers send estimated bills like the almighty NEPA and Discos, so this can be adjusted when you send them an actual reading, if you have that provision.

Pearlyfaze:
I was paying more in Energy and Gas in Edinburgh than I am currently doing in Newcastle.
More in Rent than in Newcastle.

Las Las i we move back to Scotland (Aberdeen or Fife). Much later in life, after we have secured the Red pot.

If you noticed, I specifically mentioned only Aberdeen and Dundee as exemplars, and specifically did NOT mention either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
There is a reason why.

deept:
Move to Scotland, never switch off your taps and pay a fixed rate.

With the way people are flooding into England these days, illegally and legally, this is becoming a more and more attractive option for me.
Head to Aberdeen or Dundee, live a quieter and cheaper life, pay the extra tax (which should be offset by cost of living savings from living in smaller towns) and get free bus travel for the children, free prescriptions, and hopefully free university education for them in time.

Pearlyfaze:
Please oga boss and other ancestors, I need a guide on paying off used fund on this credit card something. I dey see 15th May period ending. Please I want to know if it's the date to pay off the cash used, if yes can I pay down before the 15th?. I don't want anything to affect the small Credit history we dey try mould block for.

Is it better to set up a direct debit to pay off anything used?.

Please I need a guidance.

You have two options, you can either make the minimum payment or pay off all the charges you have accumulated for the statement month. As long as you do either of those, you avoid having a missed payment on your record. Set up a direct debit for whichever option you choose.

If you pay off the minimum only, you will pay interest on any amount above the minimum, if your card has not given you 0% interest for a certain number of months.

Ticha:
Pension and wealth planning for the future - very long read.

It has bedrooms and a full bathroom downstairs and is disabled friendly – no stairs to access the whole of the ground floor. I have no intention of going into a nursing or care home.

My sentiments exactly.
Hoping the government hurries up and sorts out this whole euthanasia/right to die thingy, because if at any time I lose the ability to take care of myself in my own home on my own terms, I'd prefer to end it all. In no event will I hang around for the care home people to be spraying foam on me.

icon8:
Our people’s inability to mind their own business sometimes does my head in. I just don’t get why everyone was jumping on the OP’s case and suggesting they buy a dead arse car instead, and somehow implying that buying a £6k car is a bad idea, when they clearly don’t know who the OP is and what they can and cannot afford. It’s crass ignorance, poverty mentality or lazy generalisation at best. Not everyone that uses finance to buy something really needs the money - sometimes it’s just better to go that route, for so many reasons including credit profile building, extra liquidity and access to emergency funds, etc. I generally prefer spending other people’s free or cheap money while smiling at mine sitting pretty in my high earning savings or investment account lol. Imagine telling someone that has always driven a new/almost new car their entire life back home to buy a £1k 15-20 years old car in the name of being a foreign student. If that car doesn’t kill them, it’s going to be the reason they fail

This again, and the italicised is just hilarious.

MichaelUde:
When I talk say Nigerians and their communities are best dealt with in very small doses, people no go understand.
When I first come this country, my madam don already go put hand for Naija community for Manchy. I can live with Nigerians and their faking and forming (the number of strange approximations of British accents person hear dey wonderful), but when they come up with their so-called advice giving, na there I leave them. When I moved to Edinburgh, I select them carefully. The all-knowing crew: "Why you go buy manual moto, e dey pain for leg o" or "You for put those tickets for your credit card, credit card dey help for this country o" (as if person no sabi how much person get for pocket), I just avoid. No more Naija community for us, na one one.

I bought a manual Audi from Germany, imported it myself and drove it for years in Lagos, commuting to work and all.
Almost everyone thought I was mad.

specialenvoy:
For how much is the insurance fee per month for cars in this range?

Depends on your circumstances such as the type of driver's licence you've got (full UK as opposed to international DL, etc.). When you want to buy a car, you apply on the insurer's website giving all the details requested and the almighty algorithm will give you a quote.

icon8:
Our people and their penchant for telling people how to live their lives. Someone asked a very specific question about car financing and people would rather advise them of buying a dead car, while ignoring the question asked. If they wanted your advice on what type of car to buy, they would have asked just that.

By the way, not every newcomer or foreign student is poor. Someone planning to buy a £6k car certainly knows why they want just that, and the type/model/age of car they want to own. Quit being sanctimonious and answer the question if you can, or simply ignore/look away if you don’t have an answer. Your unsolicited advice is not always welcome.

@OP, access to credit is based on your credit profile/records/score, and that, more often than not, is dependent on how long you have been in the country. While it is not impossible to get a car finance as a student, especially with 50% equity contribution in your case, it will certainly be expensive. In a nutshell, give it a shot.

This.
The person in question is well aware of what they want in terms of pricing. She's just asked for advice as to how to go about it. None of anyone's business as to why she wants to buy a 6k car, and the assumption of scarcity/paucity of funds because she is on a student visa is typically Nigerian.

Rubyventures:
......and a window cleaner can claim to be a visionary enhancer, shelf stacker can be a replenishment supervisor etc...

Lol, it reminds me somehow of what they used to do back home in terms of empty titles - like promoting someone to "Head of Finance, West Africa" when his job is fully based in Lagos and he is not stepping over Seme border for any corporate reason.

IamE:
If you are getting so much unfortunately mails whenever you apply
go and review your CV
(Also be sure you are applying for the right job)

If recruiters respond to you mail or cv, you are on the next path.

If after interview, nobody gets back to you, work on your communication, be sure you know and can explain the much your CV claims, watch how to answer interview questions

If you cross these 2stages, you may advance to the 2nd Interview stage or just get the job straight.

Also avoid mentioning to recruiters that you are new in the country I think they have this biased thinking of african migrants.

@the bolded: At some point if you are claiming to be a Methuselah in the UK, you will have to lie to come up with something on your CV to show what you have been doing in the UK since the time you claimed you arrived. The lie is not worth it and is pointless.

@the italicised: Congratulations, you've just discovered the concept of racism.

CheesyTee:
The wait for T2 visa switch outcome from T4 is tiring. This is the 6th week and I hope I get approval by May 13.

To dash the £500 for priority too much.

Home Office is working from home.

mex551:
thanks for coming through once again
I am having some issues with Regards to Project Management jobs. Most of the project coordinator/support jobs i have been applying keep rejecting my application. I am beginning to think maybe I am overqualified. Most are usually silent on first degree, some will even state GCSE. Meanwhile I display my Masters degree and Prince 2 Practitioner which I got few years ago in Naija.

Do you think that I should remove all of these higher qualifications from my project management job search when it was stated in the job advert?

What happened when I hid those qualifications and they HR does a Google profile on me and behold my LinkedIn profile props up with my full qualifications and years of experience? Na that one dey fear me pass? Won't it amount to dishonesty in the job?

Abeg make una help me look into this ....

Cc: TheGuyFromHR

Inconsistency in citing verifiable information might lead to suspicion on a recruiter's part, especially considering the part of the world you come from. Mention everything verifiable you've got, especially if acquisition of the master's, if left out, would lead to a gap you've got to explain when the security screening people start their long waka.

Qualifications don't really matter here, I could say apply for jobs which require experience you know you've got, irrespective of whether they're entry level or not (i.e. even if the job ad states minimum qualification of NVQs or something like that under essential, but mentioned something like "demonstrable experience of having managed a project in so and so field or with a spend of so and so hundreds of thousands of pounds", you put in for that, for instance).

Again, recruitment is also a highly subjective matter, some recruiters or TAQ partners might open application files from their recruitment app and immediately click through names they don't like. Others pay attention, some might genuinely feel that foreign (read "non-developed country" experience might not transfer well, others might think overqualification would not allow you to fit in if given the role, others might feel that it might be an asset to bring someone like you in so you can grow in the job. Some might immediately deduce your backstory ("Oh, this is a foreigner recently arrived, trying to start off in the job market in any related role", others might not or might not care.

Basically, put in what you have and let it play out from there.

Aphrodite007:
Haha yeah one less tax payer. I considered getting lawyers to try again, but they said that I’ll need to be in the country for another 5 years with the route I’ll take. Been here 7 years now, I’m not interested in being classed a temporary for another 5 years lol. I can’t keep being used for tax purposes only to be discarded if they change immigration rules

To be honest, it’s just because I don’t like it here and want to try something different. Staying is not hard.

This.
Newspapers don dey halla about the number of "African and Asians" being allowed in under this government under current immigration procedures, another change of rules is possible at some point in the near future.

BouharryArtikou:
Dear Former banker (in Naija).
Thank you for wishing us good luck. We are warriors indeed.
We do not have to depend on our spouses who are Nurses to migrate to the UK.

Yours sincerely,
CareHomeWarriors

Lol.
I don't think you caught the guy's humour there.
From what he said, I would assume that he has also worked in care in some form (the reference to foam and pads), and is saying to the rest that he's been there and done that, you do what you have to do to get ahead, and is encouraging them.

Strangely enough, when I was a student in the UK, I dont remember the care industry being a big employer for students back in the early 00s - maybe because eastern European workers were flooding in in their hundreds of thousands then (I remember the noise when Blair opened up to eastern European workers in 2004). Obviously there was no internet platform for people to relate and get a sense of what was happening all over, but I think most students I knew were working either retail, security (like myself) or call centre jobs (which I eventually did). There was one agricultural worker thing that I think I signed up to, but eventually didn't get. All work na work.

jesmond3945:
see my brother when I see racism. I know it is racism. When I went to answer a call, the resident on hearing my voice refuse to open the door and specifically told me he wanted my white colleague or is it the petty politics in the workplace. if you do a minor offence it is escalated even when your white colleague does the same. Even a resident retorted out you foreigners, even said that I am not civilized because I rang the door twice. Or is it situations were they said I steal stuff from the fridge in the staff room. In all these cases I am always positive and laugh over it.
However, the problem I have with my fellow Nigerians is that we downplay these experiences instead of wrapping our arms around our brothers and sisters. We say you are pulling the racial card. Many people pass through a lot but they are always positive.
Due to this letdown, many blacks don't want to relate with each other, when your own kind fails to understand or stand with you. Maybe our british citizenship and our white colleagues are making us look the other way. The black community needs to wake up.

1. Racism is a fact of life in the world we live in, which is not our own, no matter how many red, abi blue passports one gets.

2. "Downplaying" is relative. I have experienced racism in the workplace in a couple of identifiable instances, and possibly in a couple of other instances where I received treatment which may, as the other poster pointed out, be due to someone having a bad day, or others received the same treatment, or it was indeed racism. There is a) discriminatory treatment that can be proven and there are laws and regulations to deal with that, if one has the energy to go through with the process and the detriment is bad enough and the redress good enough. Otherwise, b) discrimination in hearts and minds which cannot be proven just has to be borne and lived with (landlord doesnt rent a house to you, you apply for work and don't get it, etc.). Complaining changes nothing.

Whatever the case, I don't dwell on it, because racism in all its manifestations, housing, employment, general society, is not going to be eradicated from this world. It may reduce, it may not, but in 200 years time, if the world lasts that long, our descendants will still be talking about it. When I moved to the UK (especially having lived here before), I knew what one could possibly face and was ready for it.

So I might fall into your category of people who just ignore when they come across racial discrimination in class b) above. It doesn't make me avoid relating with Africans or people of African descent here - I already avoid Nigerians because they are Nigerians and as such come with plenty of wahala. And I remain positive and ignore a lot of rubbish because if you start thinking too much about things you can't change very soon you will be ticking a box on the HR questionnaire opposite "Currently going through unspecified difficulties affecting work performance". Deal with what you can, and leave the rest.

wonlasewonimi:
Obviously, they didnt run it past buhari, he would have set up an IDP camp for them for less than £120m

They no fit sell Nigeria to the media as a safe country, unfortunately.
That £120m would have propped up the naira exchange rate a little so I can extract the rest of my funds from Naija.

umarwy:
What part of Manchester please make I go do amebo, there is one street/area in Liverpool, it's basically another country

Basically all those places like Chorlton, Longsight, Rusholme, Cheetham, Whalley Range, etc.
It's always interesting to walk down Oxford Road past the hospitals and I get the feeling there is an imaginary boundary of sorts after you pass the park and it seems as if you have just crossed from England into Asia.

Oldham is another matter altogether, it's just Bradford.

OkanlawonB:
Why the complaints, didnt GB colonised India, Pakistan and Bangladesh? Germany that never colonised any country is accommodating more foreigners of different immigration status including asylum seekers than the UK does.
The Problem with UK stems from this elitistic and aristrocastic system.
This system is systematically crumbling the society by breeding juveniles of poor or total lack of parenthood. It is just natural that the locals are becoming xenophobic because you See increasing numbers of Locals turning miscreants , many more are living on social benefits while the foreigners seem to be progressing,

Germany colonised several places, such as Fiji, Cameroun and Namibia, and actually committed one of the worst genocides in history in Namibia.