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 Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 9:33pm On Oct 22, 2022 |
SuppoOmoo: Disaster management yes - we have tsunamis, volcanos, earthquakes to manage. Also sustainable agriculture is growing and there's a great push to move to alternative sources of energy. Plus Risk and Disaster Management is agrowing field and your chances of getting work and being paid well is much higher. RJ - hmnn maybe in the future but for now, O strongly feel you have to have some Maori or Pasifika heritage for anyone to take you seriously that field. 1 Like |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 5:21am On Oct 22, 2022 |
hustla: For Australia however, in comparison, do you think you would have been able to easily scale up to well paying jobs like in the UK? Oh yes, especially if you head to the regions. Even non-professional jobs pay enough for people to be able live comfortably. PR is also a lot quicker at about 3 years ish. PSW visas also count towards PR in Australia. You can of course also get straight residency from offshore Also, have you been able to save more as compared to the UK on those high salaries or it all goes back into daily living? Husbot is on 3x his UK income. He worked for an international civil engineering consultancy (UK owned) and using cost codes plus chatting with colleagues he’s on the same salary as a technical director would be on in the UK. He’s about 2 steps below a tech director. He might earn the same if a contractor in the UK but then it means income will not be reliable whereas he’s PAYE here and will double his income as a contractor here. Interestingly, majority of his work is Australia and Middle East based. Whichever way you cut it, we’re better off here. I am on about 2.5 x what my UK income would be. Our incomes would be similar in Australia with a slightly lower cost of living as houses are a lot cheaper to buy there so we’d have more savings. For the first time, we do have proper savings. Savings locked away that we won’t have to dip into at all even at death or critical illness (have insurances in place) and I am totally retiring at 50. Does Australia benefit from being close to Asia which is where a lot of countries import from? (Prices of clothes, food etc) Looked it up and found out that China is AU's biggest trade partner Yes and no. China is their biggest market for exports. Certainly they import a lot from there too but population numbers means that the market is not big enough to translate into cheaper products for Australians. Australia is very keen on increasing their population. They have the land and space for it and are on a drive to achieve that. I kind of want to stay near home for retirement like you have said, which is the biggest thought in my head but its nearly impossible to eat one's cake and have it. You can do that. We didn’t move to New Zealand till we were in our late 30s with 3 young children aged under 5. That is usually the time when careers stagnate especially if family life is important. We managed to advance our careers and spend good time with the children as well. By the time we return to the UK or Europe (depends on where we land), we would both be in a position to drop to part time work till our youngest is 18 without compromising our standard of living. Plan, plan and plan. 23 Likes 1 Share |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 11:29pm On Oct 19, 2022 |
hustla: Have you seen the cost of living in Australia and where it is located? There has to be a reason for people to go there. Money is an excellent reason! We just made a trip back to the UK from New Zealand. Flights alone for 5 of us cost us $18k and that was the cheapest flights we could find in low season. Salaries in Canada are only high in Tech and Finance. It's average in other sectors and almost on par with the UK with a higher cost of living. Then for those in health and education, you need different licenses depending on province, same as Australia. We worked out we would need about $140k (70k GBP) joint income to live comfortably in either NZ or Australia. Till we got here... we were managing to get by on that joint income. Luckily, we were in a position to change jobs and quickly scale up. But Australia and by extension NZ is a land of opportunities in terms of small businesses and risk taking. All sectors pay well. Very well because that is the biggest drawcard. People then stay for the lifestyle. PS - taxwise, there's no tax free allowance in Canada, Australia or NZ. Pensions are fully taxed as well. There are no ISAs. No paying into pension to reduce your tax exposure. Canada has state and federal taxes which makes taxes over all higher. NZ's lowest tax band is 33% with no tax free allowance. Australia lowest tax band is around 30%. On top of this this, there is a medical levy of 2%. They also have CGT even when selling your own personal home. PSS - even children's accounts are taxed in the 3 countries!  . It was a huge shock to us hence why the kids investment accounts are all in the UK.Follow the opportunities, make the most of those opportunities and retire somewhere close to home! 31 Likes 1 Share |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 12:42am On Oct 19, 2022 |
@Soje I'm not sure if I replied to your message. I see there are a lot of questions around POF and student visas. I did not come here on a student visa and have no idea whatsoever about student visas. I can give guidance and direction on how to survive once in New Zealand i.e. on cost of living, places to live, where work opportunities might abound. Anything else, no idea. I'll essentially be linking back to INZ website which is the repository for everything NZ visas. The other thing I can do is provide a link to Immigration New Zealand's operation manual. It is accessible to everyone. It details the specific requirements of each short term visa. So read and digest it. Turn on notifications so you will know when any updates are made. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#35439.htm There are students here and I have met a few. So 9ja students in New Zealand, please help out those about to come in. Work visas - I can give suggestions and pointers on. Student visas - it'll be the blind leading the blind. 1 Like |
| Travel / Re: Parenting In The UK As A Nigerian Migrant. by Ticha: 5:49pm On Oct 18, 2022 |
jum33: I would turn it down and state that it is not a suitable school for a child who is new to the UK, the UK education system and consequently may potentially struggle as the school does not have the proper systems in place to support your child transition into the UK education system. Download the OFSTED report- highlight all the issues and particularly any issues that refer to race and bullying. Include that your child is new in the country and deserves a suitable place of education where there is effective systems and support in place to enable them integrate and access a suitable education. That is more than reason enough to decline. Also state that the LEA must provide a suitable place of education for your child so they need to make the provision. It's a legal requirement - throw the ball right back in their court. Any reviews you find especially from parents of ethnic minority children - include it. 30 Likes 7 Shares |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 12:22am On Oct 17, 2022 |
noblemed: Go to Immigration New Zealand website and check through the requirements for a student visa. That's where the link is from |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 8:24pm On Oct 16, 2022 |
noblemed: |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 8:09pm On Oct 13, 2022 |
taiwolola: No, the children can share a room. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 9:50pm On Oct 12, 2022 |
For those who would like more information on Home Swapping. It's 2am my time so I most definitely won't attend! I need sleep. However, it will be a very informative session. It's free to attend and it's a virtual meet. https://www.hellorevel.com/events/10-17-2022-raging-gracefully-all-about-home-swapping-qcpd?fbclid=IwAR2Pcqwq5XFEP3GXHChmrKyZz03i2w2ILUAvowvjLYbafsg5xBv7z5IPe9s 1 Like 2 Shares |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 7:58am On Oct 12, 2022 |
moore1: You're fine. Just try and pay back the loan within the 5 years cos the interest will be on top your mortgage payments plus loan payments. |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 12:59am On Oct 06, 2022 |
hustla: I mentioned it o! Where I wrote you will pay Oga Charlie his cut. All income generated in the UK is subject to income tax. Luckily for you because you won't be in the UK and it's just one house, the tax free allowance plus any expenditure will likely leave you with no tax to pay. However once you start scaling up then s24 (make sure you read up on it!) will start to bite. Because landlords will often not pay as they're not in the country especially where they self manage, HMRC brought in rules that all overseas landlords have to be registered and that tenants must hold back money from rent paid to remit to HMRC. There are options to mitigate the effects of s24. Again, read up on it! Basically landlording is like any other job in the UK, there are rules and regulations you need to know about. Ignorance is not an excuse in law. The fines are very very steep. 8 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 12:43am On Oct 06, 2022 |
Kikspie: You have 2 options 1. Find a new place. You've been there 6 months and been a good tenant plus now have a job so you should be fine. However, there seems to be a huge rental shortage across the country so obviously it depends on if you can find a place! 2. Stay and ignore them and keep paying rent. Only you and the courts can end a tenancy. The agent will have to serve you a s21 which is a notice to leave. That is valid for 2 months. If after the 2 months you don't leave, they will apply to the court. It's not a criminal offence to stay etc and it will leave no mark on your records as long as you keep paying rent. However, if the agency is a big one in that area, it most likely will blacklist you which then means you would struggle to find a place. It currently takes approx 14 months to get a court date so in that time, you could find somewhere else. Other things you could do: You should have the landlords details on the initial tenancy agreement. You can reach out to the landlord and plead your case directly. The agents have to do his bidding. or Negotiate with the agents. Say you will find a place and leave and end the tenancy. But will give notice when you find a place and you will be open to viewings in the notice period. You only need to give a months notice anyway. PS - Because you paid 6 months upfront, I've read that it actually changes your notice period from the landlord. Let me go find some information. https://www.propertyhawk.co.uk/magazines/advanced-rent-legal-update/ Good luck! 10 Likes 6 Shares |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 12:36am On Oct 04, 2022 |
hustla: You can do one of 3 things - 1. Apply for consent to let (it's basically a variation to your mortgage conditions) - quick, cheap and usually not refused. Depending on the mortgage provider, it's usually issued for a year and then you have to keep re-applying till them tire and boot you off to a BTL mortgage. I know that Natwest will issue a CTL for the length of your fixed period and as long as you don't take on additional borrowing can remain on CTL for years. Application is usually #100. 2. Change to a BTL mortgage - usually means a full mortgage application, higher rates etc. Plus crucially, you'll need at leas a 25% deposit so if you bought with a 10% deposit and the house hasn't increased in value, you'll need to top that up to access a BTL mortgage. 3. You can take a lodger - of course this means keeping at least a room to yourself. The main benefit of this is that you most likely will fall under the rent a room scheme which means you can earn upto #7500 tax free every year. However, you need to make sure you actually use and access that room once in a while. Lodgers also have very little and minimal tenancy rights - ie you can give them 24/ 48 hours notice to leave (most people have 7 days in the lodgers agreement), change the locks with minimal notice. One trap to look out for is selective licensing. All landlords in Wales and Scotland have to be registered and pay licensing fees annually. There are hefty fines if you don't register. Remember as well that for a full tenancy, the tenancy can only be ended by the tenant or the courts. All initial ASTs have to be a min of 6 months, you must lodge the deposit within 30 days, you must seek and receive the tenant's permission before entering the home even for repairs etc (right to quiet enjoyment), you must provide the prescribed information documents, you must complete an EICR, provide a gas safety certificate, make sure there are carbon monoxide and smoke alarms on each floor or by any fuel source and of course, pay Oga Charlie his cut. If you're overseas, you are also expected to register with HMRC as a non resident landlord (to be honest many don't!) and the tenants are expected to withhold a percentage of the rent and remit to HMRC (again many don't) Even if you use an agent, the final buck lies with you so expect to manage that agent as well. PS - although insurance is not compulsory as a landlord, it is very very prudent to take one that also covers loss of rent and legal cover. If you even have to evict a tenant, those 2 policies come into their own 29 Likes 10 Shares |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 12:17am On Oct 03, 2022 |
MonsieurVictor: Rightmove, Zoopla, Spareroom are your go to websites and ask on the main living in the UK thread for people on ground to give you pointers |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 8:40pm On Sep 27, 2022 |
SolarEdge: I honestly don't know. However, it is not general practise for universities to charge any additional fees apart from tuition fees. Email the university and ask, |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 1:24am On Sep 23, 2022 |
Akorkor: I am so so happy for you! It's always such a relief getting off landlord wahala! And you've completed right on time before new rates kick in! 4 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Parenting In The UK As A Nigerian Migrant. by Ticha: 9:47pm On Sep 19, 2022 |
babythug: Pick your battles. At 16, he can move out with state help into his own place so that's not far off and you want to avoid him drawing his own battle lines at all costs. Naija style unilateral parenting does not work well here at all. I would have a discussion with him and 1. Tell him your worries and why they are valid worries - please don't use statements like I'm your parent and know better. 2. Ask him how he will mitigate those worries - agree with him what will work or not work ie he can go 3 days a week (Thu/ Fri/ Sat), establish a curfew, he has to tell you before leaving and give a reasonable time for returning - ie if he says 6pm then he should be home latest 6.15pm or message you that he will be late 3. I'd get him a part time job (at 14 he can work upto 10 hours a week) - that will use up either all his Sat or Sun for one shift. 4. Establish boundaries - healthy ones and not unilateral ones. You want to know his friends, repercussions for breaking trust etc. Establish some hard boundaries - ie a definite no go such as must not sleep outside the house without your full agreement, must not skip school etc 5. Avoid fire and brimstones and threats Lastly, breathe, you got this! 36 Likes 6 Shares |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 10:44pm On Sep 14, 2022 |
TheGuyFromHR: It's actually the same everywhere. I'm in New Zealand. I've been on a waiting list to see a specialist for 2 years in New Zealand. My friend was fobbed off with her stomach and digestive issues for about 18 months. She was asked to diet, keep a food diary, treat infections and finally asked to go see a gynaecologist as she's previously had fibroids. Turned out she had bowel cancer - 3 months of chemo later and she's now in a hospice waiting to die. She's 41. We can't find a dentist for love or money to check my 8 year old's teeth. Our houses are not fit for purpose (sheds with computers and beds is how I describe them) yet you need at least $800k (400K GBP) to buy a crappy 2 bedroom, no garden, no garage house. Don't even get me started on education. My last 2 GP appointments were cancelled twice - no proper reason given. I've not been given a replacement appointment. You need a small mortgage to eat well Rents are not just paid weekly but will take all your wage and you can't even find the houses to rent I know someone who's been waiting for their residence visa since March - ours took 5 days in 2018. Remember as well that our borders have been closed since March 2020. They have not been processing any offshore visas. We shouldn't be having staff, house or school place shortages... But na here we dey. We shall survive whether they like it or not. It is EVERYWHERE! Same complains from friends in Australia. 21 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 11:08pm On Sep 13, 2022 |
rinzylee: Blame the Londoners. It was cheap till they decided Essex was too expensive and 90 minutes was not too far to commute! East Anglia in general has become very very pricey. 2 Likes |
| Travel / Re: 8 Things You Need To Know About New Zealand by Ticha: 12:31am On Sep 13, 2022 |
Christorleans: Someone prepared a visa for you? How is that even possible? Go back a few pages - all the requirements to gain a work visa is listed there. If you didn't complete any of those processes at all, even if one step is missing, then the visa is not real. This gives you every information you need about an NZeta - https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/nzeta There are no short cuts to a NZ visa 1 Like |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 10:30pm On Sep 12, 2022 |
ugoonuoha: I would not live in Luton by choice. Unless I can afford to live in the villages on the proper outskirts. |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 11:21pm On Sep 11, 2022 |
Chreze: Air out the house everyday. Keep all the vents in the windows permanently open. In each double glazed window, there's a small vent usually at the top and sometimes it's at the bottom, slide it across and it should open the vent. For example our bathroom windows are permanently cracked open. And our bedroom windows are open on a latch especially as we also have black out blinds and thermal curtains. UK homes are built to retain heat but that also causes dampness and mustiness. Do that for about a week before spending money on a dehumidifier. In fact, spend that money on a electric airer. It's coming to winter and you'll definitely start drying more clothes inside. See link to a reasonably priced one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Homefront-Electric-Heated-Clothes-Indoor/dp/B07P5NQKNM/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=heated+clothes+airer&qid=1662934803&sr=8-7 6 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 2:40am On Sep 09, 2022 |
deept: I am buying as long as the deal stacks up! No one is creating more land. My tenant vetting processes have always been robust and we aim for tenants that any black mark on their credit would be abhorrent to them. The one 'bad' tenant we had paid rent throughout even with her skoin skoin. Scotland has a rent increase and eviction ban in place till March 2023 at least. England is currently in consultations over a rental cap. Wales has stringent regulations in place. If you are aware of all the regulations and potential pitfalls, it's easier to manage. Property is like running any other business. Enter with a solid strategy and arm yourself with knowledge. 6 Likes 3 Shares |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 12:49am On Sep 09, 2022 |
Adazeal: Landlord's responsibility. Stand your ground. 2 Likes |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 10:49pm On Aug 21, 2022 |
Nadingo: Hehe none. The whole of NZ is a volcano waiting to go pop, not to mention earthquakes as and when they happen. |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 10:31pm On Aug 21, 2022 |
Nadingo: 1. Yes 2. I have no idea. I haven't studied in NZ so can't help there. 3. Lots. NZ sits on the Pacific ring of fire and has many active volcanos. |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 10:28pm On Aug 19, 2022 |
Goke7: I have almost 20 years teaching experience from 3 countries. The maximum I would ever earn in the UK unless I become a school head, is about £37k. If I moved to a private school, I'd earn max 10k more for a much more greater responsibility. And a school head/ principal salary often caps out at around 60/70k as well. My starting salary was £18,300 so in 20 years even with increasing wages, this is where I top out. There are certain sectors that pay extremely well. Majority do not. It's just what it is. It's also why the average UK wage is under £40k. I do understand what Amara means. The fact that I'd never earn more than £37k doesn't mean that's all I have to earn or rely on. 14 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 4:26pm On Aug 16, 2022 |
DadR: You have a tenancy under law so fear not. As long as you're paying rent as agreed, you have an active tenancy. Lexus is right. In this case, you won't even lose your deposit regardless of damage because he has broken the law by not lodging it and therefore can't claim anything off it. Even if he lodges it later, he has still failed to abide by the tenancy act. The good thing about not having a signed agreement is that there are no detrimental clauses he can enforce - at all. Write him formally - by email and text (preferred for evidence) or by post - registered delivery so you have evidence - detailing what needs to be fixed, ask to have the tenancy agreement signed by both of you and your deposit protection letter for your own records. For example, you will need the tenancy agreement for certain things - prove your address, visa stuff as and when the time comes... Is the issue to be fixed quite bad? i.e. does it impact on you living there? If it is very bad and he's not responsive, contact environmental health. The council will force him to take action but of course your relationship with him may become fraught. But if you're leaving after 6 months, just relax and take him to the dispute resolution once the tenancy ends and claim back your deposit plus the extra. And if he has not provided any right to rent documents, claim the whole of your 6 months rent back too. First and foremost - check that he definitely hasn't protected it. You can easily check any of the 3 services - https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/if-your-landlord-doesnt-protect-your-deposit Make sure you give the right notice. Which is one month. Read here for more information - https://www.gov.uk/private-renting-tenancy-agreements/your-landlord-wants-to-end-your-tenancy 18 Likes 6 Shares |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 1:34am On Aug 15, 2022 |
teeebest: Are you subletting? ie - living in one room and she lives there too? If so then you have very little wriggle room and you will have to leave. Boarders don't have much legal standing under tenancy laws. However if you are renting the whole house, then she needs to issue a S21. And also check that it is issued properly. Did she lodge your deposit? Provide you with right to rent documents? Have an EICR and GSC? Are those in date? If no, she has to do all those, issue them and give you an S21. If you deposit is not protected and those documents not provided, you can actually sue her for the whole rent you have paid... 4 Likes |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 3:16pm On Aug 09, 2022 |
kode12: There are many things at play. Firstly, autism and other learning disabilities have always been historically mis and under diagnosed and therefore no support (medical, academic, social) has ever been provided for children or adults who have needed it. Of course now (in the last 20+ years) that our knowledge has changed and crucially, there is a glut of information, so everyone and the government has gone the other way. It's similar child birth. It is now very over medicalised (which is both good and bad). Same as breastfeeding. Giving children autonomy and independence or protecting them. Basically majority of developed countries cater over generously to those seen as needing support in anyway which then leads to everyone wanting to access that support cos why not? Especially when it is financial. After all, it's not long ago that women would have been institutionalised for PMS. 4 Likes |
| Travel / Re: General New Zealand Student Enquires by Ticha: 2:34pm On Aug 08, 2022 |
Ichabodcrane: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/post-study-work-visa |
| Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by Ticha: 1:26pm On Aug 06, 2022 |
Anessi: No I don't live in Ipswich. I used to work across Norfolk and Suffolk hence knowing those areas well. 1 Like |
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