If you are single and on a tight budget, then an option is sharing. This will involve either having a room to yourself or to share a room with one or more people in either a house or flat. Such arrangements are usually paid for on a weekly basis and in advance. They start at about £50 a week and that is for accommodation only. Bills and taxes are usually extra and you provide your own food. Sharing a two or three bedroom house or flat with two to ten (or more!) other people will be trying at times, but will never be dull. Flat-mates tend to share in everything and lifelong friendships can be made. On the other side of the spectrum, a bunch of individuals sharing with all intent on keeping to themselves may work for some people too. Visit any prospective accommodation first to gauge the personalities involved.
The best way to find suitable sharing arrangements is through the Loot newspaper. It is available through newsagents every second day and over the Internet on a delayed basis. TNT magazine and other similar magazines are also useful in this regard. The London Evening Standard newspaper carries classified adverts for people looking to share properties. The various universities in London (and other cities) often have students advertising on the campus bulletin boards for others to share property. You don’t necessarily have to be a student, just be of similar age and interests.
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Sharing accommodation (in London)
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Finding temporary accommodation in London
You will most likely need somewhere to stay in London on a short-term basis until you have a place of your own. Securing a place of your own is likely to take some time. Many options abound, but all at a price. What you will find acceptable for your needs in the short-term is a function of various factors. How much you can afford, how long you intend staying, what you will put up with, what you can’t do without, where it is, what kind of work you need/have, where your acquaintances are, how good the local transport is and how safe you feel are just some of the factors you will need to weigh up. It is also easier if you’re single, but not being single also has its advantages.
For anyone the best start will be to stay with friends or family. Just be sure to agree before you arrive as to how long your stay will be for. Be sure to leave on or before the appointed time, otherwise your relationship with them will never be the same.
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Clearing Immigration Control
The vast majority of people arriving in the UK do so at Heathrow International Airport. This is one of the world’s biggest and busiest airports and never fails to impress the first-time visitor with its size. Just about everything is well signposted and finding your way around isn’t too difficult. If you are overawed or feel lost, just follow the crowd.
The procedure involves clearing Immigration Control first, then on to collect your luggage with the finale being a walk through a corridor of Customs officials. If your papers are in order, you’re visibly in good health, not carrying anything illegal in your luggage and don’t look like you’re hiding something, then you have nothing to fear. This process should be a formality taking just under an hour to complete.
As you get off the plane, look up toward the ceiling to spot the yellow and black signs leading to Immigration Control. Once you get there you will see three options – one marked “British and European Union passport”, “British Visa” and the other marked “Foreign passport”. If you have a British, European Union or EEA passport you can pass through the first one which rarely has a queue and usually just one or two officials who just want to see the passport cover. If you have a British visa stamped (or pasted) in your passport already, then join “British Visa”. All other passports (even American and Canadian) need to join the normally lengthy queue under “Foreign passports”. When its your turn at the counter of an Immigration Control official you will need to only initially present your passport. Depending on your visa and accompanying story, you may be asked for further information such as proof of funds, return ticket, accommodation details, work arrangements, all of which will be related to your visa stipulations. For the vast majority of people this encounter is a mere formality.
Some people find the process of clearing Immigration Control very daunting. So for their benefit here is some details of a proven successful technique to calmly clear Immigration. When you go up the counter to present your passport, don’t be over-friendly or talkative. Just greet them politely as you hand over your passport. The official will first want to determine your nationality, perhaps browse through your passport and then find the relevant visa. Only then will they want to start talking to you. They will ask for the reason of your visit and your intentions depending on your visa. Don’t be too elaborate in any of your explanations. You may give them reason to ask further questions. They may not even make eye contact with you as they busily deal with forms. Any questions that they may ask will usually be derived from your visa and what you answered to their initial questions. Make sure that your answers are related to and in accordance with your visa stipulations. Try and keep your answers short and courteous. It is common for them to ask to see a return ticket and finances for new arrivals in the UK travelling on short-term visas. They do have the power to deny you entry if your story/explanations/answers are not in accordance with your visa.
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The Working Holiday Visa (“WHV”)
Britain allows people from Commonwealth countries between the ages of 17 and 30 to come to Britain
for two years on a working holiday visa. The nature of the scheme used to be that you cannot work
full time but were only allowed to work on a part time basis in order to supplement your income whilst
enjoying a holiday in Britain. In August 2003 this was changed to allow unrestricted employment by
holders of this visa.
The thinking behind it is to have people scattered across the planet who are positively inclined toward
Britain and things British once they’ve returned home. It also provides the British economy with
certain types of workers in short supply when needed. This visa is a privilege and in no way is anyone
automatically entitled to it. You must get entry clearance as a working holidaymaker before you travel
to the United Kingdom.
The basic requirements for the visa are:
1. You are a national of a Commonwealth country.
2. You need to obtain entry clearance from a British High Commission/embassy before arriving.
3. You are aged between 17 and 30. You can be 30 when you land in the UK.
4. Be able to return to your home country at the end of your stay. Proven funds must be available for
a return air ticket or, preferably, an actual return-ticket is presented.
5. Have enough money to support yourself for the duration of your intended stay (usually £2,000).
The rules are:
1. You can apply for another visa from within the shores of the UK, such as a work permit.
2. You are single or are married to a person who also qualifies for and plans to take a working
holiday at the same time as you.
3. You do not have any dependent children who are aged five years or over, or who will be five
before you complete your holiday
4. You will not make use of public funds i.e., sign up for the dole, housing assistance, etc.
5. You will pay the relevant taxes on your earnings.
6. You have not been granted a working holiday visa before.
7. You will abide by British laws.
8. You will return to your home country once the visa has expired.
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Ancestry Visa
If you or you spouse has a British-born grandparent (living or deceased) then you qualify for an ancestry visa. This is a highly desirable visa because it allows both of you to live and work in the UK on an unrestricted basis for 4 years. After the four years, you then have to choose between returning to where you came from or applying for permanent residence. This visa is a right and not a privilege as long as you meet the criteria. Use form FLR(O) for this visa application.
The requirements are:
1. Be able to prove that one of your grandparents was born in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands
or Isle of Man (or were born in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922).
2. Be able to be maintained and accommodated without recourse to public funds ie, self-supporting.
3. Be aged 17 or older.
4. Be a Commonwealth citizen.
5. Be able to work and intend to take or seek employment in the UK.
A Commonwealth citizen who has been adopted by someone with an UK-born parent, or whose parent was legally adopted by an UK-born person, can obtain a UK ancestry visa. Together with your application you will need to provide the following:
1. Your full unabridged marriage certificate (if married).
2. Your birth certificate(s).
3. Proof of your academic qualifications.
4. Copies of your CV(s).
5. Proof of funds.
Additional pieces of paper can be asked for at any stage and without a reason given. An example is a request to provide letters from UK employment agencies vouching for your skills and experience and promising to seek employment on your behalf. Another favourite is a letter from a British person related to you who own residential property in the UK who will act as a guarantor for you. These are unlikely to be asked for in most cases and are generally believed to be delaying tactics used by issuing office for reasons known only unto them.
What the officials are essentially trying to determine is the following:
• you are of British descent
• you are who you say you are
• you’re capable and willing to work
• you are employable
• you can support yourself in the short-term
It is in nobody’s interest that an individual arrives in the UK, has no money, will struggle to find a job and then resorts to living off the British taxpayer. No country will (or should or can) tolerate such a state of affairs indefinitely. Some people may find their application rejected (albeit temporarily), but paradoxically they are being done a favour. Their experience in the UK may have turned out to be totally negative, confidence destroying and such a traumatic event in their lives that they may never recover from it.
The most important piece of paper entails your contacting the Family Records Centre in London to provide you with your grandparent (s’) full birth certificate. This exercise takes several weeks and can be costly if using an agency. If you deal with this request yourself you will save money as compared to using an agency to do it for you. It is really quite straightforward and you can visit their site at:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates
Another useful site that complements the one above and is best used in a secondary role is:
http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/
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The ‘Where’ and the ‘What’ of a typical visa
The best way to find out if you can get a visa is to visit your local British High Commission or embassy website which will have up to date information. A good starting point website is listed at the end of this chapter The precise rules, procedures and requirements for visas constantly change – almost daily. The High Commission or embassy websites tend to be well presented and give you all the information that you may require. Most importantly they offer the ability to download the relevant forms. This gives you the application forms you need, but also details what documents you will currently need to present for your specific case.
The process broadly involves a mixture of the following steps and required papers:
1. Application forms – go to the local British embassy website, a visa agency or phone in for them.
2. Passport – check the expiry date and make sure it has enough time left on it to more than cover the period you think you will need it for. Make sure that there are enough blank pages left in it for further visas.
3. Proof of accommodation – you may need proof of having somewhere to stay once you arrive in the UK. This proof can be a pre-paid hotel confirmation, a landlord’s letter or a letter from a homeowner (with a copy of their title deeds).
4. 2 Passport Photographs – these have to be colour photographs.
5. Proof of funds – it is recommended that you have at least £2,000.
6. Bank statements – these must be the 3 most recent months and should not be obtained from an ATM machine.
7. Copies of Qualifications – these should be certified by the relevant body or a commissioner of oaths.
8. The correct fee – in cash (no cheques or credit cards are usually accepted).
9. Marriage Certificate – if required, it is essential that this be a full unabridged certificate (not necessarily the certificate received at your marriage).
You may have to attend an interview in person at the High Commission/embassy or provide additional written information. This naturally costs more time and money on your part.
If you are applying by post, send your passport and papers by registered mail or courier to ensure it does not get lost. It may be worth the cost and trouble to ensure that the passport and papers are returned in the same manner. Visa processing times vary and can take from 2 to 8 weeks depending on seasonal demand, location and backlog. It is prudent to phone the High Commission/embassy before you send anything to them to check for delays before buying tickets and making firm plans.
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The British government’s future plans for visas
On the 7th March 2006, The British government provided details of how it is going to reform its immigration policies. The timelines involved were not provided , but a phased approach is intended. The result of this is supposed to be a clearer, simpler, fairer, flexible and cheaper system that is also able to fend off abusers of the current system. The exact details can be found at this webpage:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/command-points-based-migration
It is unclear what the immediate effect on new applicants will be. Nor is it clear when the first phase of the new system will commence. Unfortunately, until such time as more information becomes available, it would be prudent to proceed in the belief that the new system is unlikely to be of benefit to you.
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St Valentine’s Day in Paris
Now that we are approaching ST Valentine’s Day I think of going to 
2008-2
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Turkey trip
I went to Istanbul and traveled around Turkey for about 5 weeks. From there I took a ferry to see a few Greek islands, and then flew to Turkey for another week.
Turkey has a number of problems, the biggest of which seems to be inflation. The annual inflation rate is over 50%. On my first day in Istanbul, I went to a restaurant and paid 9 million Turkish Lira, which seems to be a lot but it was only about $15 U.S. Turkey is a relatively cheap place to visit. Istanbul is a very nice city packed with a lot of interesting sites like Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace, Aya Sophia, Underground Cistern, the largest bazaar in the world, very old buildings, and ruins present just about every corner.
Since Turkey is entirely Muslim, there are numerous mosques everywhere. And almost every one of them has a Minaret with loudspeakers to enable a summon be broadcast throughout the city. Mosques are large with rugs everywhere for kneeling.
Over half of Turkish women keep their heads and bodies covered. Young women wear oversized coats with long arms and scarves covering the head.
I have seen a huge number of carpet stores, which seems to be everywhere.
When you are in Turkey you have to bargain. It’s a golden rule. You bargain for hotels, food, anything. The visit was extreme, but I’m going there again next year