Moving to Scotland

By MMChinoy1 Checklist There are many things you'll need to consider when making your move to Scotland. Here's a checklist of some key things you'll need to do before and after you move to Scotland to help get you started. Things to do before you move Find a job Organize visas, if required Find a place to live Contact local schools, if applicable Arrange for removals and storage Arrange your transport to Scotland Arrange insurance Make arrangements for your pets, if applicable Check whether your electrical appliances will work in Scotland Things to do after you move Open a bank account Register with a doctor Register to pay Council Tax Documents to bring to Scotland Letter from your new employer in Scotland with your job offer or employment contract Bank statements for the three months prior to moving Passport Birth certificate Driver's license and motor insurance details Travel and health insurance documents Copies of your medical records Vaccination certificates (where relevant)

Learning English
If you're coming to Scotland to live, work or study you'll need a good command of the English language. Having good English language skills will help you to integrate and is essential for work and study. Improving your English needn't be a huge hurdle if you're willing to put in some time for studying and you'll find plenty of Scottish people keen to help you.

Language requirements for a UK visa

If you're planning a move to Scotland you'll need to know about the Points Based System which the UK Border Agency use to decide if you're eligible to live here. Part of the criteria they use to assess each case is the ability to speak English

Getting started with English

Support is available if you arrive with limited English language skills. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) offers a course in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), designed for dealing with work, study, community and social situations. ESOL also introduces you to a range of aspects of everyday life in Scotland. All refugees and asylum seekers are eligible for free ESOL provision to improve their English language skills. Other organizations that provide help with English language include

The Refugee Council World University's Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service Refugee Advice and Guidance Unit

Language exchanges
One great way to improve your English is a language exchange, where you give help to someone studying your own language, in return for them help you with English. Many students of English use this to boost their studies. It works well because you can get specific help from a native speaker with things you find particularly difficult.

Your qualifications
To find out whether your qualifications are accepted in Scotland, you need to contact the National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC). UK NARIC works on behalf of the UK government Department for Education and Skills, and provides a service of comparability between international and UK academic qualifications.

It can provide you with a letter of comparability that gives a potential employer or education establishment the UK equivalents of your qualifications. However, it can only provide assessment statements for fully completed qualifications. For a Letter of Comparability, you will need to submit the following documents

A photocopy of your certificate(s) together with transcript(s) A copy of a certified translation in English if necessary you can get this from a translation agency A covering letter, in English, from yourself stating the purpose of your enquiry

How much does this service cost?

There is a charge for letters of comparability for those living outside the UK and EU and a slightly higher charge for people living in the UK and EU.

Tier 1 visa
Tier 1 is for highly skilled people. It has four categories:

Graduate Entrepreneur for recent graduates who have shown entrepreneur promise at their university Entrepreneur for those setting up or running a business Investor for those investing in a business in the UK Exceptional Talent - for those internationally recognised as world leaders in science or arts and the humanities

Tier 2 visa
Tier 2 is for workers whose UK employer is willing to sponsor them. The employer needs a licence from the UK Border Agency for this. There are four categories:

General for skilled workers to fill gaps in the UK labour market Intra-company transfer if you're with a multi-national looking to transfer you to a UK branch Minister of religion Sportsperson

Tier 5 Temporary workers

Tier 5 applies when a UK employer sponsors you to work for them for a limited period of time.

The employer needs a licence from the UK Border Agency for this. There are five categories:

Creative and sporting Charity workers Religious workers Government authorised exchange International agreement

Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme

This scheme is for young people aged between 18 and 30 from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand and Taiwan. You will be sponsored by your own national government. In other words, a UK employer does not need to sponsor you. If successful, the UK Border Agency grants you two years' leave to remain in the UK and you can do any job except professional sportsperson or doctor in training.

Open a Bank Account

When moving to Scotland from overseas you will usually need a bank account so that you can be paid by your employer, obtain money and pay others. Your mortgage or rent and other bills such as electricity, gas and insurance are also usually handled through the banking system. You must provide the bank with at least one current proof of your identity and one current proof of your UK address. Some banks may request two or more pieces of identification. Examples of these are:

Passport or National Identity Card Driving Licence Tenancy agreement A letter from your employer confirming your UK address A pay slip from your UK employer

The bank may ask for your written permission to get a reference about you from your bank in the country you have moved from. Concerns over issues such as terrorism and international money laundering mean that banks undertake rigorous security checks. If

youre coming from a country that is judged to be high risk for any of these problems, the checks will be more thorough and are likely to take longer.

How your bank account works

When your application is approved, youll start with a simple current account. This generally includes a cheque book, a debit card that lets you draw money out of cash machines in the street, and interest paid on your account when it is in credit. The debit card, which automatically takes the payment from your bank account, is the most common way to pay for goods. For example, most supermarkets no longer accept cheques. Current accounts let you set up direct debits to pay regular bills such as rent and electricity. Telephone and internet banking are common in Scotland, and its likely youll be able to operate your bank account through these methods.

Free banking
One of the things you might notice is that the UK is one of the few countries where youre not charged for banking services if you stay in credit. It is unlikely, however, that youll be able to open a more complex bank account until youve operated the simple version in a satisfactory way for a reasonable period - typically at least six months. After that you may be able to apply for other financial products such as a credit card, loan or mortgage.

Types of bank account

There are many different types of financial products available, but each comes with its own terms and conditions, and factors such as interest rates can vary enormously. A number of banks in the UK are looking at offering Sharia-compliant banking products for Muslim customers. The Islamic Bank of Britain operates from Birmingham but offers services, including a house purchase plan, to Scottish-based customers.

Register for Council Tax

Council Tax is a tax collected from households by local authorities which you're required by law to pay. Council Tax is used to pay for public services such as roads maintenance, the collection of household waste, and the maintenance of public amenities. Your council tax charge also includes water charges.

How your Council Tax is calculated

Rates are set by individual local authorities and vary according to the value of the property. The amount you pay is based on the estimated value of the property and the number of people living in it. Households with only one adult receive a 25 percent reduction.

Register with a doctor

A General Practitioner (GP) is a doctor who deals with general medical problems. You should register with a doctor at your local medical centre as soon as you can. The medical centre will tell you what documents you need to bring with you to register at their practice.

You'll need to complete forms to register with your local medical centre Doctors surgeries or medical centers are normally open Monday to Friday between around 8am and 6pm NHS24 is an online and telephone-based out of hours service that can answer questions about your health and offer advice

The primary care GP often works together with community health specialists such as nurses, midwives and health visitors. Your GP can refer you to hospitals or specialist clinics. Once registered you and your family will be able to make appointments at your medical centre for

General medical problems Information on illness prevention and healthcare promotions Vaccinations (free for babies, young adults, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses)

You can also speak to a pharmacist for advice for minor ailments.

Electrical appliances
Most appliances from EEA countries should work in Scotland. Three pin plugs are standard, so you'll need adaptors for any appliances with two pin plugs.

Europe and most other countries in the world use a voltage which is twice that of the United States of America. In Europe the voltage is between 220 and 240 volts, whereas in Japan and in most of the Americas the voltage is between 100 and 127 volts. If you're bringing any electrical appliances it's a good idea to bring adaptors and transformers with you, just in case.

Student accommodation

Where will I live?

Most first year students live in university accommodation, either in halls of residence or flats or houses owned and rented out by the university.

Halls of residence
Living in halls can make the transition from being at home to living independently much easier. Catering and cleaning services are usually provided, and, surrounded by other students, it's easy to make friends quickly. Accommodation in halls is usually in single or shared rooms with ensuite or shared bathroom facilities. Hall fees can be quite expensive, but will usually include meals and cleaning. Other facilities are often available on site, such as a laundry room, internet access, a bar, a pool room, etc.

University owned rented accommodation

This may consist of a room in a flat or student house, with shared cooking and bathroom facilities. It is usually more economical than living in halls, and may include cleaning and access to a laundry and other facilities.

What if I have a problem with my university accommodation?

If you have any questions or complaints about your university or college accommodation, contact your official student accommodation department. Some universities and colleges are quite strict about keeping to the rules while staying in their accommodation - if you find yourself in trouble, or you're not happy with the way a problem has been handled, contact your Students' Association. Some unscrupulous landlords believe they can take advantage of students because they don't know their housing rights and won't complain when they receive bad service.

To stay one step ahead, make sure you know your rights as a tenant. If you are unhappy with the way you are treated by your landlord or letting agency, get advice from your student accommodation service or a local housing aid centre, which you can find using the Advice Services Directory Squatting is not an option in Scotland. If you are caught trying to get into someone else's property or living there without permission, you could end up facing criminal and civil action. The owner or lawful occupier of the property you're squatting in has the right to eject you from the premises without giving you any notice or applying to the court for an eviction order. However, in evicting you, they cannot do anything that would break the law, for example use violence against you. You can also face a fine and even imprisonment if you are caught squatting.

Support for asylum seekers

If you are seeking asylum in the United Kingdom then you will not be allowed to earn money by working. Instead you should be given support and accommodation by the UK government. The kind of support that is available to you will depend upon when you made your claim for asylum and the details of your case.

Support from the UK Border Agency

The UK Border Agency provides support and accommodation to asylum seekers in the UK who claimed asylum on or after 3 April 2000 and either have nowhere suitable to stay or no money to cover the cost of living. This section provides information on how to access support.

Eligibility for benefits

If you claimed asylum in the UK before 3 April 2000, you may be entitled to claim Housing Benefit and accommodation from your local council, depending on when you arrived. This section explains who can claim benefits, how to apply for accommodation, and what you can do if the rest of your family arrives in the UK after 3 April 2000.

Support from the council

If you or a member of your family needs help with day-to-day tasks, you may be able to get care and support from the council. If the council has a duty to help you, it will design a care package to meet your specific needs. The council also has a duty to support asylum seekers who are under 18 and have come to the UK without their parents.

Failed asylum seekers

If your claim for asylum fails, you will probably be able to get help and support from the UK Border Agency until it is possible for you to leave the country. The kind of support you receive will depend on your country of origin, whether or not you have children and when you arrived in the UK.

Asylum seekers with leave to remain

If your claim for asylum has been successful and you have been told you can remain in the UK then the support you received as an asylum seeker could be stopped. Don't panic though as there are many other ways for you to access money and accommodation.