To-do list after arrival in the UK

So you plan like crazy, get what feels like a million documents together, do an online application that feels both invasive and frightening, head off for biometrics where your face is photographed and your fingers are printed and now finally, FINALLY you have made it to the UK. Now what??


Now the fun starts! And the big questions is what to do first?



TO DO LIST:


* BRP. First up, if you came on a visa and not a British passport, you need to toddle off to the post office mentioned on the letter you got when you collected your passport (it's usually the post office nearest the address you gave in your application) and collect your BRP.


*UK Driver's Licence. Next it would be a good idea to exchange your SA Driver's licence for a British one - although you can drive on your South African licence legally for a year. A British Driver's licence comes in very handy as a proof of address and also for identification purposes. Find out how to exchange your Drivers licence here.


*Opening a bank account. Personally I found it very helpful to open a Monzo account initially. I opened my account before we left South Africa - this is possible provided you have a friend or family member who is willing to have your bank card delivered to their address. I absolutely love Monzo, it is the most user-friendly bank I have ever dealt with and I have not had a single problem.


*Applying for an NI number. National Insurance (NI) works in a similar fashion to UIF in South Africa. National Insurance contributions are basically a tax on your earnings paid by both employees and employers and your NI contributions help to build your entitlement to certain state benefits, such as the state pension and maternity allowance. You will begin paying National Insurance once you are earning more than £162 a week (this is the figure for the 2018-19 tax year). To apply for your NI number you need to phone 08001412075 and speak to an agent to make an appointment to apply for your NI number. (Note: If you are on a Tier 2 visa your NI number has probably already been issued to you and you will find it on the back of your BRP card.) You can begin working before you receive your NI number, but your employer will need it asap


*Register for NHS. To register for NHS you will need to register with your local GP. Pop into your chosen GP's rooms and ask to register as a patient of that practice. They will give you various forms to fill out and will need proof of accommodation (I used my UK Driver's licence) and will need to see (and perhaps take a copy of) your BRP and passport. You will soon receive a letter in the mail with your NHS number on it.


*TV Licence. Assuming you buy a TV in the UK, you will need to get a TV licence. Have a look at this website with details of how to get a licence.


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My To-do list for our ancestral visa application

This is the To-do list I used for our UK Ancestry visa application with spouse dependent:

At least 6 months before you intend applying for your visa:

• Apply for SA unabridged birth certificates
• Apply for SA marriage certificates
• Apply for UK birth certificate
• Get quotes from pet transport agents if you are considering taking your pet/s

At least 4 months before you intend applying for your visa:

• Begin the process of having your pet micro-chipped, vaccinated, titre tested etc and confirm the agent you are using for their transport

At least 3 months before you intend applying for your visa:

• Get or renew SA passports if necessary (check the expiry date in current passport and make sure there are enough pages)
• Ensure that there are sufficient funds per applicant in a bank account (the consensus at the date of this post is R30 000 per applicant)
• Update CV of the main applicant to the UK format (free template here)
• Register with employment agencies (Reed and Indeed are good options)
• Start collecting proof of relationship for spouse dependent (20 photos over the duration of the relationship, including wedding photo, mail addressed to both applicants at the same address, joint bond statement if applicable etc)

Roughly a month before you want to go to your biometrics appointment:

• Get TB test done - see the list of approved clinics here.
• Apply for a couple of jobs and keep the email responses
• Arrange for proof of UK accommodation eg invitation letter from friend or family member (incl copy of their passport, utility bill) or booking through Booking.com or Airbnb
• Apply for the ancestral visa online, book the biometrics appointment and pay the NHS surcharge, register with TLS contact.  Before doing the online visa application it may help to complete the form manually - a manual copy can be found here.

A week before the appointment for biometrics:

• Get 3 months bank statements showing sufficient funds per applicant printed and stamped by the bank
• Take colour photocopies of important documents such as birth and marriage certificates

On the day of the appointment:

• Ensure that you have the originals and photocopies of all relevant documents
• Make sure that none of your documents have staples or paper clips attached
• None of your documents should be laminated
• Make sure your documents are in an easily accessible file - I found a concertina file like this one works great.
• Get to your appointment half an hour early, take a deep breath and relax, it's going to be fine!