A) Work visa.
(Not really likely because the employer has to sponsor you, and I am not a professional right now. I would have to find an international company with a strong base in Edinburgh, then hope that they eventually offered me a position something there. Could literally take five years or so. Not willing to wait that long, but very willing to take this route if someone can suggest other ways to make it work.)
(Not really likely because the employer has to sponsor you, and I am not a professional right now. I would have to find an international company with a strong base in Edinburgh, then hope that they eventually offered me a position something there. Could literally take five years or so. Not willing to wait that long, but very willing to take this route if someone can suggest other ways to make it work.)
Indeed, that is very difficult.
B) Fiance visa.
Heh.
C) Studying abroad.
(Tough. My academic standing could be better... but more importantly, I don't have the money to pay for tuition over there. How do British universities handle grad students? Is there a tuition waiver/stipend, or is that only for citizens?)
(Tough. My academic standing could be better... but more importantly, I don't have the money to pay for tuition over there. How do British universities handle grad students? Is there a tuition waiver/stipend, or is that only for citizens?)
Depends where you go. I think there might be international scholarships. But mostly you have to pay for post-graduate degrees. In Scotland the first degree is free for Scottish and EU students. And then you have to pay.
Okay, so basically I would really like to hear about people's different experiences with each of these three options. Or, if they found another way, obviously I want to hear that too. 
I got a Dutch passport.
In survey form:
1) Have you ever done this? If so, which way did you go?
Aye. EU passort way. Wouldn't be able to get it today, but at the time they had it for grandchildren of Dutch immigrants. Not any more.
2) How long did the process take you, from start to finish? (Let's say that finish = spouse visa or some other form of semi-permanent resident standing.)
It took me about 9 months to get the passport sorted. And then it was a case of buying flights & leaving!
3) How much, roughly, did it cost you?
Uh. Not a great deal.
4) What was the most difficult part about adjusting to life in a foreign country?
Understanding the accent.
5) How did you go about moving your possessions?
Didn't, for the most part. I gave away a lot of things, sold most of my books. Now I bring things back each time we go across, but I didn't have a great deal anyway.
6) How did you go about finding a place to live when the desired city/location was many miles away?
I waited till I got there. Lived in a hostel for a week till I found a flat.
7) Did you invest in any kind of professional assistance? (Immigration lawyer, accountant, moving company...) Do you think that was worth the extra costs?
Depends on how much you have.
8 ) What's one thing you really, really wish someone had told you ahead of time?
I had it really easy. Maybe just "save up more money".
9) If you moved to a country with a language different from your mother tongue, how long did it take to achieve fluency? (And what level of proficiency did you start with?) - Am happy to hear answers from people who have just studied or lived abroad for a bit, too.
Scots is totally different from English.
It took a couple of months till I could understand the Fife accent. Seriously. They pronounce things crazily there.And it takes me a week again when we get back from a NZ trip.
10) Which domestic products do you miss the most when traveling or away from home?
Arg, almost all of the junk food! NZ does it so much better! And I get Marmite posted across from NZ. I also miss top-loading washing machines.
11) Which more intangible things do you miss, if anything? (For example: climate, or a general sense of space, or social norms, like the basic level of friendliness between strangers.)
I miss the space of NZ. I'd love to have a garden but it's very difficult to find a place with one, and I imagine it will make a house more expensive when we get round to buying one.
12) This is kind of a fun hypothetical question. Let's say you're romantically involved with someone, but you haven't been able to live together long term because you are separated by geography. The simplest way to fix this is to get engaged and have a civil ceremony for marriage. But, you've always been of the opinion that people should live together (ideally for a good long time) before getting married. Would you go for it, or would you back away slowly from the insanity?
Depends on how long you've known the person.
Thank you so much, in advance, to anyone who answers. I know I'm not the only Rafonaut who will benefit from your replies. 
I imagine my answers aren't all that helpful, considering how I got here.
*MySmiley*
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
/survey: moving across the ocean & international borders. 12 easy questions. (...yes, am joking.)
- 28/11/2009 04:27:21 AM
579 Views
Edinburgh = amazing.
- 28/11/2009 10:33:05 AM
457 Views
Answers, of a kind.
- 28/11/2009 12:48:34 PM
541 Views
Re: Answers, of a kind.
- 28/11/2009 05:48:04 PM
497 Views
Re: Answers, of a kind.
- 28/11/2009 07:12:08 PM
475 Views
Re: Answers, of a kind.
- 30/11/2009 02:12:08 AM
468 Views
Generally quite true, but let me add one or two qualifications.
- 30/11/2009 02:21:33 AM
450 Views
Here's that ranking, if you're curious.
- 30/11/2009 02:27:37 AM
571 Views
Re: Generally quite true, but let me add one or two qualifications.
- 30/11/2009 02:53:48 AM
467 Views