MelaninGemstone:
Hey guys, I came to the UK last year on a student visa. I’m finishing my program next month

Also I just got married. My husband is a British citizen. Please how soon before I can apply for Indefinite leave to remain. Thanks all!

When you can settle permanently
The earliest you can apply to settle in the UK (called ‘indefinite leave to remain’) is after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years continuously on a family visa as a partner.

You cannot include time you’ve spent in the UK:

on any other visa
as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner


#copied from gov.uk

elengine:
Without thinking twice, I would go with Coy A. However, I know that audit job is hot cake here and I am also an auditor so I know it is an occupation that is highly in demand but I will only advise you to go for B if I know the stage you are in your professional exam and we are sure you would qualify. It seems your mind is made up for coy B but make sure that your passing of the exam is sure pa. By the way, which of the exam are you writing? Do you have ICAN from Nigeria? If you do, and you are writing acca then I will ask you to opt for ICAEW Pathway as well to accelerate your qualification

As a practising Auditor in the uk i would appreciate your guidance on my Accounting/Auditing career line. I have over 7 years experience in accounting and auditing in Nigeria. I am landing uk next month as a dependant and planning to switch path to health care as a caregiver while taking ACCA exams till i charter so i can return to old profession. I am currently in the professional stage of ICAN (final stage), so i can claim exemption from some stages in ACCA. I am actually considering getting a care job hopefully with COS for a few reasons:

1. Recover IHS fees
2. Appears to be the easiest job to get with COS compared to accounting jobs
3. Integration via ILR

Kindly advise on this path l am considering.

]

LionInZion:


In 3 months Haha

You don't need to be an expert. For instance, as a barber, if you destroy your customer's hair few times, you'll become proficient. On the job training.

Goke7:


Yes unless a previous employer has done it for you before by getting a waiver even if you have been here less than five years so your new employer will just apply to transfer the clearance

For DV clearance however only citizens can qualify unlike SC where non citizens can qualify. If you are not a citizen just forget about roles asking for DV clearance

Thanks chief

Hello house,

I have my passport renewal appointment soon at the NHC in London and want to be double sure on required documents to take along.

Is the passport guarantor form on the application portal among documents to be taken along because it seems not to be listed among the required documents on the acknowledgement slip?

Thank you

Dear Elders in the house.

The attachment below refers; please can this be appealed and how can one go about this. Your inputs will be greatly appreciated.

Note: the person was using an account for business and personal purposes. That’s what led to the misunderstanding of funds going through the account.

joe10:



As a practising Auditor in the uk i would appreciate your guidance on my Accounting/Auditing career line. I have over 7 years experience in accounting and auditing in Nigeria. I am landing uk next month as a dependant and planning to switch path to health care as a caregiver while taking ACCA exams till i charter so i can return to old profession. I am currently in the professional stage of ICAN (final stage), so i can claim exemption from some stages in ACCA. I am actually considering getting a care job hopefully with COS for a few reasons:

1. Recover IHS fees
2. Appears to be the easiest job to get with COS compared to accounting jobs
3. Integration via ILR

Kindly advise on this path l am considering.

Since you have this level of audit experience. You can start applying to audit firms in the uk now. Since you don’t need a sponsorship, it will be easy to land one. It might even be easier for you to get the audit/accounting job than it would be to get a care job. I think you would easily land an audit job.

Try the big 4s, and as much audit firms you can reach out to. E sure for you

Well since you are dependant, why don't you begin to look for audit job now instead of care job. Your COS should give you enough time to qualify and switch. To get audit job, go to top 10 audit firm and register on their website. State it clearly you are available for contract role too and at any time. You will most likely get a contract role for numerous clients and after a while, full time job with COS is sure

gmacnoms:
Since you have this level of audit experience. You can start applying to audit firms in the uk now. Since you don’t need a sponsorship, it will be easy to land one. It might even be easier for you to get the audit/accounting job than it would be to get a care job. I think you would easily land an audit job.

Try the big 4s, and as much audit firms you can reach out to. E sure for you

Thanks for your input. To be frank, l desire sponsorship because i want to escape the 10years route.

Also, l am aware that it is easier to get accounting/audit jobs with the big 4 if you have prior experience working in one of the big 4 firms. I have zero work experience in any of them in Nigeria. What's my chances of getting an offer from any of them when i have no experience in the big 4. Na small priivate firms i gain my experience o

elengine:
Well since you are dependant, why don't you begin to look for audit job now instead of care job. Your COS should give you enough time to qualify and switch. To get audit job, go to top 10 audit firm and register on their website. State it clearly you are available for contract role too and at any time. You will most likely get a contract role for numerous clients and after a while, full time job with COS is sure

Please, i don't understand what you mean by the bolded, l am a student dependant.

I don't mind doing contract job with any uk accounting/audit firm to gain uk experience but my worry is, can i get accounting/audit job with COS before the main applicant graduates next year?

I sincerely appreciate your contribution. I will start applying for accounting/auditing jobs in the top 10 audit firms.

rayralph:


When you can settle permanently
The earliest you can apply to settle in the UK (called ‘indefinite leave to remain’) is after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years continuously on a family visa as a partner.

You cannot include time you’ve spent in the UK:

on any other visa
as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner


#copied from gov.uk

do I have to pay another IHS fee if I’m switching to a family visa ?

eniola1010:
Hello guys.

I had a job from nov 2022 till date. PS its my first and only job in uk.

Now from nov 2022 to april 2023 my salary is not up to 12k. But within these months, i paid tax of about 100+ in feb,100+ in march and 80+ in apr 2023.

On the hmrc site it says i paid 0 pounds which i assume is the correct thing.

But my employers took taxes from me according to my payslips.

I feel i should have the feb,march and apr taxes refunded by now or could i be wrong?

Yes the Refunds have gone out as I know two people who got for last year tax rate. Make sure your address is up to date with hmrc because it only through post they contact you for Refunds

Also if you need any clarification, call them

Adebayo82:

No, I did not pay dart crossing charge, I'm not aware of this. My car is petrol not diesel.

I may likely travel again to London where can I initiate the dart crossing charge. Is it paying online or you can equally share the link with me.

Online.

Just type ..dart crossing payment and it would bring the page for you. This is if you cross the area sha

joe10:


Please, i don't understand what you mean by the bolded, l am a student dependant.

Sincerely not telling you what to do,

I think you still have much time to spend on your current visa, you could try get job related to your career path without cos and get your Uk experience, even 4months Uk experience will do.m you to keep going.

Moving from a COS to another COS ain’t that easy, most especially say moving from a care cos to another skilled visa, some employers now even require you to work with them for some time before issuing COS.

Sincerely the care job is not that easy, I did it for a year and I can tell you it ain’t easy, I was making lots of money in it with an average pay of 17£/hr through out the 1 year, although I was happy that I was making money from it at first but at a point I got stressed out and even seeing shift of 15-20£/hr doesn’t motivate me, I just got tired, basically work mostly with NHS and some other time in care home, did domiciliary for one week I ran away cos it doesnt sit well in my mind to be using part of my salary to repair the car as a result of heavy usage because the one last thing you wouldn’t want you to happen is your car getting spoilt and you having the need to go to mechanic, I don’t think I’ve ever visited the mechanic without spending a minimum of 100£ for just a visit which is almost like a day pay after tax)

If you have the means to pursue another job, sincerely go for it, (just assume in your mind that say there is not CARE sponsorship won’t I pursue something else)

Sincerely I’m not berating the job, but it’s really tiring at a point. But if that’s the only option you’ve got to keep bills going then go for it but not for sponsorship(if you’ve got other means), maybe just to make your money and have the flexibility to look for jobs.

Another thing that I learnt was that getting ILR by taking up care COS does not mean you won’t work anymore or work less as a result of having settled visa in this Uk with lots of recurring bills, my experience having worked with lots of people across different places, I discovered that people still get stuck in a particular job even people that are settled already.

(NB: please note that I’m only saying this only for people who have got other options and you your self knows this in your mind)

Just take it as a last resort maybe when there is no other means as I do believe in my own opinion that having a care COS is better that being sent back to 9ja.

Lots of people are taking care COS because of different circumstances which are valid (like family of 5 paying for IHS and visa which is very expensive but had to take the care COS or like people that have issue with school and some other reasons, or people trying to leave 9ja via the care route).

Sincerely, in my opinion if you’ve got options other than the care visa try to explore it.

We don’t need to be too scared if the current company don’t have sponsorship in as much as you still have a longer validity on the visa. We have seen people here give testimonies about their coy registering for sponsorship because the company don’t want to loose them, I have a personal friend that was sponsored infact his coy pay for his visa and IHS no refund after paying to get sponsorship licence.


Wish us all success.

joe10:





Please, i don't understand what you mean by the bolded, l am a student dependant.

I don't mind doing contract job with any uk accounting/audit firm to gain uk experience but my worry is, can i get accounting/audit job with COS before the main applicant graduates next year?

I sincerely appreciate your contribution. I will start applying for accounting/auditing jobs in the top 10 audit firms.

What's your wife's skill/work experience? Can you focus on trying to get an audit/accounting job while you are on student visa? Then after studies, your wife can then begin the hunt for COS/care jobs.

LagosismyHome:


Yes the Refunds have gone out as I know two people who got for last year tax rate. Make sure your address is up to date with hmrc because it only through post they contact you for Refunds

Also if you need any clarification, call them

Yup, got mine in June. Sweet unexpected 600 quids.

Pls does anyone know the cost of extra baggage in naira for Turkish airline

tushqueen:



What's your wife's skill/work experience? Can you focus on trying to get an audit/accounting job while you are on student visa? Then after studies, your wife can then begin the hunt for COS/care jobs.

My wife is on student visa (MA) studying MSc. Marketing while i am the dependant.

Yes. With the fabulous suggestion from everyone i would start applying for accounting/audit jobs (even contract jobs) before i land uk next month, acquire uk experience in my profession prior to looking out for an opportunity with COS.

Thank you so much.

Schoolhike:


Sincerely not telling you what to do,

I think you still have much time to spend on your current visa, you could try get job related to your career path without cos and get your Uk experience, even 4months Uk experience will do.m you to keep going.

Moving from a COS to another COS ain’t that easy, most especially say moving from a care cos to another skilled visa, some employers now even require you to work with them for some time before issuing COS.

Sincerely the care job is not that easy, I did it for a year and I can tell you it ain’t easy, I was making lots of money in it with an average pay of 17£/hr through out the 1 year, although I was happy that I was making money from it at first but at a point I got stressed out and even seeing shift of 15-20£/hr doesn’t motivate me, I just got tired, basically work mostly with NHS and some other time in care home, did domiciliary for one week I ran away cos it doesnt sit well in my mind to be using part of my salary to repair the car as a result of heavy usage because the one last thing you wouldn’t want you to happen is your car getting spoilt and you having the need to go to mechanic, I don’t think I’ve ever visited the mechanic without spending a minimum of 100£ for just a visit which is almost like a day pay after tax)

If you have the means to pursue another job, sincerely go for it, (just assume in your mind that say there is not CARE sponsorship won’t I pursue something else)

Sincerely I’m not berating the job, but it’s really tiring at a point. But if that’s the only option you’ve got to keep bills going then go for it but not for sponsorship(if you’ve got other means), maybe just to make your money and have the flexibility to look for jobs.

Another thing that I learnt was that getting ILR by taking up care COS does not mean you won’t work anymore or work less as a result of having settled visa in this Uk with lots of recurring bills, my experience having worked with lots of people across different places, I discovered that people still get stuck in a particular job even people that are settled already.

(NB: please note that I’m only saying this only for people who have got other options and you your self knows this in your mind)

Just take it as a last resort maybe when there is no other means as I do believe in my own opinion that having a care COS is better that being sent back to 9ja.

Lots of people are taking care COS because of different circumstances which are valid (like family of 5 paying for IHS and visa which is very expensive but had to take the care COS or like people that have issue with school and some other reasons, or people trying to leave 9ja via the care route).

Sincerely, in my opinion if you’ve got options other than the care visa try to explore it.

We don’t need to be too scared if the current company don’t have sponsorship in as much as you still have a longer validity on the visa. We have seen people here give testimonies about their coy registering for sponsorship because the company don’t want to loose them, I have a personal friend that was sponsored infact his coy pay for his visa and IHS no refund after paying to get sponsorship licence.


Wish us all success.

Baba the experience yapa... I gained alot from the points raised. Thanks man.