Relocating to a new place can seem a daunting experience, but it can unlock a world of many great potentials. There are various visa schemes available if you choose to migrate to the UK. The top 5 UK cities to move to are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
Relocating to a country like the UK opens up a new world of opportunities, whether new job opportunities, new friends, getting closer to loved ones, or challenging yourself to succeed in a new country. While the opportunities can be great, they can also be daunting. This article will give you some helpful hints and tips to make relocating to the UK a successful decision.
Visa Requirements
If you are looking to relocate to the UK, you will need a visa. Thankfully there are several UK Visas that may work for you. These tend to work under two categories: family-based visas, which require an eligible relative in the UK, or work visas which require a job offer from an eligible UK company. This article will give you a brief description of the main UK visas open to you.
Family-based Visas
You may be eligible for a UK family visa if you have a family member in the country. This could be your partner, spouse, fiancé/fiancée, child, or parent. UK family visas usually last between 9 months to 3 years, depending on each applicant’s circumstances. The spouse or partner visa, for example, allows you to stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months. You can extend your partner visa when it expires so long you meet the requirements. With time, you can also apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which gives you permanent residency in the UK.
Work Visas
UK work visas are another great immigration route for international talents looking to work and live in the country. This is because most employment-based visas let you stay in the UK for 3 to 5 years. A key requirement for visas in this category is that you have a job offer from an eligible UK employer who has a sponsor licence. Upon expiration of your visa, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency rather than renew your visa.
Top 5 UK Cities to Relocate to
If you have secured a visa and think that moving to the UK is for you, you are now left with the dilemma of choosing the best place to live. If you want to enjoy the best city life the UK has to offer, we have chosen the top 5 cities.
1. London
At the very top of our list is London, the UK’s capital city. A vibrant and metropolitan city. Whatever your interest is, London will have something for you. There are thousands of jobs available in London. Many of the world’s top companies have a base in the city. Though the cost of living is high, in return, you get many top UK attractions and restaurants at your doorstep. There must be a reason over 30 million tourists visit London each year. The good news is many employers in London take into account the high cost of living in their wages. London is a historical city, but it has a higher proportion of younger people (aged 25-34) than any other city in England.
The city has excellent public transport links, with the London Underground offering frequent services and the London Red Buses working all day, and in some cases all through the night.
2. Birmingham
Often called the UK’s second city, Birmingham is second on our list and is located in the heart of England – referred to as the midlands. Locals are referred to as Brummies and remind you that Birmingham has more canals than Venice.
Birmingham offers many excellent shops, ranging from small boutique stores to a host of chain stores located in the Bull Ring Shopping at the centre of the city. It is a relatively affordable city to live in and has good connections to London and Manchester, a Metro system, and an international airport. The rural countryside can also be easily accessed from Birmingham, with the Malvern Hills feeling like a million miles away, yet it can be accessed by a short drive.
3. Manchester
Manchester has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Today, it is a vibrant and buzzing city, with a restaurant, nightlife, and shopping scene to compete with the very best. It has excellent transport links, with the Metro system making an affordable and excellent alternative to travelling by car. Home of Manchester United FC and Manchester City FC, it is a sports lovers’ paradise, and the city has produced many popular bands such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, and The Smiths.
Huge employment opportunities are available in Salford (which is part of Greater Manchester), where many UK television companies, such as parts of the BBC, have relocated to in recent years. To make your relocation process hitch-free, you can work with Manchester immigration lawyers for guidance on the visa application and settlement process.
4. Edinburgh
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is a beautiful city full of charm, culture, and history. Edinburgh is fairly expensive to live in by UK standards. However, it is still much cheaper than London. The city of Edinburgh has developed around the striking Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is host to a number of cultural events, most strikingly the International Festival and the Fringe Festival, which are world-famous and bring in many hundreds of thousands of visitors from all across the world. You can access the beach from just a short bus or car ride, with the trendy neighbourhood of Portobello offering you a beach escape when needed.
5. Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and a buzzing city. The city centre is relatively small in comparison to many other cities, but this makes it much more fun as the shops, cafes, and restaurants are all compacted in close together. In addition to the city centre, Cardiff Bay has been redeveloped to provide a range of restaurants and a lovely walk along the marina. Rugby is the national sport of Wales, and the national stadium (the Principality Stadium), is located right in the middle of the city.
Tips for Settling Down in the UK
The UK, especially the 5 cities listed above, have had people migrate to them for hundreds of years. Many parts of the UK have adapted to migration, with different community facilities, restaurants, and specialist food shops catering to your needs. Visiting these locations can help you settle down, as you can get a taste of home while meeting people who have been through the same experiences you are going through.
Joining the community can also help you settle down, and there are many ways you can do this. If you have children and they attend school, there may be school sports days or fundraisers, which is a great way to meet the other parents. If you love sport, then there are hundreds of sports clubs in UK cities, and this can be a great way of making new friends. If you would rather watch a sport than play it, several top sports teams, especially football, are in those UK cities.
In addition, modern technology has made it much easier for us to contact people who are long-distance away. Use Skype, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, or WhatsApp to video call your loved ones back home.
Relocating to another country is a huge life-changing decision. It can offer you many excellent opportunities, and we hope the above information can help you make the most informed decision you can.