2 Year Anniversary

So, as the title says, I've been in the UK for 2 years now! This means that next spring, I will have to do the next state of the visa. This means saving up and giving up my vices! As unfortunate as that is, it's to an important cause. Yeah, I've been here for 2 years and still don't have any regrets. I can't help but feel that had I not spent the past 2 years HERE, I wouldn't be in the position I'm at. What with living on my own and whatnot. I'd still be stuck in a limbo. Despite everything, though, I can't help but feel that these past two months have been a bit rough. I've been more cynical and pessimistic about things. Really, the only one that keeps me sane is my husband. I probably wouldn't be here writing this if it weren't for him. I've been abandoned by so many people that I've become doubtful of the merit of others. But that's all sombre stuff, and I don't want to dampen the mood with that. Hopefully, if this visa goes through okay, things may start to pick up a bit. But I can assume that the months building up to it may be stressful and difficult. I'll be worried about the visa itself, as well as my husband, because I dread that he will push himself to death from overworking. I know he's putting all of his effort into earning money, but I still don't want to lose him to it. He's really the only rock I have in this selfish world. And it's going to be stressful to not be able to wind down with my usual vices, either. Again, I know it's going for an important cause. But that doesn't mean it'll be easy. But, like with the last visa, I can't help but worry about the outcome. Even though FLR(m) has a higher success rate, there's still that one-off chance. I'm not entirely sure what happens if it's refused. I've read that you can just apply for it again, without being deported. But still, after hearing the horror stories about people being deported despite being in the UK for 15+ years, I still can't help but worry.

It's difficult, but at least the hardship is worth it this time. My other pieces of cynicism spurs from dwelling over the past, so that can't be helped. I guess. I don't know. I'll see you in the next blog post I suppose. Hopefully, my mindset will be a little bit better. Hopefully.

FINALLY GOT A BANK ACCOUNT!!

So awhile back, I received a water bill in the mail. This was great, as the electric bill isn't in my name and the Council Tax bill had the wrong postcode. And for some reason, the council stopped sending me bills, so all I could use to open up a bank account was a water bill. I've had enough of the pisstake that Lloyd's had given me. So along with the recommendation from two others, I went to Barclays.


...and holy crap, it went as smooth as silk.


Seriously. I filled out a bank account application online for Barclays, then went in for an appointment. It was literally click, click, signature, done. No additional questions. No awkward silences. As of typing this, I have an official account with my latest income payment in it, along with a fully functional contactless debit card.

To make things short and concise, I would like to list off the *pardon my French* bullshit I had to go through regarding Lloyd's. I will also provide a Barclays list in comparison.

Lloyd's Bank:

• Went there five times to try to open an account
• Since we'd gone there so many times, we were paired with the same lady a lot. She (understandably) became somewhat fed up and condescending after awhile. I remember one comment in particular from her. I was trying to put the documents into my handbag and she said, "You need a bigger bag!" and I thought: Really? I was able to fit the documents in there before, and I am quite satisfied with my current handbag, thanks! This was after she sent us off for having the wrong documents, so it was kind of a patronising comment to send us off on. Nothing like: "I am really sorry about this!" or anything like that. The last comment I got from her during one of our appointments was that my handbag was too small. 
• Tried many documents but they just said no (to be fair, Barclays had the same policies...but it was still a waste of time and money, and an overall pisstake)
• During one the attempts I brought a Council Tax bill. I was about 95% close to getting an account, but then I realised the post code was wrong and it was completely cancelled.
• As I was very close to getting an account, I was told I would have a basic account. No overdraft. No contactless card. No suitable functions. Just a debit card with no benefits whatsoever.
• This is minor, but worth noting. To log onto my husband's bank account, I have to take an extra step to sign in. I know it's a security measure, but it's still somewhat of a hassle and discourages me from checking the account online.

Barclays Bank:

• Filled in an application online. Went in there one time. Click, click, signature, account opened.
• We were paired with a lady who was very friendly and understanding. She also agreed that the Lloyd's situation was BS. She was more informal than the Lloyd's lady. She even commented on how beautiful the US passports are.
• While Barclays wouldn't accept private tenancy agreements either, and has possibly the same address-proving policies as Lloyd's, I kind of feel like they would have been slightly more lenient than Lloyd's. I can remember in one of my times with Lloyd's, they didn't like my passport. They wanted my BRP. But Barclays readily accepted my passport - they liked it, even.
• I was given a normal account with an overdraft capability and a contactless card. Granted, I couldn't immediately sign up for an overdraft because I have no credit or financial security to fall back on. But I should be able to get an overdraft after a few months. At Lloyd's, I wouldn't be given a contactless card. Contactless cards are a minor thing, I am not bothered either way. I am just simply pointing out that I would possibly feel inferior with a Lloyd's Basic Account. But at Barclays, I got a normal account. Nothing substandard. Everything is there. So I don't feel inferior.
• Logging onto my Barclays app is literally one and done. I type in a passcode, and I am in. It will even allow Touch ID. And I can even customise my debit card if I wanted to.

I know in some of these points, I might seem a bit petty. But after the BS I went through regarding Lloyd's, these petty things are contradicted by Barclays. My view on Lloyd's has been tarnished after this ridiculous experience. If you are an expat in the UK, don't try opening an account with Lloyd's. They may be good for British people, but not expats. Barclays felt friendlier and simpler. They may not be top tier, but they are most certainly more expat-friendly. If I had to summarise them both in a few words:

Lloyd's: Posh. Patronising. Strict.

Barclays: Warm. Friendly. Sympathetic.

So, yeah. I do not recommend Lloyd's. At all. My husband is actually thinking of switching over from Lloyd's to Barclays, because he isn't pleased with their treatment of me. 

So I will proudly flash my Barclays card in the direction of a Lloyd's bank, and say: "At least birds can fly. Eagles are majestic and owls are wise. But what do your stupid horses have?"

Haha...it's funny because it's a logo joke.

I'm signing out now...

SOMEONE DO A RAINDANCE FOR THE UK!!

At least two weeks straight of sunshine and 25-29 degree centigrade weather. The grass is hay now. The UK is not built for heatwaves, so most houses are ultra-insulated and without air con. I went through a midge cloud a week or two ago, so itchiness galore. It wouldn't be so bad if the houses were better built for this. There's no air con at work, either. So it gets over 30 centigrade in the kitchen. Yay. Fun times. The heat would be okay if I had time off to go to the beach or something. But nope. I am not a fan of summer...I only like it because it allows me to go swimming. Which even then, because since once again the UK's not built for heat, there's very limited options regarding that.

For the sake of the British grass and my nastily sweating body, I BEG the readers of this (if there are any) to do a raindance for all of Britain.

I want to end on a sarcastic/snarky note because I'm in that sort of mood right now.




God Save the Overheated Queen?

Sigh.

I normally don’t post rants here because I don’t want to seem petty. But I NEED to say something about this.
I love how I sent some relatively informal documents to Home Office, and they readily accepted my UK visa application.
But a few relatively informal documents to try to open a bank account? NO! HERESY! Let me preface this: Home Office, who are responsible on whether or not one can come to the UK, can accept Specsavers bills as proof of address. They can accept Tenancy Agreements as proof of address. But banks can NOT. Banks, which are much lower scaled than Home Office.

We tried hassling the council for the fact that they sent a bill with the wrong postcode (even though it’s correct online) yet they still have the audacity to send ANOTHER bill with the still-incorrect postcode. So we can’t use a Council Tax bill to open up a bank account for me.

We haven’t received a water bill statement yet, and at this rate, it’s our only chance for me to open an account because a TENANCY AGREEMENT doesn’t work. A tenancy agreement. An actual statement of address...and it doesn’t work. We are still in a Catch 22 with all this. And we’ve tried four times now, and hassled a lot of people. But we’ve still gotten nowhere. It’s a WASTE OF OUR TIME to spend £10 for a bus fare to the town centre, just to have the bank say “sorry we can’t accept this tenancy agreement even though your address is in big bold letters” what a load of... 🤬

Remember when all you needed was a passport to open a bank account? I remember that.

Bloody ridiculous.

Yeah. That rant was posted on my Facebook today. So...a tenancy agreement will not work, either. Or at least a private one, which is what we're under. I've been trying all of this with Lloyds, and I want to say right now...SCREW THEM! I am going to try Barclays next. But I'm going to have to hassle the council some more, because they won't accept private tenancy agreements either.


This is so discouraging.

Bank Account Delays

Even still today, despite having a place of our own and earning bills of our own, a bank account continues to elude me. All for one simple reason: the Council Tax bills we're using as proof of address have sent two bill statements now with the wrong postcode. And I can't use it as proof of address if it has the wrong postcode. It will also be invalid as evidence for the visa if the postcode is wrong. We've tried contacting the council once already about this issue, but since then, we've received a second bill with the same, still wrong, postcode on it. I got about this close: - to opening a bank account. But I couldn't because of the wrong postcode. Seriously. Our other bills are either not in my name, or paperless only. And we're doing all of this just to open up a LIMITED bank account for me. It's not a normal standard one, it's a simplified one with limitations. Ugh, it's REALLY annoying and a waste of my time.

At least I'm still getting paid at all, I guess I can't complain about that. It's just not going into my own account. 

The British Workplace

Ten weeks ago today, I started my first shift in a new country. I can't believe how much time has passed since then! So I thought I'd give my thoughts and feelings on what it is like working here.


Before I started work, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would be negatively viewed because of where I came from. I worried that people would tell me to go back to America, because they would automatically assume I was an illegal. I thought maybe the people would apply American stereotypes to me, and say I don't belong here. Chalk this up to me hearing horror stories from people in a similar situation.

But upon starting work, I wasn't negatively received. Quite the opposite, in fact! At work, people ask me a lot about how I am doing, and which state I am from. There is even one girl that talks to me a lot because she loves my American accent. In fact, she isn't the only one. I've been praised by quite a few people on my accent during my stay here. It's quite flattering, because I never saw the American accent as anything special. But that is coming from someone who grew up there. I myself have always loved the accents here in the UK. Any accent you name, I love the sound of it: Scottish, Irish, Cockney, Welsh, Scouse, Yorkshire, country...I love hearing all of them. I will admit, some definitely sound more refined than others, but they are still interesting to hear regardless.

I thought this too and I'm not even from Yorkshire. I've been around Brits too much to read it as such.

Anyway, pretty much all of my work colleagues take a great interest in me. I'm well received here, and I hate that I thought otherwise. I even love seeing the shock on people's faces when we describe the visa process and its bank breaking fees.

It took me awhile to get used to everything, and hence for me to feel like I fit in. But now I feel right at home here. And I most definitely feel like I am welcomed. I was like an orphaned puppy trying to feed off a mother cat. I wasn't a kitten, so I didn't think I belonged. I thought the mother cat would reject me. But lo and behold, she shows her maternal instincts and allows me to nurse.

So yeah, working here has been pleasant. It can be stressful at times, because it is a pub restaurant, after all. But it is great to be welcomed by all of my colleagues.

I had been so pessimistic on both the outcome of the spouse visa, and now this. I might need to work on that. However, with pessimism, you are either not disappointed or pleasantly surprised. And I can say for a fact I was pleasantly surprised! 

Loving this Freedom

So it's been a week since I've moved into our new house. I have to say I am LOVING it. No in-laws or parents to tell us what to do and when to do it. I'm 22, and now finally getting my first taste of living on my own. It is pretty incredible. We get to decide what goes where, get to shower late at night, and not have to worry about waking up to anyone or waking anyone up. The thing is, though, we haven't encountered our first bills or rent payment yet, so I am kind of worried about that. We've got a great amount of money saved up, but I still can't help but worry. To be honest, though, the amount of money we spend to live on our own is worth it. I've been wanting this since I turned 18, and now I've got it. We're setting up the house slowly but surely, and it's working great.

And speaking of working, we're doing a hell of a lot of that. I'm currently enjoying a four day weekend off, though, which is nice. And my second paycheck was double that of my first, so I am definitely NOT complaining. I'm also definitely looking forward to opening my own bank account. Even though I'm getting paid, it's going to my husband's bank account so it doesn't feel like the money is TOTALLY mine. I can't wait to get an account and card with my name on it. So if I ever want to pop up to Tesco on my day off and get milk, I can use MY card.

So apart from the slight financial worries, I am loving this. The house is great, as well. The oven's a little confusing, but I think I have an idea on how it works. Oh yeah, and the bottom floor smoke detector works. When I cooked the first night, I think the mere steam from the boiling water set it off. That or the oil I was heating up, I don't know. My only major gripe is that when you're barefoot, the tile floor feels like you're walking on ice. There's a rug in there to help, though.

The house is pretty tiny, but I still love it. It seems pretty low maintenance as well...at least for now. But now that we're here, we can provide evidence for both the bank AND the visa renewal.

Oh god, the visa renewal...


About seventeen months from now...





...Gulp.

TRUE Adulthood Begins in 3...2...1...

Tomorrow is the beginning of March. Not only that, but tomorrow is the day in which my husband and I sign a tenancy agreement and receive a key for our first house. Unfortunately, we will not be able to LIVE in that house starting tomorrow, because of course we have to do a lot of moving in, since the place is unfurnished. And unfortunately due to our work schedules, we are unable to really do much moving in ourselves. But luckily my in-laws have offered to help with that in our behalf. This new house is tiny, but it will definitely work for us. Apart from the fact that it'll be our first home, there are two advantages to this:

• Our own house will be at our advantage for the next visa, due to the fact that we will be receiving paperwork in our name.
• We will be receiving bills in our name, which means I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO OPEN MY OWN BANK ACCOUNT! I have just been sharing my husband's bank account for income for the time being. No, it's not a joint account, but my managers have reluctantly agreed to put my income in his account for the time being.

Right now, my biggest concern is of course earning enough to live at least somewhat comfortably. But we have done the calculations of the bills and everything else. Hopefully, this could also mean positive things for our gaming life. If we get a better internet, we may even be able to begin streaming in better quality. Because right now, if we want to stream without the game lagging, the best we could probably muster is 480p. And even then that might be at a push. Streaming would be much more efficient for us regarding our Let's Plays.

But with a new home comes bills. We're not used to that, so it's a little scary for me. We'll be official adults at that rate. Unfortunately, we cannot get a cat for our home, which is a damn shame. At the same time though, we need to get our feet wet first before we shoulder the weight of paying for a cat. But I want cats as much as most women want babies. And I don't want babies. They're more expensive than cats. And more of a pain. LUCKILY we won't have to deal with that monetary weight when we move out. AND we don't have a car, so there's also that. We probably wouldn't be able to live in that home if we had car payments to make. At least, I don't think so. Doing the calculations, we should have £300 left after all of the payments AT WORST. That amount is considering a slow work week. And work has definitely not been that lately. 

Another concern is finding the money to pay for the visa on top of bills and all that. We've got a good amount waiting in a savings account. I guess we both can start putting stuff into it. But the visa fees (and possibly IHS surcharge) will increase. So it would possibly not hurt to have at least £5,000 saved up for the next visa. I just hope we'll be able to gather all that up by next spring, which is the earliest we can start applying. We've got at least until June and July to save up. 

So not only am I adulting in the normal way (regarding bills and rent), but I'm adulting in an expat way (regarding saving and applying for visas). GO ME!!!Kill me. 

At least it's nice to see the UK being doused by snow right now.

OH GOD NOT THAT KIND OF HOME!!!

That's better.

This is me right now. I'm not awake yet, obviously. I need to start proofing my entries before I publish them.

Changes In Progress

So I'm still getting fuck all from the banks, tried again today with Lloyds using a Specsavers bill. Still a no-go. For the time being, I'm just getting my income put into my husband's bank. That's not recommended by our managers, but it will have to suffice for the time being. So before I can open my own bank account, we will have to get out and find our own place to rent. So far, we have inquired about a nearby home for us. That basically means that within the next month or so, we might be living together without anybody else. We can then get bills in both of our names, where that will help us not only bank-wise, but visa-wise as well. Right now, we do not have much of anything that proves we live together. And that's essential for the next visa. But UNLIKE with opening a bank account, we can use mobile phone bills to prove we live together.

It's incredibly annoying how:

• Banks do not accept official government letters or letters from a GP/dentist/optometrist as proof of address.
• UKVI, however, does accept these things as proof of address and more. 

It's also annoying how banks will accept other bank statements as proof of address. I'm opening my FIRST bank account, how in the hell will I have other banks statements? Ugh. I've already griped about this in the last blog entry, so I won't say anything else about it. But it still irritates me greatly. Oh well. At least we will hopefully get our own place with our own bills. We will be able to stop this Catch 22 AND also get more support for the next visa. 

At least I can be glad that I've got a job now, as well as a potential house to move into. I am just so glad the managers are okay with compromising for this moment. Because otherwise I won't receive my income at all, and otherwise we'd be stuck in the goddamn Catch 22. We are still sort of in it, but we've found a narrow and rocky path around it.

There's the stress of a new job, moving to a new place, and bank shit all in one. I am SO glad I do not have children, because that would just add to the stress. Hooray for being an adult!

 

 

THE BALL STOPPED!!

INCOMING RANT!! May contain swearwords, depending on my thought processes. 

Okay, just when I thought 2018 was starting off on the right foot, the foot misses a step and trips me up. And let me explain why. Do you want to know what my biggest grievance of moving to the UK has been?

• No, it's not culture shock.
• No, it's not occasional homesickness.
• No, it's not the weather.
• No, it's not the strict weapon rules that would put me in jail if I want to defend myself in an attack.
• No, it's not the struggle of deciphering what the hell my shoe size is.
• No, it's not clothes shopping for chunky ol' me. 
• No, it's not feeling out of place.
• No, it's not the fact that I can't get certain foods here.
• No, it's not August 2017. 
• No, it's not me struggling to find a job.
• No, it's not trying to find a house to live.
• NO, IT'S NOT EVEN THE FUCKING VISA PROCESSES. The spouse visa had nothing on this.

All of these things are just minor things, they are fleeting and barely invoke any major emotions out of me. In fact, things like culture shock, homesickness, and weather - I put those because they are normal complaints of expats moving to the UK. The weather doesn't bother me, I like the rain and coolness. I've only been homesick like twice, and it was fleeting. And culture shock wasn't a thing since I've been here twice before - if anything, it was the time difference that had me jet lagged for a week or two.

So what has me in a tizzy, you might ask? Well, I'll tell you. But first, let me address some additional issues this poses.

1. It's a unique case - due to my situation, hardly any expats have dealt with this bullshit.
2. Since it's a unique case, finding answers or advice online is next to impossible. I can't even vent on expat blogs because some of them want money from me. Seriously?

But anyway, enough holding off. What is the issue? OPENING A GODDAMN BANK ACCOUNT.

You might think, how the hell is that difficult? All you need is a job and a few documents then you're set. Well, my darling reader, it's not like that for me. Here's the situation:

1. Can't get a bank account without a job.
1. Okay, no biggee. I'll get a job so that I can open a bank account.
2. Alright, job has been landed.
2. Can't work until a bank account has been opened.
1. Understandable. Let me open one real quick so that I can receive income.
3. Bank account requires proof of address, ID, and letter from employer.
1. That's fine! I'll show the banker my passport, the letter from employer, and the letter I received from the Home Office displaying my National Insurance Number.
2. ...Wait...what? The NiNo letter will not work as a proof of address? Despite it displaying my address?! Despite it being from the OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT?!
4. Bank suggests having the homeowner add my name to her bills.
1. I don't have utility bills in my name, and neither does my husband because we live with his mom.  
2. She can add my name to her bills? Okay, let's try that.
3. That didn't work. She seems to be unable to do that.
5. We don't have bills in our name. There are houses available, sure.
1. Problem is, we can't get a place of our own just solely relying on my husband's income. 
2. We probably won't even be able to rent unless I have a bank account, too.

So in short:

• Can't get a bank account without a job.
• Can't work until bank account is open.
• Can't open bank account without proof of address.
• Can't get proof of address without paying our own bills.
• Can't pay bills because I am not earning income yet.
• Can't earn income yet until I open a bank account.

WHAT THE FUCK!!! It's a fucking Catch 22 that seems inescapable. As of right now, there are two options we have from here:

• Either the bank sucks it up and accepts a letter from my employer confirming my address,

OR,

• I join this eBank website called Monese, which caters to people of my situation. It's £5 a month, but it will accept my income and even give me a MasterCard to use.

At this point, we will try the first option first. If it doesn't work, we might try the second one. I've only officially tried Lloyds, but it seems like the other banks are saying the same thing about proof of address. At this point, I'm not sure how I feel about Lloyds. They've been very inconvenient, their online form was very finicky and stubborn, and we can't even get ahold of customer service on the phone because we're just being put on hold. Nobody online seems to have dealt with this situation before, so quite frankly I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go. I'm almost hoping against hope that someone who's been through this will comment and give me an answer, but who the fuck reads these blog entries? I also hoped that, upon exiting the shower, I had received a text from my employer giving me an answer. But nope. I'm grasping at straws now. Monese wants a picture of my passport, which I'm really unsure about doing that for security reasons. But again, I'm grasping at straws. I'll do PayPal or Apple Pay. I'll even do a fucking third party eBank with a monthly fee like Monese if it means receiving my income. I can't move out of my mother-in-law's place until I'm receiving income, but if I can't even do that because of stubborn banks...well, then...I'm stuck here.

I really am stuck. I'm hoping that in the next few days, this will all be resolved. Because that is what has happened when I've written angsty blog entries before. I write an angsty blog entry, and everything gets resolved within the week. But this is a sticky Catch 22 right now. I'm fully positive I'll end up joining Monese in the long run. Because again, since our situation seems to be unique due to the lack of help online, I don't think I will be able to land a high street bank account. Monese seems credible, but if I join it, I sincerely feel like I may as well be doing my shopping at stores called Besco, ASDO, or Hainsbury's. 

So all-in-all, forget culture shock and homesickness. Forget the struggle of finding a job. Forget even the stresses caused by the spouse visa. This caps them all. Gotta cap 'em all, Catch 22!

Ugh, if I'm making jokes like that, it just shows how hopeless and desperate I feel. 

Adulting sucks.

Okay, rant time over. Time to have a cocktail. Or six. 

Can't even find a relevant meme, gif, or image for this topic. Instead, here's a representation of what my brain is doing.

The Ball is Now Rolling

Happy 2018, everyone! The new year is looking good so far. I've finally landed a job, and I'll be working alongside my husband to boot. Since I've got a job now, I can start saving up and we can FINALLY find a place to rent. It'll be just the two of us, finally. It's nice to be able to work, because I'm finally able to contribute now. Having a job isn't required for the next visa, but it will most certainly look better. And it'll increase our chances of finding a decent place. And having a place of our own is crucial, because the next visa requires a multitude of cohabitation proof. As of right now, there is little proof saying that we live together - as we are receiving little to no mail. I don't have a bank account, we're not paying any bills, and we haven't been to the doctor or dentist. So once we get our own place, we will be able to start receiving bills to prove our cohabitation. That's the biggest concern regarding the FLR right now, since finances can be added up from the both of us this time.

So even though 2018 is showing signs of us starting our own lives, it is all signifying that the next visa is coming up fast. In fact, it'll be almost a year from now when we will have to consider beginning the application process. I'm not as worried this time, since entry clearance is the hardest step. Again, right now, my only concern is getting enough mail gathered up to prove that we live together. But that should be resolved once we get our own place. I'll post updates regarding our housing situation.

It'll be the first time we'll be away from parents' influence. It'll be so refreshing to make our own rules. At this point, I'll pay a monthly CARPET BILL if it means we can finally live on our own.

"If you hold on, life won't change!"