Planning to go UK, But..

gps · Post by **gps** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 7:33 pm

Hi All,

I took my EC(HSMP) on 29th Aug 2004(India) but due to some problems I could not go to UK till now. I will highly appreciate if some one can answer my there questions -

1) I am planning to go to UK in mid Jan-2005 for job hunt, If I get job there (IT field) I can start that work in around Feb-05. I have to apply for HSMP extension in June 2005, so I will have only 5 months to show my earnings etc. Will it be sufficient for extension ??

2) What is the best city and place to stay in UK so I can attend max no of job interviews and it is easy to station myself ?

3) How can I get low cost hotel/room on weekly basis ? any reference is highly appreciated.

4) When I land in UK - I need to email and surf the net. I have laptop which I will take with me, what are the options in UK to use internet, what iis the monthly charges/procedure if I want to take connection at home ?

5) Can I surf outside also, what are the charges ?

6) I have cell phone in India, can I take the same phone in UK. How can I get new cell phone connection/new number in UK, I want to have cell phone from the first day. I will put that cell phone number in my resume. so how much it will cost to get new connection and what is the procedure ?

7) Whats is the best way to take money from India, I have international VISA credit card. is it good to use every where or how can I take cash there ?

If any one is planning to go to UK in Jan, Pl contact me.

Thanks in adv.

Regards
-Gyan
gyan_sharma@hotmail.com

try-one · Post by **try-one** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 8:44 pm

1) I am planning to go to UK in mid Jan-2005 for job hunt, If I get job there (IT field) I can start that work in around Feb-05. I have to apply for HSMP extension in June 2005, so I will have only 5 months to show my earnings etc. Will it be sufficient for extension ?? Yes, if you can show that you are economically active at the moment of application, you will have no problem with the extension, 3 or 5 months are enough, keep all records, receipts and info so you can explain what you have done and show that you have paid your taxes.

2) What is the best city and place to stay in UK so I can attend max no of job interviews and it is easy to station myself ? ......well, london, biggest city, higher number of vacants and candidates, it is an open market, rent a room, share a room, use the tube and you will be OK, you can move all over the city without any problem ( www.tfl.gov.uk )

3) How can I get low cost hotel/room on weekly basis ? any reference is highly appreciated. www.yahoo.co.uk, www.google.co.uk, there are some postings with references to this, just use the " " and you will find it.

4) When I land in UK - I need to email and surf the net. I have laptop which I will take with me, what are the options in UK to use internet, what iis the monthly charges/procedure if I want to take connection at home ? .... if you rent a room it will be tricky as the phone will be an issue, there are hundreds of internet cafes and you can buy PCMCIA Wireless access using the cellular/mobile network, it won't be an issue...this is the first world, internet is everywere

5) Can I surf outside also, what are the charges ? one pound an hour.... www.easyinternet.com and so on

6) I have cell phone in India, can I take the same phone in UK. How can I get new cell phone connection/new number in UK, I want to have cell phone from the first day. I will put that cell phone number in my resume. so how much it will cost to get new connection and what is the procedure ? NO IDEA.....

7) Whats is the best way to take money from India, I have international VISA credit card. is it good to use every where or how can I take cash there ? again, this is the first world, credit cards can be used everywere, but, don't put all your eggs in the same basket, bring a debit card, transfer your money to the UK branch of your Indian bank, bring some cash and leave some instructions on how your family can send you more in case you have an incident (send yourself a wire transfer using western union and leave the code on hotmail, also scan your passport and leave a copy in hotmail)

If any one is planning to go to UK in Jan, Pl contact me.
good luck

proudliberal99 · Post by **proudliberal99** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:03 am

Didn't know the answer to any of your other questions, but I do know the cell phone/mobile one!!

If you have a Tri-Band phone, you can still use your cell/mobile in the UK and Asia. The newer Samsung/Motorola models are all usually triband. When you land in london, just turn off your phone and switch it back on. The phone should start working, assuming that you've arranged for some sort of international calling plan from your cell phone company.

If you have t-mobile you are in luck. I have t-mobile and signed up for the free international phone plan. I also had a Triband phone, meaning that I could use the same sim card anywhere in the world in all three types of bands (US uses 1900 network, while UK is on the 900 network, Asia is on something else). A triband phone lets you use it on all three types of networks. Most newer phones are all triband. Just check your phone to see if it's triband. If the band doesn't automatically adjust, you can do so manually on your settings (i.e. Band selection). so all I had to do was turn on my phone when I reached london. My phone worked immediately.

Otherwise, you will have to buy a UK sim card in London and sign up for a plan. T-mobile has prepaid phone cards that you can activate and fill up at Sainsbury's. My advice to you is make sure your phone is triband before you go and try to sign up for an international calling plan.

gps · Post by **gps** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 12:33 pm

Thanks a lot try-one & proudliberal99. Lots of useful info.

Try-One : pl let me know one thing. I saw some hotel(B&B) ad on the net that internet is free while your stay there but your laptop should have wireless card. I have VAIO-Sony's laptop and it has nothing like wireless card. What can I do for this. In india I am using cable or phone line for internet. Pl reply.

proudliberal99 : My phone is not triband and I don't want to buy new phone now. Can I change SIM card in UK and use my current phone. how much it will cost to change new UK SIM card and what are the calling plans like ?

Many many thanks again.
Regards
- Gyan

try-one · Post by **try-one** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 3:48 pm

There are some USB wireless tokens that you can buy from any shop.

bani · Post by **bani** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 4:19 pm

I can't answer all your questions, but hope this bit helps...

Internet is free at public libraries. I'm not sure about London, but in Manchester and Stockport, they let tourists use this service. Also, there are many EasyInternet (£1 to £2 per hour) cafes around. Wireless service is quite expensive at cafes when I last checked (£6/hour) so unless you can get that for free, I wouldn't advise it.

You don't need a triband phone, UK uses GSM which is compatible with most of the world. My phone is from the Philippines and I'm using the same one in the UK. Just buy a pay-and-go sim card when you get here. There are a lot of providers. Typically, the price of a sim card is £10, and you top it up £10 minimum at a time. SMS costs 10p for me (O2), call costs vary, depending on which mobile network or landline i'm calling and what time of day it is, but £1 should get you 3-5 minutes. For international calling, buy a phonecard (at Indian stores) to use from landlines, I find they give the best rates.

MWazir · Post by **MWazir** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 4:23 pm

proudliberal99 : My phone is not triband and I don't want to buy new phone now. Can I change SIM card in UK and use my current phone. how much it will cost to change new UK SIM card and what are the calling plans like ?

You can use a "Pay As You go" SIM card to start with. Its a prepaid plan. Different providers have different rates. A SIM card package from the high street should set you back by £25-£30. You can also buy second hand prepaid SIM cards from local vendors for under £6. There after all you do is buy prepaid currency for the SIM.

As proudliberal99 mentioned, you may not be able to use the phone with a UK SIM card if it is not a triband. I think you can also get dual bands. Look up the internet for features of your phone and find out if it supports the UK band.

bani · Post by **bani** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 6:23 pm

mwazir wrote:

As proudliberal99 mentioned, you may not be able to use the phone with a UK SIM card if it is not a triband. I think you can also get dual bands. Look up the internet for features of your phone and find out if it supports the UK band.

My phone is dual band only, Nokia 2100. No problems with it.

gps · Post by **gps** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:18 am

Thanks a lot Bani & mwazir.
I will check my phone (Nokia's) feature and post it here.

Regd the net for my laptop, I will try to buy USB connector and use it in the B&B, that will be cheaper.

Thanks
- Gyan

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Planning to go UK, But..

Planning to go UK, But..