A Canadian expat’s guide on moving to London with the Youth Mobility Visa
Three years ago, I found myself up late at 2AM with my finger nervously ready to click ‘Submit’ on my visa application to come work and live in the United Kingdom. I had often visited countries abroad on holiday, but making the leap from casual tourist to full-time expat was enough to make my otherwise eager self take a moment of pause. One anxious mouse click later and my expat journey began.
Coming from a sleepy Canadian town, the move to London was one of the most enriching things that I’ve done in my life so far. You’re probably here because, like me, you’ve been looking to make a change. I’ll walk you through the steps that I went through in my journey and highlight key services and products that helped make my transition smoother.
> Note that you should consult an immigration lawyer for more specific queries about complex cases. Also, this article features affiliate links for the various things that I found beneficial in my own personal journey.
📝 Visa eligibility
The first step in my journey was figuring out if I was even eligible to come work and live in the UK. The GOV.UK page on the visa scheme was a great resource for this.
At the time of applying, the notable requirements were the following:
- Are aged between 18 to 30
- Have a good amount in savings (typically around £2,530)
- Be a citizen of a specific country, such as a Commonwealth nation
There were also certain fees to apply, which included:
- The application cost (around £244)
- The healthcare surcharge (around £800)
These requirements and fees can change often, but these were roughly what I had to go through. Consult the GOV.UK site for the latest on requirements and fees.
💼 Getting a job (optional)
For me, it was important to find employment before beginning the application process. This isn’t a required step for submitting a visa application, but I was hoping to have my application costs reimbursed by a sponsor company.
As a tech worker, Hired.com was an amazing resource for me, which allowed me to create a profile and have companies apply directly to me. Talking to a Hired talent advisor also gave me great insights into salary expectations and job market conditions in London. After a few rounds of interviews, I found a role at a great company who were also willing to reimburse my visa costs.
Other great resources include Talent.io and the deep catalogue that is LinkedIn Jobs.
🖐️ Visa application process
The actual application process began with gathering the necessary documents, submitting an online application, and paying the associated fees.
A week or so later, I was given a date for my in-person biometrics appointment. On the day of, you’ll know when you’ve found the place when you encounter a noticeable queue with others standing anxiously with documents and passports in hand.
When you finally see someone your fingerprints are captured with a mildly dystopian-looking green scanner and your passport is taken for processing. Finally, much like flashbacks to grade-school picture day, your photo is taken with an entry-level Canon DSLR camera and you leave the appointment with a tracking number and an unshakeable feeling that you blinked.
Waiting for a decision was the most stressful part of the whole process. The naively optimistic me from three years ago had booked a holiday to Japan set to begin five weeks after the appointment date. Three weeks passed with no update from the tracking number and then, out of nowhere, a parcel arrived at my house that included my documents, passport, and the decision that my application was APPROVED.
My passport had a UK entry clearance stamp on one page and I was also given a paper note with an entry date, border instructions, and more information on what to do when I arrived. I was going to England! 💂♂️🇬🇧
🛂 Arriving in the UK
It’s quite the experience to newly arrive in a country with only a few suitcases and a dream. It’s something that everyone should try to experience at some point in their lives.
Despite the excitement, I held a slightly anxious thought that something would go catastrophically wrong at the border. In past travels, I’ve always had the same interaction between border agents:
“What is the purpose of your visit?”, they would say, to which I would simply say holiday or business. It was a familiar dance that we played very well.
This expat process seemed very different. Did I have all my documents in order? Was I missing something? What if they denied me entry because of a mix up? Luckily, the actual border interaction featured none of these anxieties. I showed up, my passport stamp was reviewed, and I was allowed into the country in moments.
A pro tip here is to sort out your temporary living arrangements weeks before you arrive. Not only will you likely be asked about living arrangements at the border, but it’s nice to have an easy landing pad on arrival day.
Great resources for this include: AirBnB, Couchsurfing, Homestay
📞 Getting a phone plan
The first thing that I did upon arriving was sorting out my phone plan. In the UK, there are the ‘Big Four’ mobile networks, which include: EE, Three, Vodafone, and O2. Visit any high street and you’ll likely find all four shops where you can purchase a SIM card and get setup.
A pro tip here is to use a cheaper provider that piggybacks on these networks and that won’t lock you into a costly long-term contract.
VOXI, which runs on the Vodafone network, was the service that I ultimately went with. Don’t worry, once you’re assigned a phone number, it’s easy to switch between multiple providers to get the best deal.
🏦 Opening a bank account
The biggest paradox that you’ll face when arriving is the ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem of needing a bank account to have a place to live, but needing a residence address before being able to open a bank account.
I chose to solve the bank problem first.
Similar to mobile networks, there are big high street players in the banking sector, such as HSBC, Barclays, Llyods, and Natwest for example.
I’d recommend avoiding these at first and instead opting for a neobank:
- Monzo Bank
- Starling Bank
- Revolut
It will be much easier to overcome the hurdle of not having a fixed residence with one of these options. I chose Monzo and, after a quick onboarding flow, had my new debit card sent to my AirBnB in a matter of days.
💹 Transferring money from home
The next challenge that I faced was moving money abroad to my Monzo bank account. Of all the money transfer services, there was a clear winner in Wise (formerly Transferwise) who offered the lowest rates and easiest integration between Monzo and my bank in Canada.
In talking to other expats, I found that some friends even relied on Wise’s multi-currency account to act as their bank upon arriving. This is the service that I still regularly use today to coordinate money across borders.
💳 Getting your BRP and NIN
Within a few weeks, I was given instructions to pickup my Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from a local post office near me. This document card confirms your right to live and work in the UK.
You’ll also find your National Insurance Number (NIN) assigned to you and written on the back. Mine unfortunately wasn’t, but it just meant attending a separate appointment to be assigned my NIN. Not having a NIN was not a blocker for starting work, but was important to get it to my new employer as soon as possible for income tax purposes.
🏠 Finding a permanent place to live
Once you have your bank account, transferred funds, and documentation — it’s now time to start looking for more permanent living arrangements.
A hilariously useful site for me was Hoodmaps, which was similar to Google Maps but with an amusing layer of human insight into specific neighbourhoods. After some research, take the time to visit various areas to make sure it’s the right fit for you.
Looking to live somewhere alone? I’d recommend using Rightmove.
Looking to find flatmates to live with? Definitely use Spareroom.
Coming to an agreement with a potential landlord can be difficult when you’ve just arrived. Paying a lump sum upfront or showing that you have savings can help smoothen this process.
🏥 Getting your NHS Number
As a Canadian, I’m a big fan of free health care. After finding a residence, it was time for me to look for a GP doctor. The NHS website has a handy Find a GP lookup tool to find various practices near you. An alternative is to use a digital-first provider, such as Babylon Health and their GP at Hand service, which is still covered by the NHS. Registering is quite a simple process, which can you find more information on here.
After registering with a practice or with GP at Hand, you’ll receive your NHS number. Seeing a doctor in the UK is quite easy once you’ve registered. You can phone the practice or use the app to receive video call and/or in-person appointments quite quickly.
🚀 Opening an Investment Account (optional)
A few weeks into arriving, I was shocked to learn that I was able open a tax-free investment account just by being a resident of the United Kingdom. The Individual Savings Account (ISA) allows you to contribute up to £20,000 per tax year and invest those funds in stocks and shares. The best part is that profits are tax-free, similar to the Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) in Canada.
Freetrade was the platform that I ended up using since its fee structure for purchasing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) was very favourable in my circumstance. Integrations with Monzo and Wise also made contributing and withdrawing a breeze.
This is certainly an optional step for most, but those who are interested in long-term savings and investing will find great options to do so here in the UK.
Moving to London was equal parts terrifying and exciting. Uprooting my life and living abroad made me realise how many random services that I relied on while back home from phone plans to banking to public health. Leaning into new-age digital offerings helped smoothen my journey into becoming a full-time expat.
If you’re looking to make the jump too, definitely do it. Feel free to reach out to me for any questions about my particular journey or anything about expat culture! 😎
