Things you need to do before leaving the UK

[nobbie 105]

All I know is they never asked any questions, charged me a fortune ($413 a month), then when I did not visit the doctor for a year increased the payments to $465, great system!!!!!

[Helen Quail 28]

On 18/09/2013 at 4:08 AM, Vanitas said:

When I did an adv. search for threads like this, I found that while they started off well they tended to get derailed big time because they didn't focus on the subject matter (the last one went from "you need to do this" to "I want to get this food to take with me" to "I'm going to be living near you"). Others got ignored and pushed to the bottom of the pile.

I would like this thread to be the main resource for things you need to do or cover before you leave for the US from the United Kingdom. Hence I will be dividing it into sections and anyone can contribute items that they know of which needs to be sorted before you go.

Government (inc. Taxes)

-File Form 85 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-leaving-the-uk-getting-your-tax-right-p85 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

-Check with Jobcentre Plus regarding any benefits you are currently claiming. Most will stop when you move abroad (like JSA and ESA).

-Inform your Local Council you are leaving. You may be able to claim back Council Tax for the time you won't be in the UK if you paid it in one blast up front.

Medical

-Get your Medical Records from the Doctor's. You may have to pay for this. Also inform Doctor's you're emigrating and thus will be leaving the surgery.

-Stock up on any vital medications you will need whilst changing over to a US Doctor. Be aware that some items (or large quantities of items) will need a Doctor's Letter verifying you actually need the medication.

Financial

-Inform your Bank that you are moving abroad to the States. You might want to keep the account open to avoid exchange rate fees when you visit the UK.

-Transfer any savings or anything in that vein over to where you want it to be (be it in a UK or US account).

-Cancel any Insurance Policies you won't need in the US (Car, for example).

-If you're expecting a pension you may need to check on whether it can be paid in the US or if you need to take action now.

Employment

-Hand your Notice in and make sure you get the length of time right. You might lose pay or the like if you don't.

-See if you can get a reference to take over with you, sealed in an envelope (if on good terms with employer).

-Don't do anything silly on your last day of work which might jeopardize you being able to leave for the States.

Possessions

-Anything of sentimental value you can't pack could be couriered over pre-move in plenty of time. Check around for costs and applicable regulations at Customs and Border Protection. See details here: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go

-Get any last items of food or drink you want to take over with you to tide you over, again keeping in mind the Customs regulations (see link above).

-Sell anything you can't take or don't want to take. Ebay or local shops may be an idea. Charity shops are also an excellent idea.

-If renting accomodation make sure it is clean and tidy, nothing is missing from your inventory and the Landlord knows where to send a deposit refund to (or a bill for damages/cleaning).

-Make sure your Mobile Phone is unlocked and therefore can accept a US Simcard to save on roaming and all.

Family/Friends

-Make sure your family can get hold of you in an emergency (be it via email, social media, phone or whatever you choose). You might find that teaching family members to use Skype or the like is a good idea.

-In a similar vein, make sure that you have a nice send-off with your friends and family so they can all see you before you go. This may be the last chance you get for the next six months or so.

--------

What else do you think needs to be added under these categories, guys?

Do we need medical records again/in full? Already got the summary histories from the medical process.

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, Helen Quail said:

Do we need medical records again/in full? Already got the summary histories from the medical process.

I've been in the US around 10 years and haven't needed medical records, nor did I bring any. 

[yuna628 9,530]

2 hours ago, Helen Quail said:

Do we need medical records again/in full? Already got the summary histories from the medical process.

No. Do you have some long term serious condition or specific medication that you would need to show to an American doctor? Otherwise no need for it. You'll fill out medical history forms once you choose to see a PCP stateside, anything else you can discuss with them thoroughly.

[DJ6372 111]

I brought mine, been sat in the bottom of the filing cabinet since!

[Helen Quail 28]

23 hours ago, yuna628 said:

No. Do you have some long term serious condition or specific medication that you would need to show to an American doctor? Otherwise no need for it. You'll fill out medical history forms once you choose to see a PCP stateside, anything else you can discuss with them thoroughly.

Nope...thanks

23 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

I've been in the US around 10 years and haven't needed medical records, nor did I bring any. 

Thank you

[Scottish Mernymph 512]

On the subject of phones.....my contract is complete with current device & provider(O2) in November....I dropped my phone & cracked the screen(currently touchscreen still working but phone is pretty much out of storage & slowly ceasing to accept updates/be accessable via usb to laptop etc), I can save about a tenner if I pay the remaining balance off now....should I try to manage with this old phone til I get to the States(currently being advised by attorney to potentially expect NOA2 at the earliest) & seek to get a new one then rather than enter a new contract here, or invest in a cheap new device with a PAYG sim?

Any help/advice appreciated thankyou

[BJ & Christine 1,392]

5 hours ago, Scottish Mernymph said:

On the subject of phones.....my contract is complete with current device & provider(O2) in November....I dropped my phone & cracked the screen(currently touchscreen still working but phone is pretty much out of storage & slowly ceasing to accept updates/be accessable via usb to laptop etc), I can save about a tenner if I pay the remaining balance off now....should I try to manage with this old phone til I get to the States(currently being advised by attorney to potentially expect NOA2 at the earliest) & seek to get a new one then rather than enter a new contract here, or invest in a cheap new device with a PAYG sim?

Any help/advice appreciated thankyou

If ur nearly out of storage. Just transfer to laptop to free up speed. Earliest POE would be March "guesstimating". I wouldn't personally enter into a new contract. Can do a pay as u go phone if there available there. Or have ur fiancé get a phone for u and just use it on wifi while in England. Can add international calling for a fee. Most plans here in the states have unlimited text also. 

[Scottish Mernymph 512]

Hi BJ & Christine thankyou for your reply.....apologies for me not being clear(I seem to have typed in a hurry)-my phone wont connect with my laptop through usb cable & bluetooth transfer is a guddle & takes so long.....here in Scotland pay as you go phones are making a bit of a reappearance these days so that's probably the easiest/best thing to do & if I have it unlocked I'll be able to use it when I get to the States, is pay as you go available in the States readily too?

Edited July 12, 2018 by Scottish Mernymph

[trudi 1,317]

18 hours ago, Scottish Mernymph said:

Hi BJ & Christine thankyou for your reply.....apologies for me not being clear(I seem to have typed in a hurry)-my phone wont connect with my laptop through usb cable & bluetooth transfer is a guddle & takes so long.....here in Scotland pay as you go phones are making a bit of a reappearance these days so that's probably the easiest/best thing to do & if I have it unlocked I'll be able to use it when I get to the States, is pay as you go available in the States readily too?

I wouldn't get a new contract phone at maybe a his stage. You could buy a sim free phone and just put your sim card in until you get here. Make sure it's a US network compatible phone though.

Yes pre pay exists here, it's more expensive than you'll be used to in Scotland

[BJ & Christine 1,392]

19 hours ago, Scottish Mernymph said:

Hi BJ & Christine thankyou for your reply.....apologies for me not being clear(I seem to have typed in a hurry)-my phone wont connect with my laptop through usb cable & bluetooth transfer is a guddle & takes so long.....here in Scotland pay as you go phones are making a bit of a reappearance these days so that's probably the easiest/best thing to do & if I have it unlocked I'll be able to use it when I get to the States, is pay as you go available in the States readily too?

Yes pay as u go is available. Tbh tho u will be shocked at how much more a cell phone is here then the U.K. My fiancé lives in England and she pays £20 a month. I live in the states and pay $100 a mo.  Plus here u have to buy or lease the phones. No more freebies..

 

as for transfering info. Hopefully u can do it over wifi then. If not u will have to cloud it all and transfer it that way.. will take a lot longer but, won't lose everything. 

1 hour ago, trudi said:

 

👍🏻

Edited July 13, 2018 by BJ & Christine

[yuna628 9,530]

21 hours ago, Scottish Mernymph said:

Hi BJ & Christine thankyou for your reply.....apologies for me not being clear(I seem to have typed in a hurry)-my phone wont connect with my laptop through usb cable & bluetooth transfer is a guddle & takes so long.....here in Scotland pay as you go phones are making a bit of a reappearance these days so that's probably the easiest/best thing to do & if I have it unlocked I'll be able to use it when I get to the States, is pay as you go available in the States readily too?

 

Pay as you go phones are very much available here and very popular. My husband obtained a go-phone via one of the major providers soon after he got here. Btw, despite being assured by his old provider that his old cellphone would be compatible and completely unlocked for him this was dishonest and actually complex to get a provider to budge on (just because the provider says it is.. doesn't mean it is honestly.. so be prepared). Most days you can either get a go-phone via the US provider (just walk into any store you want) or buy it at a walmart for instance then have the provider install the new sim. You can also buy fully unlocked phones online which can be used by most providers. With our go-phones we own them outright, and he has a go-phone contract for our phones via the provider for about $80 per month. Some providers will offer further discounts if the amount is direct debited from your account, rather than them sending a monthly bill. You should be cautious about paying attention to if the charges come out correctly though. Our plan is unlimited talk and text, but we share data and it is more than enough for both of us. Contrast that with a contract plan my sister has - she not only pays more, is forced to rent the phone from the provider, but also has less data than between both me and my husband. You'll also need to narrow down who will have the best coverage in the state you reside. There are plenty of companies out there that claim to offer deep discount prices for service..... that doesn't actually mean the service will work as advertised. I would say you sound like you have a current clunker of a phone, and you'll have to think about upgrading once you get to the US soon.

[Scottish Mernymph 512]

Thanks everyone for your input about the phone, much appreciated....'clunker' haha that's a great word....it's a Samsung Galaxy A3 about 2 years old, I'm usually very careful with my phone & I've never had any phone accidents until this one dropping & cracking the screen.....it's full of music & photos(most of which I could probably just delete(although the ones of my Dog & of my Fiancé & I would need to be tranferred).....
Makes sense to not enter into a new contract now......will keep nursing the phone I have while I take a look around.
Thanks again folks.