Hello!<BR><BR>I am new to this forum and have been shocked to find so much helpful advice and information! Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to make some suggestions or give advice on my situation! My husband is considering attending either the University of Essex or the University of Sheffield-Hallam for a Phd program. So, my inquiry is two-fold. Regarding both cities, can anyone tell me what the average rent might be for a furnised flat, what the cost of a reliable used car might run, how much a gallon of gas is currently.....I have so many questions! We are putting together a possible budget and really don't know where to start. I know that getting a work visa for myself may be difficult and am wondering what the employment situation is there?!? Additionally, can anyone comment on the cities of Sheffield/Essex in general? Again, thank you for all of your help, in advance!

Hello Jules,<BR><BR>I did my first degree at Sheffield Hallam in 91-94. It became a University in 1992 at a time when many former polytechnic were able to become Universities. In general the former polytechnics do not have as good a reputation as the traditional Universities, so you may find Essex has a better reputation, although that does depend on your area of study. Essex may be stronger on research. I may be wrong though.<BR>As far as the cities are concerned. Essex is in Colchester (smallish town, but large army presence), Sheffield on the other hand is one of the largest cities in the UK. It is &quot;famous&quot; for its steel/cutlery industry and the North of the city is industrial and not so attractive, there is a huge shopping centre though (MeadowHall). The southern side of the city is well established, pretty and a mix of prosperous middle class housing and student areas. It has a number of good museums and galleries and pretty parkland in the city. Both Universities have good social events and plenty to keep you busy. I lived for a time in Fulwood, which is handy for the centre and Universities, it is more expensive but a very pleasant place to live. There are two universities in the City, Sheffield University (very good and well established) and Sheffield Hallam. The main student living areas are Crookes, Broomhill, accomodation is reasonable in that part of the country ??&pound;400-550 per month for a flat. It will though be more affordable than Essex. <BR>Sheffield is pretty central in England and great for exploring Leeds, York, Manchester and the Peak District, and other parts of the Yorkshire countryside. The peak District is a beautiful area of countryside with pretty villages (try Bakewell and their famous Bakewell Tart). Sheffield is surrounded by beautiful countryside. <BR>If you are a Christian, there is a very good church in Fulwood (Christ Church) plus one called St Thomas's, both very popular with young professionals and students.<BR>I think you could buy a fairly decent second hand car for &pound;3-4000. I pay &pound;35 to fill my car (35-40litres), it only lasts about two weeks though as I do pretty high mileage.<BR><BR>Do ask if you have any more specific questions. I am sorry I have no info re Essex. I don't think you would regret Sheffield though, the people are really friendly, but do check the research record for Hallam. <BR><BR>Just thought, try www.qaa.ac.uk they are a quality assurance agency for higher education and assess courses, they may be helpful to address the two universities strengths to give you a better idea. The Times newspaper also has a &quot;good university guide&quot; which you may be able to access though their website www.thetimes.co.uk, I think The Guardian may assess Universities as well, at a guess their web site might be www.guardian.co.uk (that is a guess though), then search under &quot;universities&quot;.<BR><BR>You will love England<BR>Take Care<BR>Angela

There are several websites for expats in tne UK. Try www.americanexpats.co.uk.<BR><BR>It has a forum like this where you can post questions, and probably find someone who lives in the area to which you'll be going.<BR><BR>Yes, it will be difficult for you to get a work visa. But your first move should be to call the British Consulate in NY (212-745-0200), explain your situation so you know the facts.

Jules<BR><BR>There is a provision for the spouses of work permit holders to work whilst they're here. If you want me check it out let me know by email and I will<BR><BR>[email protected]

sheila- would my husband count as a work permit holder by being enrolled as a student there?!? if you could PLEASE check into it (or tell me where i can research that), i would be so obliged!!!<BR>sheila, i will e-mail you privately as well just in case you don't check back here!<BR><BR>angela and ann - thank you so much for your very helpful replies as well. we are in fact christian and are very grateful for your church recommendations too! my next step today will be to call the consulate as well as check out the websites you've both provided! my husband would be getting his PhD in chemistry/biochemistry which does indeed have a very good reputation at both universities (in that particular field at least). that's about the only thing we do know!! ann, i hope i don't sound unintelligent by asking, but i don't know what an expat is!!! i'm taking a shot in the dark and am guessing that it is short for expatriate, i.e - someone living in a country that they are not citizens of?! i will check out the website nonetheless<BR><BR>thanks to all of you and if anyone else has any suggestions or advice it would be greatly appreciated!!!

ann41<BR><BR>the &quot;www.americanexpats.co.uk.&quot; is incredible! very helpful and entertaining! i've been on it for the last hour and am learning a lot! thanks again for the recommendation!!!

re Work for Student's Spouse<BR>According to British immigration law, to get a student visa you have to convince the authorities that you can house and maintain your spouse and children without help from public funds (social security benefits etc) and paid work. Once visa is granted which is for 12 months or longer, your spouse can take up paid employment. But any income generated cannot be included in the condition for entry.<BR>So in your case, it does seem you are able to work without work permit, but I'd check to be sure. Also your husband can take on part-time work in term time and work full-time during vacations, without any formalities.

I do not know Essex, but I do know Sheffield and would therefore ask you to consider strongly choosing this city. <BR>Until recently, it was a byword for industrial gloom, a once proud city that had fallen on its backside. It's now been revamped a lot. There are lots of chances to get out from the city and discover the countryside. Also, Sheffield is likely to be less expensive than Essex in terms of housing and eating out etc. Sheffield is not at all far from Manchester, which has a great airport. It is very near to York and not really that far from the Lake District. <BR>Once here, avail yourself of all the student perks, such as railcards for 1/3 off train travel and coach cards for 1/3 off bus (coach) journeys. You might find England expensive, but it is not prohibitively so. <BR>

alec,<BR><BR>that is just what i was looking for! thank you!! my husband's work is looking to sponsor us until he obtains his degree (paying what would be his salary if he were working in the US) upon the condition that he come back to work for two years upon completetion of his studies. so, we would have the funds to &quot; maintain your spouse and children without help from public funds (social security benefits etc) and paid work&quot;, however, i think i might be bored to tears if i couldn't work while he was doing his research etc...<BR><BR>thanks again!!

Thanks Nigel! I studied for one semester at Cambridge (abroad) while I was in college and that is my only real exposure to England (I loved every minute of it!!). It still amazes me though, how different (culturally etc.) England is to the States, despite the fact that they are both &quot;english speaking&quot; countries!! I guess the difference is that of Mexico and Spain etc...anyway, thanks for your vote for Sheffield. That is the most likely option as my husband has a personal connection to one of the professors there. I have heard some negative things about the city and it's nice to have something to temper those comments with! <BR><BR>*Does anyone know a city in the States that is in someway similar/comparable to Sheffield?<BR><BR>Thanks again and again!

I suppose Sheffield is notionally comparable to Pittsburgh or Cleveland (former heavy industrial cities), but since I don't personally know either it's hard to comment.

I am an American living in England, and my daughter was an undergraduate at Sheffield Hallam a few years ago. Angelika gave a good description of Sheffield, to which I have little to add, except so say that she enjoyed the city as well.<BR><BR>As you spent some time in Cambridge, you are already familiar with East Anglia, where Essex University is located. Cochester is also a pleasant city, with the advantage of easy access to London. Either city would be a good choice. Your husband should base his decision on academic considerations.

There is a very good website UpMyStreet<BR>http://www.upmystreet.com/<BR><BR>You can type in a postcode or the name of a city and it brings up information about average house prices, school performance, crime statistics and lots more. There is a section on &quot;moving house&quot; which gives details about letting agencies etc.<BR>Personally, I'd go for Essex as a more established university and for Colchester's closeness to London and to the beautiful East Anglian villages.

Both universities have overseas student offices. So make them work for your employers' money as well..<BR><BR><BR>http://www2.essex.ac.uk/stdsup/international.htm<BR><BR>http://www.shu.ac.uk/international/index.htm<BR>http://www.shu.ac.uk/services/ssc/

I would opt for Essex. Most of North Essex is quite picturesque and very much typical English countryside.<BR><BR>There are also excellent links into central London so you will be able to take advantage of all the tourist sites as well as London's theatre land.<BR><BR>You will also be close to Cambridge and it's excellent town and facilities. Look up villages such as Saffron Walden to get a real flavour of North Essex. <BR><BR>You would also be within a couple of hours drive of either Gatwick or Heathrow airport and close to a smaller local airport known as Stansted which you could use for cheap internal flights if you wanted to tour other parts of Britain like Scotland.<BR><BR> Rent may be higher but so will quality of life. The difference in rent may not atually be that much if you break it down. Most rented prperty in Britain seems to be ridiculously highly priced and differences between regions are so so obvious now.<BR><BR>Good Luck

First of all, congratulations! This will be a life-changing and wonderful experience for you both. I have been a US expat for the last 15 years, and am currently living in Switzerland. <BR>There is lots of info out their on expat life. You might want to get the following book:<BR><BR>Studying and Living in the United Kingdom: A Guide for International Students and Visitors by Jane Woolfenden, <BR><BR>I found it on Amazon, costs about $25.<BR><BR>There is also lots of info on the web on expat life. Try the following websites: <BR><BR>www.expatexchange.com<BR>www.expat-essentials.com<BR>www.expatforum.com<BR>www.expatnetwork.com <BR>www.escapeartist.com/expatriate1/expatriate1.htm<BR>www.outpostexpat.nl<BR><BR>The website for US embassy in London would also be a place to look, go to http://www.usembassy.org.uk<BR>Also, try the American Women's Club of London at www.awclondon.org. The AWC has branches in other parts of the UK, there may be a link at the London site or go to FAWCO.org. I have belonged to various AWCs and AWA's around the world and found them an excellent source of advice on doctors, schools, etc.<BR><BR>As you may or may not know, US citizens must pay US federal income tax even if they live outside the US. As a general rule, the first US$70,000 in annual income is not subject to US tax. You will also pay UK income tax. There are some exemptions and exceptions and some companies &quot;tax equalize&quot; their employees so that the employee essentially pays only the US tax. As your husband will be in school and I guess not earning an income, this may not be an issue for you, although if you work you have to consider your tax situation as well. As a general rule, the first US$70,000 in annual income is not subject to US tax. The UK income tax rates are higher than the US. <BR><BR>I assume your husband's company has talked to you about tax planning, health insurance, shipping of personal effects, etc. <BR><BR>Finally, don’t forget that you can do volunteer work without a visa, and as you are living in an English-speaking country you should find lots of volunteer opportunities. <BR>

I would check out the visa rules on volunteering--I know in the US that you cannot even volunteer (legally) without a visa.<BR><BR>The US and the UK have a tax treaty, wherein you just pay income tax to the country in which you live. American citizens and green card holders must file a tax return regardless of where they live in the world. The stupid returns can be somewhat complicated, particularly for the years where you live part in the US and part in the UK. Pay to have them done for you, at least the first year.

In case you haven't decided yet, i am born and bred Essex so if there is anything you want to know just ask. I used to live about a mile away from the University so know the are very well. Good luck if you have already decided.

mitch,<BR><BR>i would love any information you could give on essex as although we have stronger contacts in sheffield, essex is still in consideration. if you're familiar with sheffield as well, a contrast between the cities would be very helpful! could you tell me what average rent might be like for a two bedroom flat in essex as well as other budgetary items.... <BR><BR>thanks to ann41 as well for your info on taxes. i'm currently looking for a CPA in the US who has experience in this complicated area to help us out when we do move. <BR><BR>and finally, this might be a very stupid question, but in regards to the weather (in both sheffield and essex) how often does it rain/snow/and what about average tempartures within each month of the year?!? THANK YOU ALL!!!

For the record (I checked and emailed details privately) Julie can work. In the UK you need a work permit to volunteer as well as to work for pay