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Working Abroad
- Cool Jobs (11)
- Property (7)
- Recruitment (0)
- Visas and Immigration (6)
Dynamic South African - Idene Doyer
What do you do?
I’m a hairdresser and salon owner of two salons in London.
When did you start your business and why?
My husband and I arrived in the UK in May 2003. I started working at Saks Hair and Beauty and realised I could offer much better service at significantly better prices, so I started doing clients at home. At that stage we lived in a one bedroom flat and as you can imagine it wasn’t the ide ...
Visa insight: Changes to Tier 1 Master's degree not nee...
I previously wanted to apply for the Tier 1 visa for highly skilled migrants, but did not qualify as I did not have a Master’s degree. I have however been told that the criteria has recently been changed?
A: The new criteria to apply for initial applications under the Tier 1 (General) scheme came into effect on 6 April 2010.
The good news is that with the new criteria one no longer requires a Master’s de ...
Owner of Snoggys - Yoland Wallace
Yoland is the owner of Snoggys in Wimbledon station and Snoggys butchery in Putney. Yoland’s daughter, who lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, also makes and sells biltong!
Yoland is passionate about meeting and serving people, and inspiring others to make a success in London. Says Yoland, “What you give out is what you receive. I just want to see people happy and motivated. I love my friends and cl ...
Changes in British citizenship law
I understand that there are changes to the law on citizenship that came into force in January, how will these changes affect me?
The following changes to British nationality law, in respect of registration, came into force on 13 January 2010. The requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen are not changing at this time. The ‘earned citizenship’ provisions will not commence until July 2011.
1. Chi ...
Property insight: Exchanging contracts
Q: I have exchanged contracts on the purchase of my property in the UK. What are the next steps?
A: Once contracts have been exchanged between the purchaser’s solicitors and the seller’s solicitors, the parties will be locked into the transaction. This means the purchaser is obliged to complete by paying the balance of the purchase price to the purchaser on the completion date, when the keys will be handed ...
Indefinite leave to remain
I currently hold HSMP / Tier 1 status and will be applying for indefinite leave to remain after a lawful five year stay in the UK. What are the allowed absences from the UK when applying for indefinite leave to remain? The UK Border Agency can use discretion when considering absences from the UK during the residential qualifying period when you apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement). In assessing ...
World champion marathon runner - Liz Ruickbie
SA’s World Champion marathon runner aged 60-65, born in Scotland, but has lived in South Africa for 35 years, is married to a South African and says that Africa is in her blood and that its her home. What do you do?I am involved in lots of things. I am a wife and mother and I have my own business, a B&B in Sandton. Are you a full time runner?No not at all, I do not get paid. I had to pay my own way to t ...
Buying property in the UK
I am in the process of buying a property in the UK and want to know the first steps that I need to take?First, you will need to consult a reputable independent financial advisor (IFA) that has experience in dealing with South Africans to advise you on your ability to obtain a mortgage and the best mortgage product available. Through this process, you will be advised on the price you can buy at and the depos ...
Take time to reflect
Before rushing headlong into the new year, making resolutions and focusing on new goals, take time to reflect on this year. Take a moment now to look back on 2009 and remind yourself of what you have accomplished. We tend to be good at looking ahead at our goals and dreams, and looking back at our failures. Consequently we end up never looking back at how much we have actually achieved and what we have to b ...
Climbing Kilimanjaro to help orphaned kids
A team from the Canary Islands will attempt to combat the highest mountain in Africa this month, to raise funds for the building of a village in South Africa for orphaned children. The project, propelled by the Pearly Grey resort in Tenerife – owned and managed by South Africans – will hopefully begin building the village by the end of the year. “The spread of AIDS in Africa, and in particular SA, has resul ...
Fitness instructor - Kimberly Rothman
What do you do?Through my company Fit Camp, I train people, outdoors, who really want to make a difference to their figure, their mind and their mood! Describe a typical day?The mornings are spent either running one of my camps with one of my PT's or I still train a few clients who wont let me go! The rest of the day is in the office developing Fit Camp, which is growing by the day! What do you enjoy most ...
Lights, camera, background actio!
“Background action… and, action!” yelled the director. I was propped against a bar, chatting casually to the lady in front of me. The mood was relaxed and we talked with nothing louder than a bold whisper. A few metres away Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou acted out their dialogue as the camera rolled along its rails capturing the room’s inhabitants with its wide and keen eye.
The director was Ron Howard and th ...
HEALTH MOT
Why would I want to see the doctor if I am not sick?
Preventative health checks are important in the early detection of health problems and conditions which can do harm if left unnoticed. With the current economic downturn and flu pandemic sweeping across the UK, health and fitness are always at the back of our mind. Cancers, tumours and heart problems are often left undiagnosed until the problem begins to ...
SA PROMO X FILES The Conspiricy Chronicles
As a conspiracy theorist by nature, Candice has spent her life delving deeper into the unknown, the unimaginable and the questionable. “My friends say I’m obsessed with all things conspiracy, paranormal, and ultra top secret.”“What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to? What can it mean? What is the truth?” Sir Winston Churchill - July 1952Recent UFO crash in KazakhstanIts 3am on May 13 2009, V ...
ESTABLISHING QUIET TIME IN A HOUSE SHARE
A common complaint that is often heard from flatmates is that they don’t get enough quiet time in their own home. For people who need quiet time to relax, work or study, or of course get some good sleep this can be extremely frustrating. One way to combat the noise and make sure that everyone gets enough quiet time is to set some house rules regarding quiet time.Using common sense to set the rules and agree ...
HOUSE SHARE Cindy Smith
Cindy Smith lives in a house share in south west London with four other people, one of whom is South African. Since arriving in the UK in 2001 she has lived in six different house shares!Which was the best house share you lived in?The sixth one - less people and a great location! What is the best thing about where you live now? Location and housematesWhat is the most South African food item in your house? O ...
Dentist - Dr Amir Kamburov
How hard did you study to become a dentist?Between ’91 and ‘98 I spent my life at varsity, slogging away with no social life. As you can see from my picture, during these years I lost most of my hair! The best part for me was the end, when I successfully graduated! The worst part was that after a long day I had to go home and internalise the enormous volumes of text (in Latin...) about the profession. I sti ...
THE UK TIER VISA SYSTEM
Immigrating to the United Kingdom has changed drastically over recent months, with the Government introducing a new points-based system that covers all routes that hopeful migrants may use to live and work in Britain. This new points-based system has made it a lot trickier for us Saffas, but it is still possible for us to live and work in the UK.There are five visa categories, from Tier 1 to Tier 5. South A ...
VISAS Q & A
I am a South African and thinking about moving my family to Canada. Does Canada have the same rules as the United Kingdom?Canada is not like the United Kingdom, as Canada does not require its migrants to start on temporary documents and make them reside in Canada for five years before allowing an application for permanent residence. Canada will award a successful applicant and his or her family permanent re ...
PROPERTY INSIGHT
I am in the process of buying a property with a friend. My parents have agreed to give me the deposit needed for the purchase price. We are both going to be on the mortgage. How can we ensure that there are no disputes later about whether we should sell the property and how much each of us should be entitled to?It is recommended that you and your friend enter into both a Declaration of Trust and a Cohabi ...
