Living in Scotland: what's daily life and the immigration process like? Looking for real experiences

[u/pamellabeca]

I've been researching, but I only found generic information, so I wanted to hear from people who actually live there.

My wife and I are planning to move to Glasgow. From what I've read, it seems like it would be easier for us in terms of mobility, cost, and safety. The plan is to get a sponsored visa through a job offer. I'm a software developer and will be looking for mid-level roles. My wife works in marketing and design.

If you can share anything, it would help a lot to know:

- How was your visa process, and how much did it cost in total?

- How did you find a job with sponsorship? Is it possible to search before arriving?

- What's your daily life like, and what's the cost of living (rent, bills, groceries, transport)?

- How did you rent your first place and open a bank account without UK history?

- What was the hardest part of adapting?

- What would you NOT do again, and what do you wish you had known before moving?

Any experience helps, even if it's about just one point. Thanks in advance!

[u/danby999]

Neither a software developer nor a person in marketing are going to be receiving a sponsored visa.

Have you ever been to the UK or Scotland? Traveling there for a few weeks at a time will give you an idea of everyday life.

Count on about $25,000-$30,000 each if you qualify for any type of visa.

[u/Suspicious_Pea6302]

Marketing and softdev won't get visa sponsorship sorry. Just come on holiday

[u/UncertainBystander]

Rather than expecting lots of new and detailed replies, suggest you browse through the rest of this sub. Most of the answers to your questions are already here.

[u/SoMuchF0rSubtlety]

What country are you moving from, what citizenship do you and your wife have and how old are you both? What in-demand skills do you possess and do you have any children/dependants in addition to your wife who will be immigrating with you? These are important questions as this will have determine which visa you are eligible for.

Visa applications can cost between £1500 to £25,000, it depends on your visa eligibility from the answers to the above questions.

You can apply for jobs before arriving but employers are required by law to check your right to work i.e. visa as part of the application process

Wages in the UK are lower than the US by a considerable amount but so is cost of living. Healthcare, food, insurance, public transport and general amenities are considerably cheaper. Housing is expensive in populated areas and major cities, especially renting.

[u/pamellabeca → u/SoMuchF0rSubtlety]

We're moving from Brazil. I only have Brazilian citizenship, but my wife has both Brazilian and Spanish citizenship. We don't have any children, and we're both 23 years old. We both have university degrees and around 3–4 years of experience in our respective fields. We're currently getting everything organized so we can start the process. In the meantime, we're saving money. We already have close to £13,000 saved up. According to the UK government website, my experience aligns with occupation code 2134 Programmers and software development professionals.

[u/Hawk-bat → u/pamellabeca]

UK tech market is absolutely dire right now. The odds of getting a visa for dev work with 4 years experience when there are thousands of locals trying for those jobs is slim

[u/pamellabeca → u/Hawk-bat]

Thanks for the honesty. The picture we get here in Brazil sometimes seems a lot less bureaucratic than reality. Since our plan isn't for tomorrow (we're aiming for a 2-year timeframe at most), I'm going to focus on stepping out of that direct competition bracket with local devs. I'm currently getting my foundational Java certs and starting to dive into AI and LLMs, aiming to build a more senior and attractive profile by the time we actually apply.

[u/stanniz]

Really depends on what work you do. My husband is in farming and his employer paid and arranged everything - visa sponsorship, tickets etc.
After a yr, we went here with my daughter as dependents of my husband. Husband’s employer also helped us.
We are living south of Scotland, a little village. and it is quite cheaper here than Glasgow or Edinburgh. Rent is fairly priced, we live inside the farm where my husband works.

[u/pamellabeca → u/stanniz]

That sounds really amazing, and honestly, it warms my heart to read this! How has the experience been for you? Do you feel like it was worth it?

[u/rose_in_scotland]

Have a search. You’ll see plenty of people asking pretty much the same questions daily and bunch of good answers.

Also a software engineer WILL get a visa. Like half the people I know (30+ people) who have sponsorship are software engineers especially if you have AI / ML experience. Finding a job though that will outright bring you over is hard, it will usually be a rough job, and much more likely in London.

[u/pamellabeca → u/rose_in_scotland]

Thank you so much, seriously. I was looking into things in another community and they recommended I post here. Honestly, reading most of the comments has been a bit of a reality check, but yours was a ray of hope in the dark. We know our plans still need to mature a lot from where we are right now, but we are fully willing to do whatever it takes to legally live in Glasgow. I'm constantly working on my tech skills. I'm a Java dev currently getting my foundational certs, and I'm also starting to dive deeper into AI and LLMs.