Immigration in Scotland

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Generally speaking your time as a student in the UK (or any other EU member state) will not count toward your five year residence requirement before you may apply to become a citizen (or subject, in the case of the UK) in that country.

My comments re: cultural deprivation were not intended to discourage you from moving, rather they were based on twenty-one years observation of foreigners moving into Ireland and after less than a year going back "home".

It was Walter Scott who wrote in Lays of the Last Minstrel:

Breathes there a Man with soul so dead
He never to himself has said,
"This is my own, my native land."

And when that moment comes, people tend to pack their bags and head back "home".

You may move to Scotland, but no matter how long you live there you will never truly be "Scottish". Your children born there will be Scots, but you will at best be British by adoption. That said, go for it if you want. Good or bad you'll love the experience. And if nothing else it may convince you that Dorothy was right when she told Auntie Em, "There's no place like home."

[Freelander Sporrano]

Ultimately you will be a stranger in a strange land. And by-and-large that is how you will be treated.

I'm sorry but this last sentance is tripe in my opinion

Moving to another county is all about fitting in. Or at least trying to your best. I left the UK in 85 and only go back for holidays now.I have lived in Scandinavia since.
But my point is have fun and don't be " the load mouth Yank" Oops! be careful David .you'll fit in just fine... You'll have to forgo the pleasures of 24hr shopping though

[Nervous Jock]

I would think long and hard before moving the to UK, obviously political issues can't be discussed here but there are many social problems which really don't make this the nicest place to stay.

[Paul Henry]

Everywhere has some social problems, but everywhere has it's own character as well, which makes travelling a great thing, so if you get a chance take it

[slohairt]

Contact the British Consul in New York City for full details on what is required to establish British residence. Be advised that citizenship may only be applied for after five years continuous, legal residence in the UK. I might add that the cost of living is considerably higher in Europe (including the UK) than it is in the United States. You may also wish to take legal advise concerning the status of your US citizenship should you choose to take up foreign nationality. Finally, it has been my observation that there is a considerable cultural gap between individuals brought up in the USA and those native to the UK, and this often proves to be insurmountable. I will give you one example:

Suppose you are 25 years old and grew up in the United States. You will have missed out on 25 years of grass roots "pop" UK culture. You won't know any of the soap operas, what music was cool, or what teams did what, when. You won't have grown up with kids TV, Top of the Pops, the Beano, or Christmas Pantos. You won't know any of the TV presenters, you won't get most of the jokes. You will have very little in common with your peers. Ultimately you will be a stranger in a strange land. And by-and-large that is how you will be treated.

It depends greatly on the individual in question. The world is global, especially pop culture. One can easily watch British television anywhere in the world, and UK music has long been popular everywhere. I, for instance, have a very Anglocentric taste in pop music and often found that I knew more about bands and what not than UK nationals. I'll admit that Canada is more 'British' than America, but one could still follow UK culture easily.

My first four years in Ireland (from age 0-4) I barely remember, but my later years spent there (late teens to late twenties) I recall vividly. I also recall that it was really only different in a superficial way. Things are ultimately much the same wherever you go.

During my second tenure there, I had the somewhat unique position of being a native-born 'foreigner', but that wasn't obvious to anybody initially. Except for the few occasional comments from boors, yahoos, and pretentious turds (which can be found everywhere), no one even cared that I was from Canada.

[slohairt]

I am currently trying to get british citizenship through way of "certificate of entitlement". both my parents were born and married in Scotland, however, they adopted me in Canada, shortly after their emigration.

If you have a grandfather born in the UK you will have a claim to an 'ancestral visa' where you can live and work and contribute to GDP and prove that you are not a drain on society and they will naturalise you after five years if you are a good boy of 'good character'.

I would suggest talking to the nearest british high commission. the phone rates are a little ridiculous. here's the website just in case you case you haven't had a boo.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-f...l-america/?l=U

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/a...=41001&a=25312

You should be able to get a lot of info from these two sites, and/or links to the info you need. cheers.

Just remember that Canada is a Commonwealth Realm and America is not. I believe British High Commissions only exist in Commonwealth nations. The procedures for a Canadian moving to the UK are probably very different than those necessary for an American.

[McClef]

Suppose you are 25 years old and grew up in the United States. You will have missed out on 25 years of grass roots "pop" UK culture. You won't know any of the soap operas, what music was cool, or what teams did what, when. You won't have grown up with kids TV, Top of the Pops, the Beano, or Christmas Pantos. You won't know any of the TV presenters, you won't get most of the jokes. You will have very little in common with your peers. Ultimately you will be a stranger in a strange land. And by-and-large that is how you will be treated.

I try and avoid the soaps like the plague, can't remember the last time I read the Beano or attended a Christmas panto and Top of the Pops died after a long decline. You are guaranteed a fair number of American programmes and plenty of US news (far more than the other way around!) and even many of the ads are done with American accents. We have had a large influx of EC immigrants from Eastern Europe who seem able to fit in, at least once they remember that we drive on the correct side of the road...

I have even chatted with a Pole who lives in Aberdeen and loves kilts.

Assimilation isn't always the problem it's sometimes made out to be.

[Darkislander]

Oh dear. I have often found that Glasgow for example is known to be very friendly. Breakfast tv funnily enough covered the topic of community in Britain today and it can vary from town to town. I live in a multi-story with 87 flats. I've been here coming on 8 years and know a handful of the neighbours. Socially only know 1 couple. Lots of people are involved in their own lives, drive to work, drive their kids to school and rarely see nobody. Gosh, even at work we had no christmas night out - no interest as hard as I tried. Fomer colleague from England moved to Thurso last year and loves it. She has found the natives most welcoming and friendly. As a single man I find it hard to meet people as they tend to pair off. So as a foreigner I don't know if you would be treated much differently than a local. What do any of the U.K. xmarkers think?

[BEEDEE]

Finally, it has been my observation that there is a considerable cultural gap between individuals brought up in the USA and those native to the UK, and this often proves to be insurmountable. I will give you one example:

Suppose you are 25 years old and grew up in the United States. You will have missed out on 25 years of grass roots "pop" UK culture. You won't know any of the soap operas, what music was cool, or what teams did what, when. You won't have grown up with kids TV, Top of the Pops, the Beano, or Christmas Pantos. You won't know any of the TV presenters, you won't get most of the jokes. You will have very little in common with your peers. Ultimately you will be a stranger in a strange land. And by-and-large that is how you will be treated.

I beg to disagree on this one. Speaking as someone who has lived out of his home country for 42 years and in that time lived in England(twice), South Africa, France and the USA, the real key to closing any cultural gap is being prepared to meet them at least half way. You can learn an awful lot by asking the right questions and listening to the answers. You can't go and live in another country and enjoy the experience unless you are prepared to assimilate the culture and learn to understand the people. You don't have to have grown up with their 'pop' culture. Some of the best times I ever had were when people took the time and effort to introduce me to an aspect of their culture.

Brian

[SteveB]

Culture is as culture be.
In a six month visit in England many long years ago, I found very little problem operating the shifter with my left hand, popping the bonnet to check the lube, and stowing in the boot. Immersion it was as I was stationed with the R.A.F. Due care was needed in the roundabouts with a full lorrie with a tag along. Although it was over thirty years ago, it all came back to me in 2000, when I visited Ireland. I quickly reverted to the driving on the proper side of the road as soon as my left hand started to move the shifter. The economic difference hit again whilst traveling in Northern Ireland, as the petrol was 82p per litre. While many were griping about the cost of petrol in the U.S. 1.37 USD per US Gallon, that translated to 18p per litre at the time. Ethol was far more dear. I live in Massachusetts where it is alleged to be Taxachusetts. Here has nothing on the Exchecquer in the UK. If you think a state sales tax is bad, wait until you meet VAT. I realize my neighbours in Canada face a good deal of this with HST, GST, PST on darn near everything.
During my teen years, I lived for one full year as an exchange student in Scotland. I found it interesting that my middle class family in the U.S. was far wealthier in terms of standard of living than my well off Scot family. In the U.S. I had a large room of my own, in Scotland I shared with my two "brothers". I have always had a very well rounded American vocabulary. It took me a couple of months to be up to speed in English. I suffered in spelling BTW. Schooling was by far a different world from what I had experienced in the U.S. I am grateful for the opportunity that the year in Scotland brought to me an understanding our differences that make us who we are. Fortunately one of my "brother"s had bet that he would out grade me in school. That was the challenge needed to work on my studies. In the end I just barely squeaked past him at the end of the year. Both of us were listed with honours. (My spelling had improved). On the social side, my "brother" and I went everywhere together, and I was the "foreigner that was with him for the year." I did not mind, as that gave me some in with the other teen neighbours. It took me a long time before I could hold my own in a football match.
When you go, do enjoy the educational work. Then decide what is is you really want. You may wind up back home again.