Five things I wish I learned before coming to the UK as a Filipino dependent partner

Planning to come to the UK as a dependent partner? Is your partner already in the UK and you want to follow them? Are you sure that you're ready for this big step? Arriving in the UK is not the goose that lays golden eggs. Rather, it's the beanstalk you must climb to find it. In other words, once you arrive in the UK, the pay is good, but the struggle is still as real.

In this post, I'll try to break down all the things I learned in my 3 months here in the UK that I could have done differently while I was still in the Philippines. This post is not intended to scare you in any way. Instead, I hope to share some knowledge that I learned through experience so that you will not end up struggling like me.

1. Don't spend all your money just to get here. Save some for when you are here.

The first thing you need to know after you already have your visa is to save up enough money for your trip. Usually, when dependent partners arrive in the UK, the first thing they think about is getting a job. That may be true but it also shouldn't be the first thing.

There is a time between arriving in the UK and finding a job that new dependent partners usually don't consider. When you arrive in the UK, the first thing you will do is travel and see places. You will always try to experience the culture and be familiar with it. It's just part of being human. Your partner may be generous and try to take you somewhere nice, but the money spent will usually be out of their pockets especially if you left your previous job to come here. You don't need to save too much or prepare for a grand vacation. You just need enough so you can eat out or buy souvenirs wherever you go. This way, your partner will not be too pressured to spend for the trip and also pay for the bills.

For me, what I did before coming was ask my partner to keep some money for me in her UK bank account and instead of sending money to the Philippines, I would be the one to transfer my savings to her Philippine bank accounts instead. So when I arrived in the UK, I already had money for me to open an new bank account. Once I had that set up, I could easily use that account for my personal expenses.

2. Invest on clothes for the cold weather.

I work for a client that is based in the Nordic region in Europe and when I was still in the Philippines, I never understood their fascination with conversations about the weather. However, in April 2023, I was given the chance to go abroad for the first time in my life. I was sent to a 2-week trip to Sweden by the company I work for. Knowing nothing about cold countries, I never thought about what kind of clothes to wear since all I know was I would be going there in spring. What I brought was just t-shirts, hoodies and pants. I knew that I had to use shoes but I never even thought about what shoes to wear. When I arrived, it was a different story. The temperature may be the same as your full-blast air conditioning at 17 degrees but, I swear, when the strong gust of wind hits, it's like you're stuck in the freezer.

I suggest that when you come to the UK, you already bring a few thick clothes that you can buy on sale at popular sporting goods stores. You can try to look for jackets, sweaters, or hoodies that have fleece in them to keep you warm on cold weathers. Don't bring too many t-shirts. You will almost always not wear them outside so bring only your most favorite shirts and leave the rest for when you go back to the Philippines.

This is also where saving before coming to the UK will help a lot. If you come in the spring or summer, a lot of the winter clothes will be on sale or in the clearance section. Instead of spending all your luggage space on thick clothing, you can also just save your money and buy here. Just bring one puffer jacket just in case you really need it.

3. Learn a skill that you can use to apply for jobs.

One very hard truth that you will learn here in the UK is that your degree means almost nothing here. I, myself am still looking for a job here, 3 months in. With over 10 years of industry experience, one would think that it's easy for me to find a high-paying job. However, that is further from the truth. The job market in the UK is very large but the competition is also larger. That is why I realized that I would be better off building my portfolio again rather than doing nothing.

If you are not picky with what kind of job you want, then a lot of jobs are available as well. A lot of blue-collar jobs are also available and the pay is equally as good. However, if you're like me and you want to pursue the career you currently have, then I suggest learning new skills and building your portfolio so you can add them to your CV.

If you also have the opportunity to work remotely, then just keep your job until you find one that's better for you. I am fortunate that I still have my current job as a web developer but the pay is not as much as what I could earn here. That is why I am trying to learn new skills so I can also add them to my portfolio. Better yet, if you can apply for remote jobs online that can let you earn in dollars or pounds, then you should grab the opportunity.

4. Your English is not their English

If you think that you're already very good in the English language, you have to erase that thought. I had good grades in my English classes back in high school and college and I know I can write with good grammar. Nevertheless, it's different when you get here. The local accent is different and even the slang. You will find that locals use idiomatic expressions very often and you might find your nose bleeding at some point.

Before you come to the UK, try to watch British shows on Netflix or Amazon so that you will be familiar with the words and terms the locals use. Although it's not a guarantee that you will pick up the correct accent because, much like in the Philippines where every place has a different language, here in the UK, different cities also have different accents. So when you come here, on the first few days, try to listen intently to what people are saying and try to catch the accent.

5. Build your credit right away

When you come to the UK, having a clean slate is not always a good thing. How financial institutions work here is much different from the ones that we're used to in the Philippines. In the Philippines, you need to have proof that you have income in order to borrow money or get a credit card. Here in the UK, financial institutions rely on credit checkers to look at your financial history. What this means is aside from getting a job, you will also need to show that you are diligent with paying your bills and loans.

When you first arrive in the UK, you will have none of these to show for. All the bills are named after someone else, either your partner or your housemates. If possible, ask them to add your name to the bill so you will have a proof of address and proof of billing.

Another way to get credit is to buy stuff online. When you get here, there are definitely a lot of things that you haven't brought which you will need in your daily life. Furthermore, many of these can be bought online from Temu or Amazon. With that in mind, I suggest that instead of paying directly from your bank account or a credit card you have from the Philippines, you can use financial services such as Klarna or Zilch. These services report regularly to credit checkers and instead of paying your purchases directly, you can pay them in installments so you can save some of your money for more urgent unforeseen expenses in the future. Just remember to pay your bills on time. The goal here is not for you to spend all your credit limit on buying stuff online. The goal is to gain trust from financial companies so that you will have more options financially in the future. If you miss any payment, that will also go against your credit score so you must find the right balance and be mindful.

Conclusion

Everyone's path is different from the other. However, we always need to start from somewhere. Whether you came here to earn more or just enjoy, you need to have the right mindset when coming in to a new place. I'm also not promising that this is the only right way to prepare for coming to the UK. Nevertheless, my experiences have forced me to learn all these things and by understanding them, I try to share them so that I can also help others aspiring to become stable here in the UK. I hope you learned something from this post today. If you would like to know more, read my other blog posts or subscribe to my email list.

Cheers!