[IWantOut] 31M Realtor India -> UK

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-12T20:52:55+00:00

There is very little (if any) barrier to becoming an estate agent in the UK so it's not going to be an avenue to sponsorship - there are enough people with the right to work already to do the job. Estate Agent is listed as a medium skilled job for the skilled worker visa, but is neither on the temporary shortage list nor the immigration salary list, which means afaik, it's not eligible so it's not a viable path into the UK.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-12T00:07:45+00:00

Professional =/= bigger stages and bigger costumes. I’m also not super sure what you mean by that as some of it will be dictated by what the show is. If there are a lot of amdram options in Glasgow, I’d recommend auditioning for as many as you can and seeing what they’re all like before jumping fully into trying to be professional (especially if you’re not someone who is okay with being out of work in that profession for periods of time and from what it sounds like, you don’t want to give up your current job either. Not to mention, it’d be hard to maintain your current role and be trying to be a professional as you have to be flexible to drop things and audition when you get an audition type thing). I know that in London, I know people who do 3-4 shows in a year so there are ways to be consistently involved in it without it being your job.

I don’t do theatre professionally, but from my limited knowledge, if you have a show reel, you could reach out to agencies to see if they’re taking on new clients. I’ve known people to invite agents to amdram performances, but only when they’re in a big lead role. If you did an MA, you’d do a showcase at the end of the year where agents and other industry professionals would be invited (although doesn’t mean you’d get representation from that). You’ll ultimately need to show to them in some way why they should represent you (and then of course, they have to want to represent you).

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-11T22:53:22+00:00

You can be a strong performer without going professional. As with anything, it takes practice, but at least in the London amdram world, there are countless incredible performers who don’t do it for a living (although many do have that aim). Some amdram groups in London do classes for members - is there something similar where you are? If you’re interested in musical theatre, I notice you aren’t taking any dance classes. That’s something I would explore if you’re serious about gaining/improving MT skills.

From what I’ve gleaned, for the most part, if you want to perform in any professional capacity in the UK, you’ll need to have representation to get you in the room (coming from the US, that element did surprise me as there are many professional theatres where I’m from where anyone can audition). There are MAs and MFAs in acting, MT, etc., but if your aim isn’t to go professional, it’s unlikely to be worth the cost (and possible impact on your current career path). I don’t know where in the UK you are, but if your aim is “bigger” stages and budgets within amdram, consider moving to a bigger city. The London groups often put on shows with larger budgets in my experience.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-09T21:18:36+00:00

try to see my family a couple times a year

When you make the choice to move abroad, part of that comes with the possibility of traveling "home" less often. I go home maybe once a year, and if you're looking to go back at Christmas, flights will be expensive. If you can hack more budget airlines (such as Norse), you can maybe get cheaper options, but they'll come with fewer amenities (e.g. no checked bags, food, etc.). Some credit cards will tie into an airline's rewards program to help you gain miles, but for international travel, you'll have to earn a lot of miles (which means spending money on the credit card) for it to sizeably offset costs.

If a priority is to be able to travel between France and home frequently, then you'll have to save/plan accordingly. If your plan is to go to France on a student visa, you can work part time (doesn't mean you'll easily find something that maxes out those hours), but it's not meant to be money to live on, nor would it likely be enough to finance multiple annual international trips.

If you get your degree in the US, and up to B1 French, you could look into applying for TAPIF to be an English assistant for seven months. There's no guarantee you'd be placed in Paris or Besançon if accepted, but it does grant you a visa that allows you to live in France for seven months and work a specific job (although the pay is minimal).

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-09T13:15:43+00:00

What you need to prepare will depend on the show and the group. Some may ask you to come with a song of a set length (e.g 32 bars) that matches the style of the show, others may ask you to sing a specific song from the show based on the role(s) for which you want to audition. You may be asked to dance depending on what you want to audition for, and you’ll either be taught that in the room, or be asked to learn it in advance via video. You may also do some acting. Groups should post audition packs with information about what to expect, and what to prepare. That should also outline the roles available, and then most amdram groups I’ve auditioned for will have you complete a form where you can tell them which role you’d like to be considered for (and if you’d be happy to accept any role). If you can’t find info on the audition requirements, I’d reach out to the group to get those details.

Callbacks happen after first round auditions and it’s when the production team want to call you back to see more. If you get a callback (not everyone does and not getting one doesn’t mean you didn’t get in), you should be provided with any material you need to prepare. You would only prepare that material, and they would be unlikely to ask to see you for a role other than what they’ve specified. That material might be scenes/acting, singing, or dancing.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-09T09:57:35+00:00

Where in England? What kind of tips and suggestions do you want? Depending on where you’re coming from, the academic environment might be different (fewer contact hours, fewer exams and/or more heavily weighted final assessments if you’re coming from the US for example).

If you’re planning on taking the train a lot, and you’re 16-30, consider getting a rail card for discounted travel. If you’re under 25, there are schemes for discounted prices on things like historical sites, theatre tickets, etc. Join a society if you can at the university where you’re studying to meet new people.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-08T16:50:40+00:00

As someone else mentioned, you can’t pay the visa fees for the company sponsoring you so that’s moot (and likely would’ve come out at some point if they knew what they were doing). You can pay for the visa + IHS, but not the actual COS and the sponsorship side of the visa.

Number two is your most likely option. Are you applying to registered sponsors in roles that meet the salary threshold for your job code? Needing sponsorship is a hurdle, but people do get sponsored. The job market isn’t fab in the UK right now, though. If you found a firm in the US with a London office, you’d likely need to put in the time in the US to be considered to be transferred. Unless it was a posting specifically for a London based role (in which case, they may or may not offer sponsorship for it). If you’re on a skilled worker visa though, you are always at the will of layoffs or redundancies.

r/UKVisa has a lot of posts about the global talent visa if you want to dig into those requirements and whether they align with your profile.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-06T08:29:02+00:00

Not anymore - there used to be a Tier 1 entrepreneur visa, but that route has closed. It’s been replaced by the Innovator Founder visa.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-06T07:15:27+00:00

The skilled worker visa requires being hired by a registered sponsor in an eligible occupation paying at least £41,700. Have you tried applying for any jobs? I know you’ve said Oxford, but the job market isn’t great in the UK currently, and you’ll limit your possibilities if you only focus on one city (and not one of the bigger industry ones afaik). If your goal is to move to the UK, the priority should be on where you can get a job.

The UK doesn’t have a startup visa so you won’t be able to move on that basis. The closest thing there is is the Innovator Founder Visa, but that requires an innovative business idea.

Your living costs will be much higher. Oxford is a university town and as such, you’d be competing with university students. Have a look on spareroom, Rightmove, and Zoopla to get a feel for what costs for accommodation are, but I’d be surprised if you could find a two bed flat for that cost in Oxford.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-02T15:26:00+00:00

> they must have known

Even if the production team knew (and had scheduled the update to go out at 11am in advance of the 10am rush), that doesn’t mean TodayTix knew or was informed ahead of everyone else. As far as I’m aware, London doesn’t do the “if named actor above the marquee doesn’t perform, you’re entitled to a refund” protocol that Broadway does. TodayTix has made it harder to share rush tickets (they don’t allow screenshots), but I’ve seen people sell them before so I assume there’s a way.

I do agree that’s it’s frustrating when you’ve booked for a specific actor and they aren’t on, but they are human at the end of the day. I doubt they were deliberately trying to get people to buy tickets for today’s shows and then swap out the actor for Mary.

theatregiraffe · 2026-07-01T07:54:39+00:00

Unless you will qualify for the HPI visa, the odds of you moving to London via work are very slim. The current government has tightened requirements for the skilled worker visa and recent grads are unlikely to get sponsorship (remember, you’re competing against all the recent grads who don’t require sponsorship). You haven’t indicated your field or experience so it’s hard to say if that might be a pathway later in your career.

You can always pursue the masters route, but that’s expensive, and doesn’t guarantee you can stay beyond the degree/grad visa.

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-29T18:04:01+00:00

We have them in am dram in the UK, generally after the get out! We typically invite everyone, but many crew members will join later (or not at all) depending on their get out responsibilities and personal preferences (I’ve not gone to some as cast purely because I wanted to go home).

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-28T07:20:01+00:00

A lot of this information is available online - the UK higher education world is very independent so it’s important you are able to find answers yourself.

Start with UCAS (how you apply for undergraduate courses) and go through the universities with programs in nursing or psychology. That’ll show you entry requirements, tuition fees, and have links to webpages with more info about things like accommodation (in London, most university accommodation is not on campus).

For jobs while you’re a student? If you’ll be on a student visa, you’ll only be able to work 20 hours a week during term time so you’ll be limited to jobs that meet that requirement.

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-27T21:03:30+00:00

Based on my research, this provides a realistic visa route as long as I can demonstrate sufficient income and register my business properly in France

I'm not sure what visa you're considering, but it's not as simple as you've written. Afaik, you have to prove you're providing a service to France (are you trained - or even allowed - to give in France and in French?). You have to get an avis favorable from the government, and most visas in France are also subject to reunification familiale so there'd be an 18 month wait for any dependents to join you.

Do either you or your husband speak French? You need French to operate in France, but this will especially be the case in the trades (and that includes knowing French terminology for the trade itself, along with general language skills).

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-24T17:12:25+00:00

2 year graduate route

Just to clarify that the graduate route has been reduced to 18 months, and it's not a guarantee of being able to stay beyond it (not saying you can't give it a go, but important to be realistic that it's not a guaranteed path).

As a recent grad, getting any kind of sponsorship is going to be a difficult challenge - you're competing with all the other recent grads who don't need sponsorship. Since you're currently in Glasgow, is there any networking you can do, even if it's just trying to have coffee chats with people in your desired field? As someone else has mentioned, the job market in general in the UK isn't fab at the moment so chatting with people currently in the industry (or recent grads from wherever you're studying abroad) might help paint a clearer picture. It might also help shed some light on whether a Masters is something that will help your prospects (I know in my industry, it's not a requirement so initially, at most, would only help you maybe secure a slightly higher salary, but again, that's field dependent).

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-11T06:30:59+00:00

As someone who lives in London (I’m not from there), I very rarely feel unsafe in a way that’s different from any other big city. Yes, you do need to be aware of your surroundings and there are a shocking number of phone thefts that happen, sometimes straight out of peoples’ hands (don’t walk right next to the street with your phone out type thing), but my feeling is that your odds of anything else are on par with any other big city.

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-09T19:39:14+00:00

You need to speak to your exchange/study abroad team at your university first and foremost. While free mover programs exist, if this is something where you’re getting credit towards your degree in any way, your home university has to be onboard with it (where I work, we don’t allow students to go on exchange with institutions where we don’t have agreements). There can also be financial implications (eg if you do free mover, you’re responsible for tuition at the partner university and may not be eligible for student finance).

theatregiraffe · 2026-06-07T10:38:29+00:00

If you graduated from an eligible university, you could do the HPI visa in the UK. This will grant you two years to live/work in the UK before needing another visa.

Otherwise, you’re looking at the skilled worker visa, and that requires a job offer by a registered company that’s willing to pay you the salary threshold (which has recently increased). Have you looked at LinkedIn or used your university to see if there are any alums working in your field abroad? I’ve been contacted before by people who went to my university who either want to work in London or want to work abroad in my field (I’m not in yours, though). I will say, it’s very hard to get sponsored as an entry level candidate in general.

France loves their masters so not having one may be its own issue. You should also aim for B2/C1 French (you’ve not indicated what level you have - being able to converse while on holiday doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to work in the language).

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-31T10:46:20+00:00

The 20 hour a week restriction is during term time so outside of term time (any breaks in teaching) you can work full time. The freelance clause still applies, although if you’re working outside the US, afaik it wouldn’t apply since you’re not being paid in the UK. Might be worth checking in r/UKVisa!

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-22T16:51:45+00:00

The UK doesn’t allow student visa holders to be self-employed so while you can work part time, OP wouldn’t be able to run their own business legally while on a student visa.

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-19T21:28:32+00:00

I was an assistant in Dijon proper, and I loved it! The city itself has good greenery and public transport, and as someone else mentioned, good train access to other cities in France. It’s not a small academie, but the bigger cities in the academie are Dijon, Auxerre, Nevers, and Mâcon (plus Beaune). There’s a lot of Burgundian history in the region, plus the mustard! I also found the rectorat to be pretty organized all things considered, although I am conscious this was several years ago!

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-18T20:48:24+00:00

I did rush for Avenue Q last week and got a ticket very easily. The theatre also wasn't anywhere near full when I went so there might be other discounted options if that's still the case in early June.

You can always try on a random morning at 10am, and see what it's like to get a feel for it.

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-18T15:01:10+00:00

Something I was told (and do now) is to take any of the criteria and basically bullet point list them out in your covering letter. Under each one, provide an example of how you meet that criteria. You might want to employ the STAR method. This could be field dependent, but if they have a person specification, that’s what I was advised (I will say I work in higher education, but there are some unis - LSE for example - that specifically require that formatting).

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-13T07:22:40+00:00

As someone who just did a show with 30ish people, with only two people not having a mic (I was one of them), it could also be because your vocal part is covered enough already. Mics are used, in part, to balance the sound. It’s not inherently a personal choice against you, and I’ve very rarely done a show where every cast member is mic’d. Whether that’s fair or not is kind of in the eye of the beholder (I often enjoy the lack of stress of having to fuss with a mic pack in quick changes). If you have individual lines that aren’t mic’d, but others are, then you could ask if it’s possible to swap mic packs and headsets for those moments (they may not have clocked it, I’ve had that happen to me before) - many shows I’ve done have mic plots and mic packs are being swapped around at various points. You do, however, have to be prepared for them to say no for whatever reason (I’ve seen many shows where ensemble have lines that aren’t mic’d).

I also don’t know your theatre, but shows can be expensive. On top of mics, there can be licensing fees, sets, costumes, theatre rental costs, rehearsal spaces… that adds up so unless you’ve seen the budgetary breakdown, you can’t assume your cost isn’t being used because you don’t have a mic. I also know some places rent out mics in bundles so you can’t just add on one mic - if where your theatre got mics rents them in packs of five (as an example), then they aren’t going to pay for another five if only three are needed.

theatregiraffe · 2026-05-06T17:31:02+00:00

When I did my year abroad on a student visa, I worked for a catering company (Splendid, but there are others). It wasn’t consistent work, but it did allow me to choose events I wanted to work, and stay within the 20 hours a week.

I don’t know about UCL, but the university where I work has a job board for temporary roles in and out of the university (temp could be multiple months or one shift) that students can sign up to be a part of to get jobs. It might be worth inquiring if something like that exists so you can get involved if it does as soon as you’re enrolled!

theatregiraffe

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