International live-in carer FAQs
Below are our most commonly asked questions from carers from overseas.
All applicants for care work with Corinium Care must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom. If you would like advice about your eligibility status or how to go about applying for visas we recommend the following companies and information bureaux:
- 1stcontact This site contains a vast amount of information for anyone coming to the UK from the Southern Hemisphere
- UK Home Office Information on the visas you may be able to obtain dependent on individual status
- OVC Especially for South African carers, this website will be useful when applying for a work permit
Transport information
The Department for Transport recommends one of the following websites to help you plan your journey whether travelling by car, public transport, cycling or walking:
- AA route planner (for car journey planning)
- Google maps (for public transport and car journey planning)
- RAC route planner (for car journey planning)
- National Rail enquiries (for train journey timetables)
- Cyclestreets (for cycle journey planning)
- Royal Mail (find a postcode or address)
- TfL plan a journey (for public transport in London)
- Traveline (for public transport)
- walkit.com (for planning walks)
These websites will provide you with timetables and a breakdown of your journey. It is often much cheaper to book train or coach tickets in advance of your journey.
It is not essential but preferable. Depending on your home country you can usually drive on your current driving licence for a year without applying for an international driver’s licence. An international driver’s licence is obtainable through either the AA or RAC. Some insurance or hire companies can require you to have an international licence, so it is best to look into acquiring one.
If you remain in the UK after one year, you MUST apply for a British driver’s licence.
We recommend that you consult your bank in your home country about operating a bank account in the UK. Your local bank may have a special relationship with a bank in the UK and be able to assist in setting up an account over here.
Those coming from abroad may find it tricky setting up a bank account in the UK as each bank has a different policy and applies different conditions. You should assume that it will take at least 2-3 weeks to open an account and make provisions for your finances in the interim.
We recommend you open an account in a branch close to your base address in the UK. It is also useful to bring a letter of reference from your own bank stating how long you have banked with them, what accounts you operate and your credit rating. Bank statements for at least the last three months are also helpful.
There are companies which help organise bank accounts but these can be expensive. We encourage all carers to try and arrange a bank account before coming to the training.
Most banks will need proof of a UK address in the form of a utility bill or official letters from different sources. If you cannot supply this they will write to your bank at home for confirmation. This can take 4 to 6 weeks. You must have your current home bank account details when visiting the UK bank. Please note that we cannot provide you with a letter until you have successfully completed our training and assessment course.
Opening a bank account in the UK can be complicated. Work Gateways offers more helpful advice and information.
To apply for a National Insurance number you will need to contact Jobcentreplus on 0345 600 0643.
If you are aged over state pension age then you will still need to apply for a National Insurance number. but you will also need to ask for an exemption certificate, as you will not have to pay National Insurance. We advise that you look into doing this before coming to the training.
To call in/out United Kingdom: +44 to dial in, and +00 to dial out. If you are calling the UK, don’t forget to drop the 0 off the area code, eg. 01453 839290
Read our full live-in carer FAQS or visit our main care jobs page for more information.
If you are reliable, kind and compassionate, you could make a fantastic carer with Corinium Care.