Visa application is going to get more expensive! i was made aware that the fee will go up by 107 pounds (about SGD 180) from TOMORROW. that means that i have another 11-ish hours, accounting for timezone differences, to submit my application and get the cheaper rate. and although i have all of my documentation ready, i don't think i will. let me explain.

the biggest effect that application date has is that it influences when i can enter the UK. during the application, one of the questions is "expected date of entry into the UK". and for some reason (i guess to keep a consistent timeline and to make sure people don't forget to use their visas), the expected date of entry cannot be more than 3 months later than the date of application. so if i were to apply today, i could put 3 january 2024 as the latest possible date of entry. but even then, there's some wiggle room in when i can actually enter the country. to be more accurate, the expected date of entry really only affects the start/approval date of the visa. as for when you can actually enter the country, you have a further 90 days from the start date of the visa. so applying tonight means that i'd have to enter the UK by 3 april 2024.

considering i don't have a job offer, that's kind of early! the current plan of applying in december means that i have until about next june to enter the UK. assuming the best i can get from any firm is a typical september start, entering in april will shorten my effective visa duration by 2 months. also, that's 2 months more of rent that i'd have to pay, most likely while not drawing a salary! so although i save 107 pounds by submitting my application now, i'll possibly lose 1700 pounds in rent, and even more in daily living expenses. so applying early to get the lower rate would be a penny wise, pound foolish move. even more appropriate because the actual currency used in this case is the pound!

you know, it would be so much easier if i had a job offer with a clear start date. that way, i could work backwards from it and decide when best to enter. but well, i suppose nothing worth having comes easy. plus, it's a good exercise in operating out of my comfort zone. i just hope that i'm able to navigate things well.

-random thought of the day: Sneezing non-stop.-