Try these recruitment agencies for help. Generally though they are thought of as scum, prostituting employees and skimming off inflated fees.

http://www.siv.co.uk/architectural.asp

http://www.anderselite.com/content_static/architecture.asp?session_id={BFD1E84F-A908-48F9-84FA-7C82981F3DD0}

Also speak to the ARB

http://www.arb.org.uk/

You could also try:

http://www.adrem.uk.com

I've had a friend who went over there for a year and his firm arranged a furnished flat and did all the necessary paperwork for him. I would assume that many of the major American based firms with branches in London would do the same. There are many. They might even have expatriation training programs like many major corporations offer, although London isn't a big jump from USA or Canada.

I’m curious if anyone has experience or knows of anyone who has left America to pursue their career in Europe and how they dealt with the change.

the websites suggested above are GREAT. thank you. also, can anyone tell me what part I, part II, etc. (ie. part I level architect)means? i have found that job postings in the UK use these descriptions. is it similar to the broad-based assignments we have here such as architect I, II, etc. ? or does it refer to something more specific such as education level, years of work experience and the like? finally, was wondering if anyone who started out in the states but have worked in the UK found any difficulties in basic areas such as significant differences in graphics, notes, etc. used in drawings, specs?

part I is the level you reach after your first 3 years of university (called a bachelor degree in architecture)

part ii is after diploma (other 2 years)

part III is after you passed the "bar" exam and you are a fully qualified architect.

jazz, in uk, you are not allowed to call yourself an architect unless you pass your part III exams. part I, II and III are not to do with your grade in a practice-just your educational level[like perhaps intern / graduate unlicensed / graduate licensed]. you might look at ARB the architects registry board for more guideance.

i think the biggest difference in practicing in uk, is the form of contract and contract management. i mostly worked with projects utilizing jct80 tendering contracts and how the work is define on you documents generally is more geared to the specific tender packages[you may tender a package either with a 'bill of quantities' or performance specs. not crazy about the specification system there. projects teams always engage in some from a quantity surveyor[somewhat like a construction manager/cost estimater here] to help track project cost. i think general most working on project teams then also gain a better understanding of project cost as their careers develop. british practice tend to be much more structured and organinzed with regard to organization and plan of work stages. projects all go through a planning application process for statutory/public review. idenify materials, hieght, transit issues, design concept etc. the process on bigger projects can be very long and costly. i think in general, there were far more team meetings on projects i worked on in uk. but that just might have been those project.

if you havent worked in metric before, it will take a bit of time, but you will hate to give it up once you master it.

work habits in offices are quit different. uk archs work very hard while there are in the office and the 'work lots of overtime' of some us practice is not the norm there. you work it when needed but not every day, every weekend like some firms here.

well, the ammount of overtime you do depends on where u work.
if u manage a small design led firm expect 50 hours a week with peaks at 80. but then again, i wouldnt turn down a job at hadid because of the long hours.

maybe the abuse would turn you off then

What's the opportunities for recent B.S. Arch grads in London? Tough, I assume? Also, are they as strict on visas/work permits as they are in France?

yeah, the abuse and the slaps in the face and the little money...but not the long hours

i like long hours too, early mornings and later evenings when the phone doesn't ring and you can do some work

i have heard about the lousy pay for architects in london...but the ads i've seen in london classifieds as well as in the links suggested above, seem to show decent pay compared to architects in the states in the same level...i've lived in nyc for some years and the pay seems about 25% less than london while the cost of living is close to same....is this an incorrect picture?

London is truly expensive, Jazz. It's the 6th most expensive city to live in - New York is 27th. Tokyo is 1st, Paris 3rd. Figures out today from the world bank or something.

paris more expensive than london? you dont say!
anyway, living costs a lot more than 25% compared to new york.
if you're a part II and work in a commercial firm, expect good money. look for urban planning work and developpers, they make money and pay good . uh, i guess is the same over thhere as well...

but, at the end of the day, come over, its a great place to live. for a few years.