Martineast67

Considering repatriating to the U.K. After 14 years in LA and 7 in Bali.

Will be bringing Indonesian wife and 18 month old baby that already has U.K. Passport. We have been married 7 years

I have the financial part covered but want to get my head around the long term planning of wife and I opening a business together ( cafe - restaurant )

How does she qualify to work ? How long is that wait ? If we are creating a business and employing others. Does that also figure in on any level.

The financial requirements are thankfully not a problem.

I also would have to work out how to develop a credit history etc.

Also what am I allowed to take back with me ?

Thanks for any useful input.

spouse of scouse

Hi Martin. Your wife can work on a Family of a Settled Person (spouse visa) immediately. She'll also be immediately eligible for NHS services, although she'll be charged an Immigration Health Supplement of £200 per year.

She'll need to meet the financial requirements again after 2 1/2 years, when she applies for further leave to remain, and again after another 2 1/2 years when she applied for indefinite leave to remain. The difference with these visas is that both yours and her incomes can be included in the financial requirements, whereas for the initial visa (leave to enter) only your income is considered. If you're applying for any of the visas using cash savings to meet the financial requirement, then both your and her incomes are irrelevant.

To develop a credit history, people do things like get a low limit credit card, a pay as you go mobile phone, things like that. You'll also want to enroll on the electoral register.

Hope that helps a bit, best of luck with your plans.

Pulaski

You can take back anything that isn't illegal - so no pistols or certain other classes of firearms, no drugs, and no ivory or exotic animal relics/body parts, but otherwise all your household possessions, (clothing, furniture, tableware, books, electronics, toys and games, tools, rugs and curtains, etc., even motor vehicles in most cases) can go with you free of duty so long as you have owned them for six months (in practice nobody is likely to notice a few bits and pieces acquired recently, especially if they aren't in their original packaging).

You will need to submit a "transfer of residence" (ToR) form for your shipper so that duty is not assessed on your possessions.

morpeth

Definitely sign up with GP and get on electoral roll as soon as possible. For building credit I suggest the Cash Plus credit builder prepaid card and after you open bank account check out the Marbles credit card. Both high interest but gets a credit history started.

Bank told me though while they can grant an initial overdraft or card, better to wait a few months- the reason they gave is on the first application bank manager has more influence, so better bank has some information to base initial credit decision on. Also, open savings account and set up standing order transferring some amount even if small to the savings account from the current account monthly- evidently bank adds points for regular savings.

Electoral roll depending on which council doesn't automatically inform credit agencies for several months- so documentation that you are on the roll should be kept in case you need to send to credit agency if they don't list you on roll.