martynt82

Hi,

This is my first post since joining BE, so if it is in the wrong area, please let me know where I should post this, or if there is already a thread relating to these questions, please direct me towards it.

After spending 9 years living and working as an ESL teacher / freelance artist and photographer in South Korea, our eldest son is coming up to the point where he needs to receive official education (as opposed to the child torture camps they have out here). In September he is due to start half days at school for one year. English is not his first language, so we feel it's better to have him in the UK for a year beforehand to get up to speed with the language before he starts school proper from next September (2017).

Couple the above reason with the fact that the Korean economy is heading in a rapid downward spiral with staggering household debts, long working hours and lower wages, and no potential career progression then you can maybe understand why I am looking to move back.

My wife is Korean, and where as getting a settlement visa right away would be nice, we understand it may take some time to get this to work and our second son is 4 months old.

The big question is where? Family are based around Buckinghamshire, but it's expensive with few job opportunities, and by no means essential that we leave nearby.

When we move back we will be renting, and working with a relatively small budget to get set up - probably around 10-12,000 GBP depending on the exchange rate when we send money.

In addition, I will be looking to set up a home-based photography business within the first year of arrival, (engagement / couple weddings, pregnancy, baby / child photography)

Some areas that have come up, which look affordable enough, with possible job opportunities are: Harrogate, York, (potential employment in Leeds) and Leighton Buzzard, Chelmsford, Colchester (potential employment in London), Bristol, Manchester... Any additions or recommendations / warnings about these areas?

The things we consider to be important are (in order of importance):

a) employment prospects
b) good schools
c) accepting of foreigners (my wife is Korean)
d) potential clients for photography business

Any help / suggestions / recommendations would be hugely appreciated.

Kam Sam Ni Da (Korean for thank you)

googley2

I think you may be in for a shock you need to check the immigration rules for a spouse. You need to be living in this country and have room for her to move over. You also need to have a salary of OVER £16,000 per year last time I checked (maybe more now). The visas spouse fees are quite expensive as well. Your salary where you are now is not acceptable to the Immigration Department. Its makes no difference your British, you need to show you have space and finances in place to support another person. Unfortunately many people are now struggling with this aspect.

Properties to rent in the South are much more expensive than in the North. Its very difficult as 10 families chase each property and many turn in with 6 months rent in cash to get a place. North rent is cheaper as there are no jobs.

Thinking of getting work as a photographer is not going to give you an income, photographers are 10 a penny and it will take a few years to get a decent reputation where jobs may come in. Better to stay with your profession as a teacher where you will have much more chance of getting a job.

You should be speaking/reading with your son now so he can get used to it before he comes here.

TO BE REALISTIC you should prepare to be here for at least 2 years before your family can join you, you need to be here first to put all the steps in place. You wont get a visa for your wife if you apply from abroad as you have no income to support here so DONT waste your time and money applying. Sorry its really hard now and visa fees are due to increase now as well. Check the British government website for further info and dont waste effort trying to go down the wrong path.

spouse of scouse

Your wife would need a 'Family of a Settled Person (spouse/wife) visa to live in the UK - this is the site to explore https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview Your wife would be the 'applicant', you are her 'sponsor'. The site explains the financial requirements, the different ways you can meet these, and other requirements such as accommodation. The financial requirements can be met via income, via savings, or via a combination of both.

You don't have to be already living in the UK, if your wife's visa application is successful you could move over together, or she could arrive later. She couldn't arrive before you.

You salary in Korea is relevant to your wife's application, whether the salary, in combination with other income/savings, is sufficient to enable her visa to be granted is explained in the link above.

The advice to prepare yourself to live in the UK alone for 2 years before your family can join you is incorrect.

Read through the above link and come back to BE with any questions you have, there is lots of knowledge on here!

spouse of scouse

Googley2, there's a lot that is simply incorrect in your post. I realize that you're trying to be helpful, but giving people advice which is both incorrect and likely to be upsetting isn't good.

Pollyana

Much of this information is wrong. I appreciate you mean well but please don't post misleading and/or wrong info on visa matters, it can cause people to make costly mistakes.

OP = look at the link posted by Spouse of Scouse for the correct and up to date info.

martynt82

Pollyanna and Spouse,
Thank you... As I was reading it, I noticed that much of the information posted above was incorrect.
Googley2 - We have been researching it for several months already and have a place to stay temporarily (up to 6 months) while we find our feet.
We also have around 6 months living costs that we can use if we need to.
I'm aware it's not going to be an easy transition and I wouldn't be able to continue teaching because I don't have a teachers license.
As we have two kids, I believe I would need to be earning 24,800GBP to get my wife's family of a settled person visa.
To begin with, we don't mind if she enters on a tourist visa as she will be able to stay for six months, at which time we will probably all visit Korea together any way...
Both of my sons already have British passports, so I'm not sure if they would be included in the equation for the salary and visa application or not, but best to aim higher and if the demands are lower, then it will make it easier.
As for the photography, I've made it work in a foreign country where it contributes to a healthy proportion of my salary each month.
Our flights are booked and we are due to land on Aug 17th, and where as we know it's going to be very challenging - we are excited and looking forward to the new challenge that awaits us

NiHao

Martynt82,

Regarding areas to live, you might want to take a look at Lincolnshire the house prices are more affordable than a lot of the south of England and competition for rentals is much less. The schools tend to be very good but not crazy oversubscribed like some areas.

Lincoln itself has the University and I'm not sure about a Korean population but there are a lot of Chinese students - so although Lincs is pretty much Whitey McWhitey places like Lincoln are more diverse then you might expect.

Grantham in Lincs has the high speed train to London so people do commute and of course even if you don't commute it's nice to be able to get into the city and you can't really get more diverse than London. Grantham itself isn't that inspiring but it's not bad and has some pretty and affordable villages around it.

Peterborough also has high speed train, not sure that the town itself is that great but again nice villages in striking distance.

Also if you look down around that area there is Cambridge too with a big East Asian population (well big by UK standards) again I think mainly Chinese but at least there is diversity. Cambridge itself is expensive and I think the schools can be a bit iffy so maybe not to live in but again to perhaps consider as a place to be near to.

Nottingham also has quite a big East Asian population.

You mentioned that you don't have a teacher's license - it might be worth just checking Independent schools as you might not have to have a license for them - not sure about that but you could check. Grantham has a private International school and there are private schools in Stamford (beautiful little town in Lincs.) and Uppingham in Rutland nearby - might be a wild goose chase but work checking to see.

Photography classes might be another thing you could do since you have teaching experience.

I'm sure your son will pick up English superfast he is so young.

I found Best schools in your area | Where to live | Locrating | UK a useful site when you want to check out the schools in an area and of course UK's number one property website for properties for sale and to rent and PrimeLocation > Search Property For Sale & To Rent Via Leading Estate Agents are great to get a feel for the cost of houses and rentals in an area.

This site looks like it might be helpful for connecting with Korean expats
https://www.internations.org/great-b...expats/koreans

Good luck with it all

LondonSquirrel

I agree with the previous poster about places. My mum lives in Grantham and sister in Nottingham. 3 bed houses can be bought for £160K which is shockingly cheap compared to London. I even commuted to my job in London for 6 weeks when I had to go and live back with my mum for a while in the 90s, the journey is not bad, fastest trains 1 hour to Kings Cross.

Do be prepared when you go through immigration, I think there is a chance your wife could be sent back because they will see her as a risk to overstay. They may not believe you intend to go back to get her visa. If your children are entitled to British citizenship you should get passports for them as you will only have your wife to sponsor then, so will only need income of £18600.

Perth

As you children are British they would not require a visa, so therefore no fee. I agree with London Squirrel that you should be cautious about arriving in the UK. You may have to prove that your wife does not intent to stay, such as having a return ticket for her and a job to return to.

BritInParis

I think you need to have a bit more of a plan than just flying to the UK together in August. Your wife can stay for up to six months as a visitor providing UKVI consider her to be a genuine visitor at the border which is unlikely given that you are moving back to the UK.

Assuming your wife is admitted then what happens at the end of her six month stay if you haven't found enough work to meet the financial requirements to sponsor her for a settlement visa? She would need to return to Korea and even if you found enough work immediately afterwards your wife would need to remain in Korea for at least six months before you would be able to meet the financial requirements to sponsor her for a spouse visa. Presumably your children would need to return to Korea with her which would blow out your plans for your eldest son to improve his English before starting school in September 2017.

Your number one priority needs to be working out how you are going to be able to sponsor your wife for her settlement visa otherwise every other consideration is moot.

angie_329

Since the vital point is that you will need to sponsor your wife for a visa, as BIP notes, it may be better to consider obtaining a job as an ESL teacher (have you TEFL/equivalent if that is needed, or could you do that prior? Google requirements). Bournemouth is a big centre for teaching English to Foreign students. There may well be an association of English language teachers to contact about salary levels since you will need 18,600 p.a. Your children are British so I believe you will not need to have the additional salary amount you mention.

angie_329

Another point. You mention renting. With the new 'right to rent' legislation a landlord will not be able to rent you accommodation under a shorthold assured tenancy (other than a holiday rent type for a few weeks) if your wife only has a visitor's visa since she will be classed as a permitted occupier and therefore must qualify under the legislation (even if you are paying the rent and the lease is in your name).

Tr1boy

Forget about this bit, a lot of places have people from all over. Do expect well meaning clueless comments about your kids being 'half Phillipino' especially if you're out with them on your own!

People told us that there is a 'huge' Korean population in New Malden, it does have a somewhat Hankook feel but the place in an overpriced craphole.

We've lived in Somt, Surrey (Godalming) and now Winchester. This is not a problem. You know the score, you live in Korea, every white face is 'Meekook' whether you are or not (we are 'Hoju').

We are moving back to Oz soon or moving to Dorset. Most places have a mix of kids but for us the important thing is to avoid the heavily populated mono or duo cultures as it's not a mix in the sense that say Sydney is, it's just depressing (at least for us).

Tell your 'Yobu' that she can buy a Cuckoo cooker with an English plug on it no problems

'Cha man nayo'