Joey44

Hi all, I am a British citizen who has lived in Aus for long enough to gain permanent residency. I decided not to apply for citizenship.

Now... I'd like to convince my husband (Australian) to take me home
If we were to move, permanently, back to the UK to live and work, what would we need to do regarding visas etc.?

Alternatively, if we were to go over for a while to see if he likes it (we would have to work to afford it) how would the process differ?

I'm not really sure due to leaving the UK as a child, and not getting very far with my research!
Thanks in advance

CDNtoUK

I'm new at this too but your spouse would need to apply for a visa in order to be able to work. The visa can only be applied for outside of the UK. There are a few options. One would be to provide proof that you, as a citizen, had a job lined up before applying for the visa or show savings in excess of ￡62,500, or a combination of salary and savings. Here's a link to get you started. The reading here will probably help you understand the process a little more and therefore ask questions. The wiki at the top of the page is excellent as well. Good luck! http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/vi...led/spouse-cp/

quoll

Does your husband have any UK born parents or grandparents? If so, then an ancestry visa is a whole lot easier than a spouse visa. If not, does he have access to an EU passport through any other ancestry?

Joey44

Thanks for the links, I'll have to get reading!
Regarding ancestry... his grandparents where all born here in aus as far as we know... how far back can you go?

spouse of scouse

Yes, lots of reading to do Joey! Ancestry visas - grandparents is it unfortunately.

Are you absolutely sure about not applying for Oz citizenship? You never know what the future holds.

englishguygoinghome

The visa for your husband is the same whether you intend to settle permanently or temporarily as there is no recognition of "temporary settlement" for a returning citizen. The long and short of it is you will need to be earning over £18,600 in Australia yourself (excluding your husbands income) or have £62,500 in the bank between you before you can even consider returning.

Another good place to start for a summary and links to the official text of the rules is the BE Wiki page (linked in my signature).

Once you've had a read of the links people have sent feel free to come back with more specific questions - or just to share your worries - many, many families are now facing problems returning to the UK

Pollyana

Think very carefully before going back without getting Aussie citizenshp first. If you do sponsor your husband for a UK Spouse visa and move, there is always the chance that in years to come that you both want to return to Australia. Without citizenship you may find thedoor closed to you, or at the very least you might need to apply for a new Spouse visa. Holding PR now does not guarantee you the right to return.

BritInParis

Given that both the UK and Australia are toughening up their stance on immigration I echo the others' suggestions that you reconsider your decision not to acquired Australian citizenship. Given the time and money you must've invariably spent on getting to PR status it's only a small step to leave the door open for you in Australia.

SanDiegogirl

YOU as a British citizen can just get on a plane and go home.

Hubby, as Australian citizen would need a visa to reside in the UK permanently.

There is no "go and see if I like it" visa. Hubby can go as a tourist for up to 6 months but HE cannot work.

You can apply for a spouse visa for him - there are financial requirements a) based on YOU getting a job for 6 moths earning 18,600 per annum b) getting a job within 3 months of your arriving AND also having a current job which meets the financial requirements c) savings/investment etc.

Read the document below carefully to see how you qualify:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...df?view=Binary

I would strongly recommend getting Aussie citizenship so if neither of you likes the UK you can both return without any hassle.

Joey44

Thanks all. I actually do have a citizenship application in the pipeline but have been too busy (read: slack!) to have the interview etc, so will get onto that asap. My husband would likely feel better knowing we could both come back here as easily as I can go back home.

As for getting him into the UK, I think my biggest difficulty would be securing a job over there before we arrive. Does anyone know of any way of seeing whether Australian qualifications mean anything in the UK?

CDNtoUK

NARIC UK For a fee, NARIC will let you know how your qualifications translate. My husband is currently going through the process as well. http://ecctis.co.uk/naric/