British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
#1
British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Hey everyone!
This is my first post, but I've known about the forum for some time. My partner of nearly four years and I are looking to move to England to live and work. I am a Canadian permanent resident who moved from England to Canada when I was 11. I have dual citizenship (British passport), and my partner is a Canadian citizen. I have grandparents from both sides of my family living in the UK as well. As a result of my dual citizenship it's my understanding that all I need to do for myself is to get a British social insurance number.
We are researching to understand what my partner will need in order for her to go to England though. Since we are both under thirty we are aware of the Youth Mobility Scheme available to her but we are wondering if we should apply via that route or if we should apply for her through the family visa as my partner. Are these mutually exclusive application processes? Is one better than the other? Does the family visa application process still include the points test?
We are also wondering what the process is for bringing our calico cat over with us?
Any information, tips, or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
This is my first post, but I've known about the forum for some time. My partner of nearly four years and I are looking to move to England to live and work. I am a Canadian permanent resident who moved from England to Canada when I was 11. I have dual citizenship (British passport), and my partner is a Canadian citizen. I have grandparents from both sides of my family living in the UK as well. As a result of my dual citizenship it's my understanding that all I need to do for myself is to get a British social insurance number.
We are researching to understand what my partner will need in order for her to go to England though. Since we are both under thirty we are aware of the Youth Mobility Scheme available to her but we are wondering if we should apply via that route or if we should apply for her through the family visa as my partner. Are these mutually exclusive application processes? Is one better than the other? Does the family visa application process still include the points test?
We are also wondering what the process is for bringing our calico cat over with us?
Any information, tips, or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,652
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
The Youth Mobility Scheme is cheaper and quicker than the unmarried partner or spouse visa. If you are eligible for that then I'd suggest doing it.
Once in the UK you could then apply for the unmarried partner or spouse visa when ready.
Google Animal transportation for companies which ship animals.
Once in the UK you could then apply for the unmarried partner or spouse visa when ready.
Google Animal transportation for companies which ship animals.
#3
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
A Tier 5 YMS visa is a much better idea initially. If your intention is to make it a permanent move then switching to a spouse visa after at least one of you has been working for six months is the most efficient way to go as any time spent on a Tier 5 visa won’t count towards ILR.
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 85
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
I would go the youth Visa, Much simper process. We have given up on our plans to go back home as its a complicated way to go on a Unmarried partner visa. Im British and hes Canadian. Didn't want to have to split the kids from there dad for any length of time.
#5
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
The Youth Mobility Scheme is cheaper and quicker than the unmarried partner or spouse visa. If you are eligible for that then I'd suggest doing it.
Once in the UK you could then apply for the unmarried partner or spouse visa when ready.
Google Animal transportation for companies which ship animals.
Once in the UK you could then apply for the unmarried partner or spouse visa when ready.
Google Animal transportation for companies which ship animals.
#6
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
A Tier 5 YMS visa is a much better idea initially. If your intention is to make it a permanent move then switching to a spouse visa after at least one of you has been working for six months is the most efficient way to go as any time spent on a Tier 5 visa won’t count towards ILR.
Thank you!
#7
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Sorry to hear that. Was the process for an unmarried partner visa complicated in general or were there particularly difficult parts to it?
#9
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Very helpful to know, especially about how time on a Tier 5 visa won't count towards ILR, I didn't know that. Are there any other benefits to the YMS visa other than it being faster and cheaper? And is it a complicated process to switch to a different visa once there or is it just a matter of waiting until one of us has worked for six months like you said?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Switching would be the same process as extending an existing spouse visa from within the UK - there are no additional complications.
Not mentioned yet but as an unmarried couple you will need to provide evidence that you had been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years prior to the application. Living apart whilst dating isn’t going to cut it. If this is the case for you then you should consider getting married.
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 85
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Its mainly easy paperwork but family separation is a big No for me, Because who knows how long it would take.
Secondly was trying to rent somewhere from here was a disaster, No one would rent because we had no income but we could pay a years rent up front, Then we had no referees in UK,
Hoping we can work something out to retry next year, But I would go the easy route and reapply from within UK..
#11
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Your calico cat will become a tortoiseshell.
#12
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
My mistake! I made a rather significant mistake in my original post - I'm a Canadian citizen as well as a British citizen. If I were a PR though, you would be right, I would absolutely get citizenship before leaving Canada. Thank you for pointing this out.
#13
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
It makes the financial requirements for the spouse visa easier to meet as you can use one or both of their salaries once you have been working in the UK for six months. Applying from outside the UK means that only the spouse’s salaried income would count and they would also need a job offer in the UK in order for both applicant and sponsor to move together. A YMS visa means you can move together in order to look for work and then switch to a spouse visa once one of you meets the financial requirements.
Switching would be the same process as extending an existing spouse visa from within the UK - there are no additional complications.
Not mentioned yet but as an unmarried couple you will need to provide evidence that you had been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years prior to the application. Living apart whilst dating isn’t going to cut it. If this is the case for you then you should consider getting married.
Switching would be the same process as extending an existing spouse visa from within the UK - there are no additional complications.
Not mentioned yet but as an unmarried couple you will need to provide evidence that you had been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years prior to the application. Living apart whilst dating isn’t going to cut it. If this is the case for you then you should consider getting married.
That's a good point to bring up as well regarding relationship status. We had considered this and thankfully we're fortunate in that we have been living together for almost three years now and have our previous lease/rental agreements as documents to prove this. We are hoping that this will be sufficient and helpful in the visa application process but we were wondering about that as well.
Thanks so much again, your insights have been very helpful and encouraging for what the process may be like for us.
#14
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
We were already to go had the house up for sale and would have had the funds for me to sponser him. Been together 15 years now but we would have had nowhere to live here whilst waiting for his application to be processed.. He cant come to UK while waiting and I don't like to separate my boys from there dad in a new country for them. The kids are dual British/Canadian. I am a stay at home mum so have no income so we have to go savings route. He has 3 job oppurtunities in the uk but don't fall into the short category.
Its mainly easy paperwork but family separation is a big No for me, Because who knows how long it would take.
Secondly was trying to rent somewhere from here was a disaster, No one would rent because we had no income but we could pay a years rent up front, Then we had no referees in UK,
Hoping we can work something out to retry next year, But I would go the easy route and reapply from within UK..
Its mainly easy paperwork but family separation is a big No for me, Because who knows how long it would take.
Secondly was trying to rent somewhere from here was a disaster, No one would rent because we had no income but we could pay a years rent up front, Then we had no referees in UK,
Hoping we can work something out to retry next year, But I would go the easy route and reapply from within UK..
#15
Re: British citizen and Canadian partner looking to move back to UK
Will she? I'd forgotten about that. We like that descriptor as a breed, so my partner will be delighted.
We've also been researching on the UK government websites all the regulations and requirements for moving our cat there with us. We feel that we have the idea overall (microchip, vaccinations, rabies vaccine specifically in appropriate timeline, health certificate, "Transfer of Residency" to avoid paying the VAT, 5-day rule, airline approved carrier, pet friendly airline and housing in UK, and making sure our vet knows how to fill out the paperwork). We also read a helpful post on this forum from another person from Canada moving to the UK with their cat, and read the list of approved airlines/routes, and that London Gatwick has a faster process for receiving pets than London Heathrow. Air Canada is more expensive so we considered Air Transat, but we are concerned that having our cat travel in the hold will be too stressful for her - when we moved from the UK to Canada when I was a child we brought our cat and his personality completely changed into a stressed cat after the flight. But I don't think there is an option for pets to travel in their carrier in the cabin with us, unless someone else has heard of this option with an airline?
We've also been researching on the UK government websites all the regulations and requirements for moving our cat there with us. We feel that we have the idea overall (microchip, vaccinations, rabies vaccine specifically in appropriate timeline, health certificate, "Transfer of Residency" to avoid paying the VAT, 5-day rule, airline approved carrier, pet friendly airline and housing in UK, and making sure our vet knows how to fill out the paperwork). We also read a helpful post on this forum from another person from Canada moving to the UK with their cat, and read the list of approved airlines/routes, and that London Gatwick has a faster process for receiving pets than London Heathrow. Air Canada is more expensive so we considered Air Transat, but we are concerned that having our cat travel in the hold will be too stressful for her - when we moved from the UK to Canada when I was a child we brought our cat and his personality completely changed into a stressed cat after the flight. But I don't think there is an option for pets to travel in their carrier in the cabin with us, unless someone else has heard of this option with an airline?