The_English_Bride

My parents just left after visiting us in the US and i'm really sad. My husband and I have talked about the possibility of moving to England in the near future, and right now I am thinking about it a lot because I miss my family so much. Apart from the fact that I am not yet eligible to apply for US citizenship and would prefer to have that before returning to the UK, my other concern is getting my husband there. We don't have a lot of money and we don't own any property, so how will this affect our appliication? I read something about proving financial stability and a place to live. We obviously had to fulfill a similar requiremnt for my PR application here in the US, and we mangaged by getting co-sponsers (plus I was already in the US), but I really don't know how the US to UK immigration works. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!

Fleaflyfloflum

I have recently returned with my New Zealand husband from Australia.

First question. What jobs do both of you do?

As for accomodation, all we had to do was provide a letter from my brother in law stating he owned his home and was willing to give us a double bedroom in his house and provided evidence of it.

As for money, all you need to do is provide evidence that you have enough money to support yourselves until you find work. You do not have to have a fortune. Make a projected budget for yourselves for expenses you will incurr until you find work.

The_English_Bride

Well, at the moment I am just working as an administrative associate at an educational institution (though i'm working on a title change), and my husband is still a full time student (he will complete his degree next year). I have two degrees and plan to change to a different career path than my current one.

I'm glad to hear that you were able to get a letter from your brother-in-law concerning a place to live. I was hoping we could do that with my parents who are also willing to sponsor.

skinderella

I am going through exactly what you are going through right now under the current laws and regulations and here are some links that I found helpful:

"One of the most important qualifying criteria is that you must be financially secure and have adequate accommodation arranged by the time your spouse or partner migrates to the UK on a settlement visa. You must assure the British government that you have the capacity to support the person you wish to sponsor and can afford to live in the UK with your family, including any dependents, without requiring any disbursements of public funds."

http://www.marriagevisahelp.com/inde...rriage-visa-uk


and:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/vie...ettlement+visa

We were advised that the documentation needed to prove accomodations are at the very least : an affidavit signed by th owner of the residence, a certified copy of the property deed, and offical documentation to prove the size of the dwelling. We were also advised that we would need the equivalent of at least 1/2 a year's income suitable for a family of 3 in the UK saved if we did not already have prior employment established upon on our arrival, and we must also provide proof of our education and credentials to establish that we were not employment "risks" once we arrived in the UK. HTH.

The_English_Bride

Thank you for the links - i'll check those out! I think we should be okay on the accommodation then - my parents own their home, which is a three bedroom residence, so there would be room for us to live with them until we found our own place. As for the savings, we'd have to work on that, or we might be able to find jobs before we arrive. Do we both have to find jobs, or can it just be one of us? Also, what do they consider a suitable income for two people?

skinderella

Hi! I just got off the phone with an immigration advisor in London who's advice is pretty consistent with the others I spoke with. To answer your question about the employment issue: 2 jobs are obviously the most secure route, but if you are married- one will suffice as long as the earnings are adequate enough to support 2 people ( Which by the way- in the UK is not that much. I was getting quotes of 14,000-20,000 pounds annually for 2 adults depending on what part of the UK you are moving to. London will obviously be alot more.). I was reading your post as I was speaking to the advisor and asked him about the sufficient funds situation in case you did not have employment lined up (which would describe our situation). He said that he processed many applications that were successful where the applicants only had 5,000 pounds in funds , and he even processed apps where the applicants were granted visas with only 1000 pounds in funds. Every case is different and it all depends on your education and potential to be employed. Some occupations are alot more in demand than others. Why don't you go here:

http://www.oisc.gov.uk/

Check out the different advisors available, check out which ones offer free consultations (I was just speaking with an advisor from www.globalvisas.com), and speak to an advisor directly. You don't have to pay for their services to get the most basic questions answered and it will give you a piece of mind knowing you spoke with a professional who is up to date on all of the current rules, laws, and regulations. Good luck to you doll!

Fleaflyfloflum

The reason i asked about jobs is it depends what you do as to the availability of jobs. We had an easy ride because OH is a nurse.
I am not well enough to work, OH did not have a job to go to when we got here, but managed to find loads of job ads and several email communications from recruiters keen to offer him job interviews. This satisfied the visa people and it was granted, so in actual fact you DONT have to have a job set up just be able to show it is highly likely you can find work on arrival.

We only supplied evidence of enough money to support us for 3mths and it was accepted.


Also, I am the British citizen and was unable to work, yet it was also accepted that OH is the sole income earner. I did not have to have a job to support him at all.

I also discovered a little known piece of info. Where it says "no recourse to public funds" that only applies to the new migrant and NOT the British citizen.
If disaster strikes the Brit citizen is eligible for benefits help but not allowed to claim funds for the immigrant. I was told this when we applied for a nurses accomodation house in Sussex. They asked if we needed help to pay the rent up front. I said no, but she informed me that I was eligible to ask for it but not my husband You probably wont need it, but handy to know just in case!

The_English_Bride

Thanks for checking into that for me! The savings we would need does not sound as daunting now either! I think by the time we would apply, we'd have enough. Going home is looking much more possible now!

The_English_Bride

That's a shame - OH was originally training to be a nurse! We could both get a variety of jobs with our degrees, particularly in business. OH is looking at government/political jobs out here, but I don't know what he would be allowed to do in England in those areas because he wouldn't be a citizen.

I'm glad to know about the benefits being available to me. It makes sense really. That's how it is here too. Even though i'm not eligible, OH is.

Fleaflyfloflum

I hope it all goes well for you.

I remember worrying and fretting over it all so much! The good peeps on here will remember i suspect LOL
In the ned it isnt as daunting as it appears, although the form filling and gathering all the correct information is a pain in the rear.

I would start looking on UK job sites for hte kind of work you could both do when you get here and see how the job market is faring.

The_English_Bride

I think the thought of going through a similar process that we went through to get me PR status here was just stressful. Plus, when you feel homesick, the thought of just being able to get on a plane, go home, and never come back is a comfort. But it's not that easy, unless you want to leave your husband behind! lol

The_English_Bride

Has anyone felt homesick going back to the UK, as weird as that sounds, after living elsewhere? There are things I like about being in the US, and there are things that made me want to move from the UK in the first place, so I'm wondering how it will really feel to move back now.

bubbles08

well i can only tell you about my own experience,we were in OZ for seven years ,i was always homesick,left a great social life with family and friends and although we met some lovely people ,never got over being so far away from the UK.
i came back very two years and the feeling never went away ,alot of people said you will go back to the UK and be glad to go back to OZ that was not true for me.
We lived in Joondalup outside of Perth ,and although a lovely place, we found it too quiet, not the right place for me PERSONALLY,I felt like it had no soul
yes coming back was very daunting ,as we have risked it all and opened up a business ,but after the first few months ,which have been frantic as we have bought a house and set up a business and started our lives up again, we are starting to feel like we are living a life and seeing the UK through different eyes.
The parts i did not like are still here !! but the parts i do like outweigh them!.
Nothing in life is handed to you on a plate,you have to really work hard at it .
We really tried in OZ to make it work,but we were there for seven years and yet on Chrismas Day we really did not know what to do with ourselves,although we love being together as a family ,but we love socialising and now its great .
We have so many fiends that have welcomed us back and we are always busy .People do move on ,and you move on from them ,but good friends will always be there ,and that is what we have found,we are so happy being back .We still have our stresses, like anywhere but i wish i could have gone back a few months ago and met myself and told myself everything was going to be alright .!!!!!!!
I was having heart palpitations ,the last few weeks , felt quite ill with it,but then we were having alot of abuse from people telling us we were mad to go back .If only i could meet them now ............

Patzy

Me too. I am new here, but have been reading everyone's experiences. Myself and my daughter moved to the US in '05 (I moved with work). Since then my daughter has moved back to the UK to go to university, I married a US citizen in 2007 and we are moving back to the UK no later than June of next year. We both just came back from the UK after visiting family and I really didn't want to to come back here. Still don't know where we will be moving to, but it will be the south east, family are there and daughter is at Brighton Uni. When I first came to the US I never imagined just how much I would come to miss the UK, but it has happened. It is great to read everybody's comments and invaluable information when you are embarking on the long drawnout process of getting the dog ready to go as well as the OH lol, so thankyou to everyone.

dunroving

I get homesick for the States on a regular basis.