Jadm

Can anyone point me in the right direction for info pertaining to
moving from the USA back to the UK? We (i am USC, husband UK) married
just about 3 years ago and recently filed for husbands removal of
conditions (he recieved the usual letter from TSC that he had a one
year extension while his case is being processed). In the next 2 years
we plan to move over to the UK and live & work.
Also i am curious where to look for the proper rules, permits for
taking a pet bird over to the UK with us.
any links-info much appreciated.*

mstracy

After my wife(USC) and I(UKC) were married in the US, we dropped in to the British embassy with the relevant information and fees and left with a visa for her. It was a fairly painless process. For info :- http://www.britainusa.com/visas/guid...ent_Spouse.asp


As for moving birds to the UK, that's a bit more tricky, however, to start you off, try :- http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-...0Birds%203.pdf

Good luck

Mark

Jadm

Thanks so very much! what happened when she got there? interviews at
all? how long to work?

mstracy

This was 1st September 2000. The embassy took our paperwork with only a short counter interview at which we were both present and told us to come back at 4:30 for the visa. We were blissfully unaware of any possible problems and had only counted on it being a one day affair. We had already booked coach tickets to go and see her mother for the same- day! We were not dissapointed. We made our coach no problem. Your only problem will be financial support information. As I had a job in the UK, it was no problem showing ability to support ourselves. As you are both currently in the US (I assume), you will have to have someone offer support from the UK.

Getting through customs control in the UK was a breeze. It didn't seem to take any longer than normal to get through, just answered a few short questions and got the entry stamp which gave her "leave to remain until 5th September 2001". She was valid for work as soon as she left customs control. The officer told us to apply for her permanent status before the 1 year probation was up and let us go through.

23rd August 2001 we went to the Home Office in Croyden and applied for her "Leave to remain for an indefinite period" which again was granted the same day. We produced utility bills and bank statements. Where ever possible, get these in either joint names or get some in each of your names to show co-habitation. Take lots of photos to show too. I'm not sure how much of the process is cut out as you are no longer newly weds so you may not have to go through the probationary year. The interview was fairly painless and again was only a counter interview with no difficult questions.

For both the embassy and the Home Office visit, we allowed a whole day. If you were to do the British Embassy in NY we would suggest you take a packed lunch, a couple of good books and a map of the city. There is lots of waiting to do and they close the office while they issue the visas so you need to go and do something for about 2 and a half hours while you wait. The same goes for the Home Office in the UK, a long day but well worth doing it in person. Be patient, take a good sense of humor and show lots of sympathy for the people who have to deal with you. We have always found that visa staff seem to get a lot of abuse throughout the day. If you are nice and pleasant, they will bend over backward for you.

My wife is now eligible for citizenship which we are applying for and want to get sorted out before we leave the UK for the US which we're hoping to do later this year.

Mark

Jadm

Nice, your info is very much appreciated.* Prior to going to the UK we
will be living in the state of Maine and I am not sure if there is any
embassy there...my UK husband was under the impression i could go over
to the UK on a VW and apply from there (London)...though of course i
would be worried about immigration over there wondering of our intent
(as we are married 3 years now) when we arrive at Gatwick.
what were the fees if you dont mind me asking?

jeffreyhy

Jadm,

There are no embassies in Maine. They are all in Washington, DC.

I doubt that there is a consulate in Maine, either.

Regards, JEff

anyone4tea

Jadm - I'd recommend your speaking to the UK consulate, as you may need to file for you Before you leave the States, as we need to do when DCF-ing.

Good luck!

Kath

rzack

Since your husband still holding his permanent resident status when you both plan to move to UK....make sure this action not abandon his US Permanent Resident Status. He cannot stay out of US more than a year otherwise his PR will be cancelled. They have certain rules and guidelines if he wanted to stay longer, but I don't think they will allow to stay more than 2 or 3 years.

Anyway I'm not a lawyer, pls act accordingly.

Jadm

rzack <member12472@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Since your husband still holding his permanent resident status when you
    > both plan to move to UK....make sure this action not abandon his US
    > Permanent Resident Status. He cannot stay out of US more than a year
    > otherwise his PR will be cancelled. They have certain rules and
    > guidelines if he wanted to stay longer, but I don't think they will
    > allow to stay more than 2 or 3 years.
    >
    >
    >
    > Anyway I'm not a lawyer, pls act accordingly.

I understand about him losing status yes and so does he...we plan to
retire in the UK anyhow (he is buying mothers home there and he is in
his late 40's). as far as the embassy is concerned i read i would have
to do it via mail either to NY or DC. confused as to which. he is
insistant we can just go over there and file but after all we went
thru here with INS im not so 'gun-ho' on taking such a chance.

Jadm

mstracy <member13497@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > After my wife(USC) and I(UKC) were married in the US, we dropped in to
    > the British embassy with the relevant information and fees and left with
    > a visa for her. It was a fairly painless process. For info :- ]http-
    > ://www.britainusa.com/visas/guidance/Settlement_Spouse.asp[/url]
    >As for moving birds to the UK, that's a bit more tricky, however, to
    > start you off, try :- ]http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/animl-
    > im/Captive%20Birds%203.pdf[/url]
    > Good luck
    >Mark

Thanks Mark, i have spent days at the Defra site but still am not
quite clear on weather or not our pet parrot can go thru quarenteen at
home for 30 days or must it be a facility...maybe i only read 'yank'?
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >

mstracy

I'm no expert, but from what I understand you have a couple of options.

1) Have an enclosure built at your prospective home, have it inspected and declare it as your own quarantine site.

2) Find someone else with a vacant enclosure and convince them to let you use it.


It may be that there are other possibilities but personally, I would call DEFRA or wirte to them directly.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs
Bird Import Section
1A Page Street
London SW1P 4PQ

Phone: 020 7904 6355 Fax: 020 7904 6395


As it has been a while, the fees may have changed. I notice that the fee rate for this month is not posted on the site at present. From what I remember, it was about $350 or so.

Mark

L D Jones

jadm wrote:
    >
    > Nice, your info is very much appreciated.* Prior to going to the UK we
    > will be living in the state of Maine and I am not sure if there is any
    > embassy there...my UK husband was under the impression i could go over
    > to the UK on a VW and apply from there (London)...though of course i
    > would be worried about immigration over there wondering of our intent
    > (as we are married 3 years now) when we arrive at Gatwick.
    > what were the fees if you dont mind me asking?

Check this carefully. I believe the UK changed the rules last year and
now it is not permitted to 'adjust' from tourist status to 'Leave to
Remain' based on marriage to a British citizen

Obtain the proper UK visa before leaving the US. I had a minor hassle
entering the UK near Christmas with an expired 'Leave to Remain' stamp
in my passport (it expired in 2002) and was told I could be put on a
plane back to the US even if I have a British spouse if I intended to
live in the UK without having arrived with the correct visa (same as the
US immigration would do). I was admitted when it was established to
their satisfaction that I live in the US and intended only to visit.
They are likely to ask your intention on arrival and if you state you
are a tourist this may (and I cannot say it will, of course) cause
problems later

Jadm

Thanks, i heard from an online couple finally today who moved recently
from the states to the UK with 2 cockatiels and this is what they
emailed to us as far as what they had to do:

The birds were a lot harder to find the correct info on.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
In the end I found I had to call our local DEFRA office where we
would be
living (since I was already over here this was easier). They
send you a
form (which isn't that long) to fill out, but some of it needs
to be
filled out by a vet in the US before they leave (within 7 days
of
departing). Then you have to find an airline that will take
them, do lots
of research on this because some will, some won't and some are
really
picky about the time of year the bird is travelling. We went via
Continental, but we had problems with them (they lost the
paperwork in
transit) and it was a big mess so I wouldn't exactly recommend
them. Once
they're on UK soil there are lots of fees to pay, and
declarations to sign
for customs and so forth. You then can take the bird home for
the
quarantine. Within 48 hours of their arrival you have to get a
vet (and
it's vets that are approved by Defra) to visit them at the place
you are
quarantineing them. Then they have to come back at the end of
the 35 days
or whatever it was to visit them again. You have to make sure
the bird is
not in any contact with any other birds, and you have to burn
all
droppings and save the evidence for the vet to inspect. The vet
then fills
out the defra forms and sends them off and a few weeks later you
get a
notice from them saying their quarantine is over. I would
estimate it cost
roughly the same for us to bring the birds over as it did for my
husband's
ticket in mid August (ie peak season), plus more fees at the
airport and
then the vet fees as well. It ain't cheap, but worth it in my
opinion.