z1565124

Planning on moving back to the UK in about 2 years time. Wife is a US citizen as am I but I'm working on renewing my expired UK passport.

Wife is vet and is looking into how her qualifications will transfer.

Can anyone guide me to any information on what visa requirements we need to apply for. Reading a few of the posts it seems a lot more complicated than I thought it would be being as this is a non EU county migration!

Ideally we'd like to move over together rather than me go first and then be separated for six months as it looks like some people are doing. Any way to get around this?

Any advice as we start planning?

Thanks in advance for everyone's support as we move through this process, this site was invaluable to me when I came over to the US on a K1 visa twelve years ago.

Richard

BritInParis

For the spousal visa route providing that you, as the British citizen sponsor, have been earning over US$32000 p.a. for at least the last six months and you have a job offer in the UK with a salary of over £18,600 p.a. then you can both come across together.

Alternatively if you have savings of at least US$105,000 held in your name/s for the last six months then you can also come straight across together.

If not then you will need to return to the UK alone and work for six months earning above the salary threshold in order to meet the financial requirements.

z1565124

Thanks for the reply. With respect to the savings amount, can that be in the form of non retirement mutual funds or stocks or does it have to be a bank savings/checking account?

z1565124

Any links to the forms we'll have to fill out?
How long does the process typically take?
Will my wife be able to work right away, if not how long will it take and what do we have to do?
What are the requirements to get her UK citizenship down the road?

BritInParis

Here's the full guide to the financial requirements. See Chapter 7 for the savings option.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...5/IDI6.doc.pdf


https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

Probably around two to four weeks from date of application.

The spousal visa will allow her to work straight away.

The initial visa will give her two and a half years (Leave to Remain). You will then need to apply for a further two and a half years (Further Leave to Remain). Providing that is granted at the end of the five years you can apply for permanent residence (Indefinite Leave to Remain). Once this is granted your wife can apply to naturalise straight away. Those not married to British citizens will need to wait an extra year.

z1565124

Thanks again for the answers, have a few more questions being as we're on a roll here!

Health care for my wife when she arrives, will she be entitled to the NHS and if not when will she be?
Benefits - now I hope to have a job lined up before the move but assuming I don't I would think I would not be able to claim unemployment benefits right? Also I'd be a little disgusted if my wife could but just wanted to clarify that and expect to see her on the front of the Daily Mail if she did!!

BritInParis

Not a problem

As it stands she will be entitled straight away as will you. She'll need to sign up with a GP and get a NHS number. Likewise she'll need a National Insurance number in order to work - she can get one of those from a Jobcentre Plus.

The financial requirements are designed to stop people from doing exactly that. In this scenario you would be using the savings route. Both of you would be unlikely to qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance as the contribution-based allowance is based on Class 1 National Insurance contributions which presumably neither of you have been paying and and income-based allowance is only available for those with less than £16,000 in savings.

alfista1

You mention 105,000 USD.
But isn't this dependent on the exchange rate?
They don't have a fixed rate in USD do they? It's only in GBP.
We know the GBP has been rising fast.

dunroving

The GBP rose against the dollar after the summer (from about $1.50 to $1.65), but it hasbeen stable for several weeks and no sign that it is on an upward spiral.

Of course, nothing in life is guaranteed.

alfista1

yep been watching it carefully. In about a month or two I will need to make a large transfer
hope it dips a little to save a few hundred pounds!