Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

My wife and I have lived in the US now since July 2009, I'm a UKC she is a USC. We figured out the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

We live in Pensacola Florida which is a particularly non prosperous town about to be destroyed (if you accept the local media's opinion) due to the oil spill.

We are expecting a little girl in October :D which is great news. Her brother also just had a baby and they live in the UK, and my cousin whom I'm close to and my best friend and his wife (we were together from primary school right through uni) is also expecting a baby in February of 2011!

But we are both very unhappy here, even though she is surrounded by her family she really misses my family, her friends and the British way of life!

My wife did most of her teenage to adult growing up in the UK, so that is what she is used to (her family moved to Wales when she was 17 and we left for the US at 22)

We work together in the Telesales industry and they are dead end jobs, and there just are no jobs for the field in which I trained for. She is a hair dresser by trade and Florida want her to totally re train despite being a qualified UK hair dresser for 4 years.

It just seems we were happier and life was easier back in the UK!

Does anyone have any advice or just somethings to cheer us up as we cant leave until our lease is up in August and she will be 7months preg by then so we will not be able to fly.

So basically we are looking to move back in the early part of 2011. I have a 2 year Green card that finishes in July 2011 and I am to re apply for a green card 90 days prior to july, if I get the greencard are there any restrictions like I must be in the US for at least 6 months of the year?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Congratulations!


If you're returning to the UK, what does it matter if you break your lease and just leave?


Probably better (read = less expensive) if she were to have the baby in the UK. Then again, if the baby is born in the US, s/he will have dual citizenship.


If you get a 10-year GC, the US must remain your permanent home. That's the whole point. If you're going to move to the UK, best to save the I-751 filing fee (and the headache of the forms) and just formally abandon your status. If circumstances change down the road, you can always reapply for a spouse visa.

Ian

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Hi Wilto, it's not easy if you are unhappy, you haven't been here a year yet though and I always advise people to give a new place at least that long before you even start to feel like you 'live' there. This advice was given to me a long time ago and I have tried to live by this rule ever since, and each time we move States/Countries.

There is the MBTTUK forum, which could help with your choices, it could also give you a perspective on those that are/have gone back to the UK. It's probably going to be a lot easier for you guys as you haven't been gone very long.

I hope you guys can feel a bit more settled by the time your baby gets here (congrats by the way:) ) But if you are truly miserable, why wait till the lease is up, maybe you can talk to the landlord and see if you can help find a tenant to take over your lease? Having a baby is a stressful enough time, without adding the stress of being unhappy and having no support.
Good luck guys!;)

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Thanks Ian, I suppose your right what does it matter if we leave and break the lease, I suppose I'm just a bit paranoid as they did pull both of our credit reports before renting to us, and they will probably hit our credit report with leaving before lease is up. I don't know I'm scared of the debt collectors!

Well the US gov medicaid are paying for the pregnancy so they pick up the tab :)

And yeah your right the filing fee is pretty expensive for the i751, and yeah I would like the baby to have dual citizenship, but would she be entitled to it wherever she is born through my wife's citizenship?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Thanks English Tart, I mean we have support, parents and 2 sisters (and 4 nephews and nieces! :) ) live here nad we love them to death but none of my family are here (obviously) and she loved my family and friends, and her brother (who she is very close to) lives in Sheffield.

Yeah, my wife had this very nostalgic view of the US as she left just before finishing high school and she thought she would just re connect with old friends and it would just be like old times for her. But I think she has realised that she is a different person now.

And I was like yeah live in the US of A sounds good to me lets just do it, we didnt' really think about it too much we just did it. I#m glad we did as we've made some good friends and experienced a different culture - God Guns and Fried Chicken culture!!!!

But I just think as people we are more suited to good ol' blighty.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

As for breaking your lease and your credit report. You fears are not groundless. My daughter broke hers in Florida and they came after her the unused months of the lease plus damages to the apartment even though there were none. Yes, it was reported to the credit unions.

Citizenship for the baby will depend on whether or not your wife has the right to transfer her citizenship to her offspring.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Well the rent for July is only $350 (we referred someone and got money off our rent), then August is $750. So its not a big deal to just pay it and be done with it.

The cost of flying beteween now and September is pretty high so we will probably wait until after the baby.....it's just easier I think for us as my parents are coming in July for a vacation so yeah.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Congratulations on the baby!

Will your wife need a Settlement Visa to enter the UK, or exactly what would her status be?

Also - just out of curiosity as I am American - how has your wife qualified to have Medicaid pay for the baby?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

She's the US citizen so she gets benefits.

Our insurance doesn't cover pregnancy and our household income is below the Florida Medicaid threshhold, something called Momcare/IPOP. We get Wic aswell which is actually pretty good.

So yeah we eitehr paid at least $15,000 out of pocket or get medicaid (of course if we had to pay the $15K we would have moved back to the UK straight away!!!)

EDIT

Looking into it, my wife would need a settlement Visa which costs £644 ouch and the baby would need one to if we move after she is borng, another £644. This is way more expensive than me coming to the US, although there does seem to be less paperwork.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

The baby will be a dual national and so won't need a settlement visa (so long as you are born and bred UK citizen) So just the wife to get a visa for. After the birth get the birth certificate and then fill out the forms to register little baby Wilto as a UKC and get him/her their very own UK passport. :thumbup:
Sounds like a good plan to wait for the parents to visit and low season flights back to UK.
If you wait for your 10 year green card, you'll have to keep US as your home, if you leave for too long it's the same as relinquishing your Green card, I went for 11 months (pre 9/11) and had some grief from immigration on return, they are even more strict now.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

If you want to keep the right to live in the USA, you should put your moving plans on hold until you can become an American citizen.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Are you sure? I think 7 months falls within the safe range, you could check with your doctor.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Couldn't agree more! That's why we have hung around as long as we have....

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

The baby will be dual, no matter where you are. Just make sure you register birth for both countries and send for both passports.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Thanks. I was just curious. (BTW US citizens don't "get" benefits - they may qualify for benefits, however. :))

I am American and to be honest, I have a real issue with people who draw Medicaid when they actually have the means to pay for their healthcare (i.e., they have good jobs, spend money on holidays, etc.) NOTE: I'm not suggesting that this is the case with you and your wife.

Just because a person's insurance doesn't cover all the bill doesn't make it right to "get" Medicaid. I am a 4-year breast cancer survivor and, unfortunately, have paid close to $30,000 out-of-pocket over the past 5 years for doctor bills that were not covered by my insurance.

Since it's my tax dollars that pay for Medicaid, I'd like to know that it is used for people who truly are in need.

End of rant! Thanks for listening. :cool:

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

How ironic, since you can actually get an immigrant visa for some of the Australian States if you are a qualified hairdresser! I guess you wife started as a junior (maybe even doing a Saturday job sweeping the floor, shampooing etc) and then going on day-release at college for a few years.

An old acquaintance from my home town was a hairdresser and a few years ago she emigrated to Perth, WA with her family.....she/they got the visas because of her trade!

OTOH, here in New Jersey I understand that you only need to do a 13 week training course to qualify as a hairdresser..:eek: It's so hard to find a decent one around here....:blink:

Congratulations on the impending arrival of the new baby! :thumbup:

Info from the British Embassy website about dual citizenship for children born in the US to a British Citizen parent:

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...dual-nat-child

Hope this helps! :)
PS: If the baby is born in the US she will need an American passport to leave the States, but if you are going to reside in the UK the baby needs to enter the UK on a British passport (you don't want her deported as an overstayer, do you lol?!)

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Yeah pretty dumb about teh whole hair dressing thing, she worked for Aveda salons in the UK and is a darned good hair dresser!!

She did an apprenticeship, she will have a part time job before we leave the UK, which will be nice, of course restarting my career is the main priority as we both want her to be the homemaker.

Medicaid was advised to us by our doctor, as we qualify for it due to our income and our OB GYN accepts it.

We are exploring going before the baby comes and all that and man there are pros and cons to everything.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Hi Englishtart,
I went t Marple Hall School. Where are you from in Stocky?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

WOW, we're in a similar situation but had the baby already! My hubby spent a couple of years in the UK 18 - 20yrs old and had a great time. He loved it. my hubby loves all my UK friends and is so happy and more relaxed around them than our Canadian friends. Strange but true. Also, two of my close girl friends have had babies a week before me (madness) and one had been trying for the last 13 years. It's just incredible......anyway, similarly I miss them and being with them so we can be there for each other. And we both miss English life (the humour especially) although we're aware of the negatives that Blighty has too so no rose tinted glasses here.

Anyway, I wish you lots of luck in your journey. I empathise completely with your story. And good luck with the baby! Any names thought of yet? It took us weeks to name our little girl.....

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Even if the position had been reversed (he the USC, she the UKC) emergency medicaid for the birth of the baby and WIC would be permissible under the terms of the I864 filed for the immigrant. Neither benefit is considered means-tested by USCIS.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Yeah we need to be careful of daffodil tinted glasses (I'm Welsh ;):P)

We love the name Isabella, very popular apparently at the moment.

My parents are visiting for vacation july 11th to 26th. So we need to be here for that at least!!!

So many pros and cons to leaving before baby is due and leaving after she comes.

:'(

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Hi Wilto
Lots of people told me I should have the baby in the UK but I didn't want the stress of it all. I would probably stay somewhere familiar. I guess you need to ask where you would feel safest and the least stress. I decided that place was here at home on the island and although I'm not entirely happy here the level of care was amazing and I felt very well looked after. I couldn't imagine moving while pregnant.:ohmy:

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Yeah my wife really wants to stay here because the level of care seems superior here in the USA. (please no politics here!!!)

Flights are super expensive from now until November too. And we want her parents who live in the same city as us to at least see the baby otherwise they will probably not see the baby for a year or so.

But then moving with the baby, all the baby stuff etc is going to be super stresfull.

Need to get a big piece of paper and do all the pros and cons!

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

We're off on a 3 month trip to US and Mexico so we have to travels ultra light. I bought a wrap instead of a stroller which she loves. You can nurse in it and they feel super snug. It also supports my back better than any snuggly I've found. It's just one long piece of material so light and easy to pack and they can face in or out. It's my best baby buy ever! Remember that they are way easier to travel with as a baby than as a toddler. I took my little boy on several UK trips and as a new born it was easy, as he got older I wore out the carpet on the flight following him.

Like you say there are pros and cons.....

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Yeah we have one of those wrap thingys on our baby shower list!

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Oh yeah I was thinking with the pregnancy.

Would she be allowed a visa as she is pregnant and will be "a cost to the state?" in the future.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

As someone who's had a baby in the last year (10 months ago) I would say it would be a lot easier to move before the baby's here. Getting organised to do anything with sleep deprivation is hard. And although babies don't need much they end up with a lot of stuff through gifts and because they grow so damn fast. I've forgotten how far along your wife is but I'd try and go before the 3rd trimester - if you're past that, I'd stay put but know it will be tougher - (and way more emotional!)

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

What kind of financial information will the British immigration be looking for?

US immigration is pretty cut and dry what you need but the British embassy doesn't say much about what you need to have.

Of course we both will not have jobs before getting to hte UK and we will be living with my parents until jobs are found.

Likely to be denied on that basis?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Does that mean we cannot live with my parents despite they live in a 7 bedroom house with no kids at home?

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Wilto,

Moving to the UK and the whole visa situation is not simple.

My wife and I are in a slightly similar situation in that we both live in the US, I am a UK citizen and she is not. From my understanding my wife will need a settlement visa for the UK. We need to prove that she would not be using public funds, have adequate accomodation and have a genuine relationship.

I would definitely make it a project for yourself to find out about visa situation and also from what I understand the processing time itself can take a fair while, think several weeks.

Re: Thinking of moving back to the UK
 

Yeah she needs a settlement visa to begin with.

But I don't want to apply if they enforce the rule that we are the only ones to own or occupy the property exclusively.