mrs.jenjen

I was just wondering in theory how this works. I might ask some stupid questions, but please bare in mind that the UK immigration website refuses to work on my PC, so I have no way of accessing this information otherwise!

Basically, I am a UKC with a Green Card, and my husband is a USC.
I am six months pregnant, and he is the main wage earner.

I was wondering what it would require for us to move back to the UK? Would I have to show proof that I could support him financially like he had to do to get my green card (eg, Would I have to provide wage slips etc) - What is the minimum amount I would have to have to prove that I could financially support him, and would we be able to use savings etc for this?

How long does it take to get him a spousal visa? Would he be able to work immediately upon our return?

And non - immigration related, what would you suggest should be the minimum amount we'd need to save to be able to move back comfortably? I'm originally from Croydon, and I know that the rent on most 1br flats in that area is in the region of 6-700 pounds a month for furnished apartments.

Thanks for any info you can give me!

Jen x

Pulaski

I haven't really kept up, but back in 2000, when Mrs Pulaski applied for her British spousal visa, the application took two days - she took her application to DC (I hear they are now received and processed in NY), and the next day they phoned her to say she was approved and should return to collect her visa. I don't think that there is anything like the minimum amount required for a US immigration visa.

I can't begin to think what you should have (£££) to return to the UK - a good few £000's though. ..... And in all honesty getting a furnished flat anywhere near London for £700 sounds a bit optimistic.

BTW, if you are six months pregnant, are you aware that you won't be allowed to fly after another month!

mrs.jenjen

Thanks for the info! The good thing about Croydon / Sutton is that its greater london, and thus the rental prices are a bit cheaper. Its not a GREAT area but its where I'm from so theres no suprises, and its only 25 minutes train ride from london. An example of what you can get for 700 pounds is the flat my best friend just rented - here

In terms of only being able to fly for another month - yeah I know.. it sucks! I was hoping to get back home for a bit this summer, especially as my husband will only be home for weekends come next month, but it looks like I'm out of luck on that one!

I'm hoping we can move back to the UK some time in the next few years, so its not an immediate thing (especially as I'm only on a conditional GC right now) but its good to know in advance so I can think about saving money etc.

Anyway, your advice is great and I really appreciate it! Thank you!

eurotramp

Here according right move, 1 bed flats start at as low as 550...but I dont know what you get for that,,

Elvira

It might be a good idea to wait until you have become a USC - just in case you might want to move the other way again at some point in the future. You become eligible to apply 3 years after gaining the conditional GC.

AdobePinon

Also remember that an extended stay outside of the US can put your green card in jeopardy. You don't need to be gone a whole year to give the US immigration folks cause to question you. Also, that time out may count against eligibility for US citizenship.

Good luck.

Serenity

Hi! I'm a UKC married to a USC husband. Brief history, I moved to US in 1998, we both moved to UK in 2002, had son in 2004 and am now going the spouse visa route to move back to the US... very very much wish I'd got my citizenship the first time! Really, get it, just in case because it's a pain in the rear to move back to the US as a family needing a visa, the financial qualification is *massive*.

When we moved to the UK we had saved $10 000, well, that was the amount we had when we applied for the visa, so minus flying costs and costs to fly kitties and put them in quarantine etc. It lasted for the 3 months it took one of us to find a decent job and we weren't particularly careful! The UK will also take into consideration your husband's qualifications. It's also okay to say you'll be moving in with family as long as you do intend to find your own place. It's not about whether you can support him coming this way as a family, just that together you will be able to support yourselves till you can get a job. So how much you save will be dependent on how easy you want it to be. Given a few years head start though you should be okay.

There are a few problems your hubs might run up against with regards to getting a bank account, or even being put on yours if you still have one, the easiest route seems to be getting an HSBC account in the US and transferring it, same with building up credit by transferring an American Express card.

I suppose that's all getting off topic though!

I found this site really helpful back then, a lot of it is only accessible by a yearly fee of about £5, but the important Home Office section is free:

American Expats

Always21

Serenity, can you elaborate on transferring an American Express card? How do you go about that? Perhaps I should be thinking about getting an AmEx card before leaving the US if that helps with credit in the UK.

Thanks.

JAJ

Has your husband obtained his British citizenship, in that case?

JAJ

If you mean http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk then it's often slow during UK business hours. In any case, for sponsoring from outside the UK, you should look at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk


Others have suggested you get your U.S. citizenship before you leave. It does mean you would have to file U.S. federal taxes when living in the UK (as your husband will have to) but because of foreign income exclusions and credits, you may not have to pay anything.

Being a U.S. citizen will make things much easier should you ever wish to move back, or even just spend long holidays in the U.S. For example, should your child move to the U.S. as an adult, you may want to be able to join him or her there.

One further point: If your child is born in the US then you should obtain a British style birth certificate for the child from the British Embassy in Washington. Some people will tell you it's a waste of money aand the passport is enough, however it will almost certainly save your child a lot of hassle in dealing with the UK system later in life.

Serenity

I don't know, I've only heard others online do it. We've got one in preparation for moving back so I suppose I'll find out in a few months! If I can track down one of the people I heard it from I'll find out more info.

I think the thing is it's the same company, our card actually came from Florida, rather than some which have the same name in both countries but are actually seperate entities or some such. You can see I know loads... not!

Serenity

In the process of!! Never say never again is my motto. Besides, he feels part of him is British now

Pulaski

Re: Applying for AMEX

I did it the other way, and it is an informal concession that credit card issuers may give when they issue cards both in the US and in the UK (and I suppose other country pairs too ). It depends on someone who handles your application being prepared to contact their card issuing office in the other country to confirm that you have a card in good standing. NOTE: this is not your credit score or rating, just your established history with that card issuer.

When I arrived in the US I applied for an AMEX card, I was turned down (for lack of US credit history, and because there is nowhere on the application form to refer to AMEX credit history in another country). I then phoned up and spoke to customer service (or did I write? I don't remember now) and explained that I had had an AMEX card in the UK for several years ..... and hey presto! I was given a US AMEX card.

I believe that it works the same for cards issued by Capital One, MBNA, and HSBC, so you might want to hedge your bets by applying for more than one of these cards.

Bob

MBNA don't exist anymore, till Oct there Legacy MBNA, and from Oct, officially everything will be BoA...all signs and the like have already changed to BoA...and I don't think BoA will do the AmEx thing internationally.. .they ain't doing it with any other cards they issue.

china2007

I moved back to the UK in 1999 after 6 years in Germany.

And 7 years on here we are preparing to go back to Germany again.

I don't know how old you are but I am guessing quite young. I was 19 when I went to Germany on a university scholarship. After graduating I worked in Germany and was intending to settle there for the rest of my life. I was raised bilingually so the language was never an issue for me and I speak German as well as I do English. I feel comfortable with both languages and with parts of both cultures.

When I was 25 I decided that I wanted to move back to the UK. I really thought I would just be able to pick up where I left off and carry on as if I had never been away. But the truth is that I have never really felt completely comfortable back here and that's why we are now planning a return to Germany.

It's not as easy as it sounds. The transition from the US to the UK is certainly different than the transition from Germany to the UK. Neither is any easier than the other - they both have their problems. Of course I had language difficulties at first. Although I was born in the UK and have spoken English all my life I had virtually no contact to anything English in Germany. I found that people spoke very fast. As I am bilingual I often think and dream in German even when I am in the UK and I felt lost when I first came back.

But there are other things too. It was if the country had 'moved on' and left me behind. The government had changed from Conservative to Labour. People had changed. Attitudes had changed. It was not the same country that I left.

My reasons for returning to Germany are not due to unhappiness back here in the UK. I do feel that Germany provides a better education system and that is important for us with respect to our future child. We also feel that our lifestyle is easier to lead in Germany.

In short, it requires a lot of thought and an open-mind!