Isabella17

We are in the process of moving back to the UK (well, moving back for hubby but the kids and myself have never lived there). Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have searched through the forums for a lot of answers but a few still allude me.

We have 5 children, all with their birth registered at the British Embassy (or Home Office for the adopted children). Hubby is a dual citizen. He will continue working in the UK (telecommuting) for a global computer company which means he will have a well paying job in the UK. I will require a settlement visa (think I have the process figured out ... mostly)

1. Last week we sent off the passport applications to the British Embassy for the children. It sounds like it is taking about 7 weeks to issue new passports. As they have a number of our original documents I will be unable to apply for the visa until they are returned. It sounds like they will not get returned much sooner than the passport. Is this correct?

2. We have 2 cats we will be bringing over. From what I can tell, they will be unable to fly in the cabin with us. Is this correct? (I would love to hear that this is wrong as one of our cats is quite old and in slow progressing renal insufficiency. My son would feel so much better knowing he was nearby.) Can they then fly cargo on the same flight as us? Will they be able to fly in the same crate?

3. I think our financial situation shouldn't be a problem with my visa. We have about $15k in savings and that will bump up a lot if we sell the house before we move. Hubby has a well paying job already and will do once we are in the UK. Even with 5 children I do not see how this should be an issue. I will be a SAHM (and we will homeschool) but this has always been the case for our family. However, the accommodation part is giving us pause. We would very much prefer to find a place to rent once we arrive. We can stay with family for a few weeks but it will be tight (nothing new and kids are fine with sleeping on floors). His parents and sister live next door to each other and according to a website someone pointed me to (and the luck of 4 of the five children being under 10 so they only count as 1/2 a person), we should be able to spread ourselves over the 2 houses and be just under the amount allowed before overcrowding. It would be very temporary though. Does anyone know how 'strict' and 'harsh' they are on the accommodation part?

4. How long does it generally take for belongings to ship over? I saw the recommendations for Wheaton and Rinkins. I am not sure I am ready to get an in house quote just yet as we are still going through our belongings to decide what shall come with us and what shall find a new home.

5. Does anyone have the contact information for the international division of HSBC bank? I hear people mention that it is good to set up a bank account in the US with them and then transfer it to a UK account so that everything will be set up when we get there. I also hear that the local branches are unhelpful and we really need to speak to someone in the international division.

eta: Think I finally found the link for a bank account. This appears to specifically geared towards expats moving back home to the UK.
http://www.expat.hsbc.com/1/2//hsbc-...returning-home

Thanks for any and all help! Sorry this is so long!
Stacy and the rugrats

Moggiemiss

Hi

I can only really comment on the cat situation. No cats cannot travel in the cabin if you want to avoid quarantine. Airlines differ with regard to travel arrangements for pets.

My cat is in the early stages of renal failure so I sympathize with your concerns. Is she fit enough to travel? I would check with your vet. She will have to go without fluids for the journey and this can put a strain on her kidneys ...

I don't want to alarm you but think you should check this out

Isabella17

Thanks. Spoke to my mom (who happens to be the breeder and basically their vet back in Texas, where we plan to visit and fly to the UK from) and she mentioned the 2 cats would not be able to fly in the same cage. She also commented on the health of our older cat. She has not seen him in about a year so while he has been losing weight, he otherwise seems happy. He is currently on K/D for his renal issues.

I told her once she saw him when we visited she could decide whether he could handle the trip. He is 14 years old and it would really break my sons' heart to leave him behind so I am hoping he will be ok in her mind.

Thanks for the reply and information!

Mummy in the foothills

Theres info on the pet transporting here. http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/
I've been reading up on shipping our stuff and it looks like it takes about 6-8 weeks or so from California to UK.
Doesn't look like you will have any problem with the financial side seeing your Dh will still be working once you get there, plus house sale money.
Good luck with the move.

Moggiemiss

Oh gosh ... If your puss isn't fit to travel can you rehome her? I know your son might be broken hearted to leave her behind but cats rehome well and it would be dreadful to travel her if she got sick as a result ....

I am having to leave my puss behind when I go home due to renal problems. I had a little cry and I shall miss her but my aunt is adopting her and it is the best thing for her if not for me.

My cat travelled really well when we came out here in 2008 and she is such a timid cat ...she looked fisher than me at the end of the journey ...

Isabella17

My mom would definitely take him. He was one of her kittens (she breeds cats, dogs and goats) and she gave him to my husband the year we were married. Not worried about him having a home if we have to leave him behind. More worried about how my son will take it. He will understand but will be very sad. He knows CB (the cat) is old and won't be around much longer but he once said that when CB dies, he never wanted to move away from his grave.

Thanks!

Isabella17

Oh, another thing I was wondering if anyone knows. Hubby and 5 children are all British citizens. I will be applying for a spouse settlement visa. So as far as accommodations (and financial I guess) is concerned, do they take into consideration the children? Basically, for accommodation they are only going to be looking that technically hubby and myself have a place to stay as the children won't even be mentioned on the visa (or will they?)

Thanks!

Red-Sea-Angel

We have 2 children who are British citizens and have recently applied for a settlement visa for my husband, so I know how stressful this can all be! I still have all the forms and guidance notes handy so I think I can answer your question about your children...

Your children aren't mentioned on the visa itself, but they are certainly taken into consideration on the application form... Form VAF4A specifically asks if you have children, requires details for each of your dependant children (according to the guidance notes this should include full names, DOB's, places of birth and passport numbers), and asks you to list any of your children who will be travelling with you. Assuming it is your husband who is sponsoring you, it asks the same questions in the section about your sponsor so you need to give all the information again!

Since you intend to travel as a family and live together as a family, I think you will need to have appropriate accommodation for your whole family. I saw from your initial post that you have the option of splitting up between 2 houses on a temporary basis, until you have found something to rent. I have no idea if this would be acceptable since it would only be very short term, or if they (UKBA) will insist you have somewhere for all of you immediately Perhaps someone else on here can help you out with that?

Good luck with the application and move If your poorly cat is well enough to travel I hope it goes smoothly. We have 2 indoor cats and I think I'm dreading transporting them more than us and the kids!

katie97

My 2 cats flew in the same cage with Air Canada

pennylessinindia

As the link I gave you said you will have to show you can all be maintained and accommodated and I really would not think 2 places would be considered ideal. Your spouse may have to go ahead and get somewhere sorted out first to show you have a suitable place and suitable income to support you all. You may need to think sooner than later as other posts on here show the government is putting up the figures and with such a large family this will be a huge impact on you.

Isabella17

Thanks for the website by the way. It is awesome! Let's see if I have the numbers right because it would be tight in their minds if I do, but just under the numbers.

They have 3 bedrooms, an attic room converted to a bedroom, and 2 sitting rooms (excluding bathroom and kitchen). So that would be 6 livable rooms which according to their numbers allows 12 people. Between his sister's family and our family, we have 4 adults, 4 children over 10 and 6 children under 10. The children under 10 count as 1/2 a person (someone should tell that to their stomachs!). That adds up to '11' people and a 6 livable room house could accommodate 12 without being considered 'overcrowded'. (this is all in one house by the way)

Do my numbers sounds right? Will they not look at that as being overcrowded even though it technically, according to their numbers, isn't? I would hate to apply for the visa and be denied.

I fear letting hubby find a place without me. Who knows what he would find! There will be no blip in his income and his salary will be 54k pounds without bonus. He will have private health insurance and will be paying loads in taxes to go towards public services they are trying to make sure we won't be using (which we never have before and have no plans on doing it now! Why in the world would we move to a country, take a pretty decent pay cut only to go on welfare??).

It is all really silly and throwing the baby out with the bathwater is what comes to mind.

pennylessinindia

If the 54 k income is clearly seen think you have no problem!!!
Could write a good covering letter showing that you have considered the housing issue, may be worth getting an independent report to show the figures you show and show that the property is owned by your family and that they are happy for you all to live there in the short term.

Isabella17

I just finished reading through the Theresa May posting and now am a bit worried. We wouldn't hit the threshold for 5 children (tho they only hinted at an amount for 3 children and that is already too high by a little bit). I can't apply for my settlement visa as my original documents are currently in the British passport applications for my children, which are taking up to 2 months to process.

I hope they are not seriously going to enact this twaddle!

Mummy in the foothills

You best get all the paperwork in before they enact any of this stuff.
Get it all ready to go then the day the passports arrive back you can make all the copies you need stuff fit all in an envelope and hope it's in before any twaddle passes

Isabella17

Thanks. I just ordered another copy of my birth certificate and will get my parents to get another copy of our marriage certificate (I should have more than one of these things anyways right?)

Then once we decide whether or not we will chance using hubby's sister's house as our accommodation (officially 11 people in a 12 people before considered overcrowded house), we will see about sending it all out. Technically according to their rules, we should be good in that house. Maybe also send a letter stating it will only be temporary and we plan on finding a house to rent within a few weeks?

I can't remember if US Immigration annoyed me so much or not. Probably so.