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I studied abroad in the London last year and fell in love with living there temporarily. I'd love to consider moving to maybe Surrey permanently in a few years but I'm unsure if it'd be realistic. My husband has his Portugese citizenship, which if I'm not mistaken means he could move anywhere in the EU.. which would include the UK. Someone told me that only he has the option to move there, and I wouldn't be allowed to, but that doesn't sound right to me. Can anybody shed some light on this for me? I'm a bit confused.
I also do have some family that lives there (they are distant relatives however so I don't think it would help my situation much) but we are still very close and I would like to be close to them.
You cannot move to the UK by yourself but moving along with your husband is no problem. You need an EEA family visa. To get it your husband must be 'exercising his treaty rights' eg by working in the UK.
Bob is correct. Your husband as an EU citizen would be a "qualified person" who has a right to be in the UK if he a) has a job, b) is self-employed, c) retired, d) a student, e) self-employed but ceased activity, f) retired, or g) self-sufficient.
Consequently, if your husband is doing any of the above 7 activities in the UK you also are entitled to live and work there legally as a spouse of an EU citizen - whether or not you're an EU citizen yourself.
If you want to come here on your own steam to start with and have some money in the bank, the "self-sufficiency" option may work for you. It is a bit woolly. Essentially you have to have enough financial resource to not be a burden on the state and you have to prove that you have comprehensive healthcare insurance (via BUPA, AXA, Norwich Union or other private insurers - still cheaper than US health insurance) Unfortunately, the UK Border Agency doesn't give a number as to how much money you should have to prove that you're not a burden on the state.
I'd contact the UK Border Agency and ask their advice. As a US (now dual UK) citizen, I followed the EU spouse route several years ago and found them very helpful.
UK Border Agency | Contact centres (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/contactspage/contactcentres/ - broken link)
Bob is correct. Your husband as an EU citizen would be a "qualified person" who has a right to be in the UK if he a) has a job, b) is self-employed, c) retired, d) a student, e) self-employed but ceased activity, f) retired, or g) self-sufficient.
Consequently, if your husband is doing any of the above 7 activities in the UK you also are entitled to live and work there legally as a spouse of an EU citizen - whether or not you're an EU citizen yourself.
If you want to come here on your own steam to start with and have some money in the bank, the "self-sufficiency" option may work for you. It is a bit woolly. Essentially you have to have enough financial resource to not be a burden on the state and you have to prove that you have comprehensive healthcare insurance (via BUPA, AXA, Norwich Union or other private insurers - still cheaper than US health insurance) Unfortunately, the UK Border Agency doesn't give a number as to how much money you should have to prove that you're not a burden on the state.
I'd contact the UK Border Agency and ask their advice. As a US (now dual UK) citizen, I followed the EU spouse route several years ago and found them very helpful.
UK Border Agency | Contact centres (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/contactspage/contactcentres/ - broken link)
Thank you so much! That was very helpful
I'm still a student, as is my husband, so I think our best option would be to go the student route. I think we could also go the self sufficient route as well but as you said, they don't say how much money you need to be considered self sufficient so I'd have to ask the UK Border Agency.
Also, once I live there with my husband, would it be hard to get my own citizenship from them? I'd like to have the option of staying there God forbid anything happens between my husband and I.
Thank you so much! That was very helpful
I'm still a student, as is my husband, so I think our best option would be to go the student route. I think we could also go the self sufficient route as well but as you said, they don't say how much money you need to be considered self sufficient so I'd have to ask the UK Border Agency.
Also, once I live there with my husband, would it be hard to get my own citizenship from them? I'd like to have the option of staying there God forbid anything happens between my husband and I.
You would spend your first 5 years in the UK on a temporary residency permit. If you manage to stay the 5 years continuously within the treaty right rules you could apply for citizenship. After my temporary residence period my citizenship process was pretty painless. It took about 6 months to process the paperwork, then I got called in to swear allegiance to HM and that was more or less it.
If you come over as students, you just have to remain in a course of study for that 5 years, or if you have less than 5 years's study, obtain employment after finishing your studies.
If you follow the self-sufficiency route, remember you must show that you have sufficient savings and have held comprehensive health insurance the whole 5 years.
Again, I would advise you ring the UKBA to discuss your options.
If you are married to a EEC citizen, then you can becone a resident automatically in any EEC country. You must apply for it with all the necessary paperwork, birth certificate, wedding certificate, etc.
If you are married to a EEC citizen, then you can becone a resident automatically in any EEC country. You must apply for it with all the necessary paperwork, birth certificate, wedding certificate, etc.
Not necessarily, the EEC citizen must be exercising their treaty right before the non-EEC spouse can legally reside there. The conditions of being a qualified person exercising treaty rights are explained a few posts earlier.
We really need to get out of the EU if this is how easy it is to immigrate here. I plan to move to NZ in a 18 months and i fully expect a whirlwind of trouble to get their. Instead of simply packing a bag a moving across.
I do however wish you all the luck in the world, and England is everything you hoped for. I personally would stick to Florida or even Portugal. 2 nice areas if you're in the right place. England sadly is changing and is in the mire at the minute, economically, politically, over-crowding and lack of jobs all means we aren't a great place to live.
Born and razed in the usa. if your poor your ****** and being disabled is hell. I would like to try some where els
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