Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like many Americans dh and I are appalled at the choices in this upcoming election. If the crazy side wins we have decided that this really is NOT our country anymore. They will take away healhcare, pass backwards laws, most progress that has been made will have been in vain.
He can get back in. As his wife, what do I require? Just to be married to him? Someone told me that's all I'd need and that he would go first and in a few months I could go too. My grandparents were British subjects, not that it makes any difference, does it?
It's scary asking this question even though I've always wanted to live in England. We are retired and you'd think we'd be settling down now. We do have an adorable little baby grandson in Lancs and that's a draw for us. No family to speak of over here.
You would need to apply for a spouse visa before you make the one-way trip. Your husband would be your sponsor. He would need to prove savings of £62,500 - hopefully not a problem for you if you have a house to sell. You can travel together if he meets the sponsor's financial requirements in this manner. There are other ways but this is the simplest for retired people. Most British citizens are clueless about UK immigration rules and will tell you all kinds of rubbish such as 'you just need to be married to him'. See https://www.gov.uk/remain-in-uk-family/overview
Note that your husband, as a UK citizen, is considered to be settled in the UK even though he isn't there physically. Good Luck but Sanders might still win!
You would need to apply for a spouse visa before you make the one-way trip. Your husband would be your sponsor. He would need to prove savings of £62,500 - hopefully not a problem for you if you have a house to sell. You can travel together if he meets the sponsor's financial requirements in this manner. There are other ways but this is the simplest for retired people. Most British citizens are clueless about UK immigration rules and will tell you all kinds of rubbish such as 'you just need to be married to him'. See https://www.gov.uk/remain-in-uk-family/overview
Note that your husband, as a UK citizen, is considered to be settled in the UK even though he isn't there physically. Good Luck but Sanders might still win!
Do those savings have to be in the UK or can they also be in the USA? Do the UK authorities take into account retirement income in the form of pensions?
I only ask because my US citizen wife has said the same thing with regard to the forthcoming elections.
Sanders or even Hillary had better win. (We don't have that amount of money--much of dh's money was stolen in Lancs by an unscrupulous (former) lawyer. His current lawyer is trying to find it, trying to document the paperwork, but hope is dimming--many hundreds of people are in the same boat.)
So we can't leave together. We can only visit. Thanks for the reply and best of luck to others who want to get out of this country as it sinks to the bottom.
Just a note about this, property is ridiculously expensive in the UK and so are rents. Qualifying for a council house is near impossible as the wait lists are already overflowing (my daughter has been waiting nearly 5 years). A roof over our head would be our first consideration and honestly I know we cannot afford it over there.
On top of that US citizens are required to file taxes even when they are living outside of the US, so you would be taxed on both sides of the Atlantic. Last thing.. not sure if you can claim SS if you are outside of the US, that would be something else to look into.
Just a note about this, property is ridiculously expensive in the UK and so are rents. Qualifying for a council house is near impossible as the wait lists are already overflowing (my daughter has been waiting nearly 5 years). A roof over our head would be our first consideration and honestly I know we cannot afford it over there.
On top of that US citizens are required to file taxes even when they are living outside of the US, so you would be taxed on both sides of the Atlantic. Last thing.. not sure if you can claim SS if you are outside of the US, that would be something else to look into.
Just a few points. Property prices really depend on where you choose to live ... just like in the US. If you are moving from the New York area or California then UK house prices may not seem so high. Second, while US citizens are required to file taxes, certain foreign earned income is excluded up to $100,800 (2015), third, the UK and USA have a double taxation treaty so you would not be taxed on both sides of the Atlantic and, fourth, I believe that social security can be paid outside the USA.
Yes, if you are being paid through your own social security, not that of a spouse, you can still get it in England. And yes, house prices in some parts of the US are very high so England wouldn't be a shock to all. In the Boston area, many houses are 1 million dollars or more. Rent for a one bedroom flat would probably be $2000 and up. Taxes are high and then we pay high prices for medical. Much of the northeastern US is high COL.
For us, we both have NHS numbers so would save all that money on medical but have to be content to visit when we can. And we WILL--the grandson is sooooo adorable!
I don't know the answer Jaggy's questions but have a look at Appendix 2 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ent-form-vaf4a
There are several ways to meet the financial requirements and, by the way, rents in some parts of the UK can be ten times less than London rents. eg the Scottish Highlands.
Maybe I pay more because it's short term let. But I'm also in high cost area of CA, a little condo is near a million, or $800k. So I'm used to high COL.
Last edited by NewbieHere; 04-30-2016 at 09:21 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
