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Old 12-20-2016, 12:26 PM
 
Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan
2,294 posts, read 3,411,793 times
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Here is the UK government immigration website address. Much like the USA there are only certain visas available for people wanting to settle in the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration

Also interesting to note is that if you are an expat and have lived outside of the UK for more that 2 years you now have to apply for a Returning Resident Visa.
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Old 12-20-2016, 12:37 PM
 
Location: SLC, UT
1,571 posts, read 2,806,722 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by helenlouise View Post
Thank you for your input. Why would I not be able to live or work there? Don't people move to England from the U.S. all the time? I would think it would be the same as my friend who moved to the U.S. from England. She worked with me at the hospital laboratory for many years. I live in Oregon. I'll admit my ignorance on this subject (hence my inquiries) but it makes no sense to me that a person could not move there and find employment. Or move there at ALL, for that matter. Are you saying you have to be related to an English born person? I do not wish to renounce my U.S. citizenship, but what about dual citizenship? Help!! I'm so confused! (:
It's not very simple to move there. Your friend who moved from England to the US likely got a Work Visa, or married a US citizen, or worked for an international company that had positions in the US.

Go to this website to see if you need a UK Visa: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

I'll break it down for you really easily:

Tier 1 Visa: Entrepreneur
You set up and run a business, or purchase an already existing business. You'll need to have at least £50,000 at your disposal for investment in the business.

Tier 1 Visa: Investor
You have to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK. There are exclusions in what you can invest in (like you can't invest in companies that deal with real estate). Basically, they want you to invest in government bonds, share capital, and loan capital in active/trading UK companies.

Tier 1 Visa: Graduate Entrepreneuer
You "are a graduate who has been officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea." You have to be endorsed by a UK Higher Education Institution or the Department for International Trade. I believe for this one, you'll have to have graduated from a UK education institution.

Tier 1 Visa: Exceptional Talent
You're a recognized world leader in the areas of science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology, or the arts. You first have to apply to the Home Office for endorsement as a leader or emerging leader in your field.

Tier 2 Visa: Skilled Worker
A company in the UK has to hire you before you go there. Generally, if you have a PhD, you could probably find a job (although it would still depend on your field of study). If you have a Masters Degree, it depends on what you do (engineering degree would be easier to get a job - history degree, probably not as likely). If you have a Bachelor's Degree or less, it will be almost impossible unless what you do is rare or you're a recognized expert in your field.

Tier 2 Visa: Minister of Religion
You have to have been offered a job within a "faith community." There are restrictions.

Tier 2 Visa: Sportsperson
Be an elite athlete or coach recognized by your sport and internationally established at the highest level (Olympian, World Champion, etc.).

Tier 2 Visa: Intra-Company Transfer
Get a job with an international company that has offices abroad, who will then hire you for a position in their UK office.

UK Ancestry Visa
You may be eligible if one of your Grandparents was a UK citizen. You can check the requirements here:https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa There are rules about what year you were born, which grandparent, etc.

Family of a Settled Person Visa
Your family member can be a British citizen, have settled in the UK legally, or have asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK. You can join a partner (spouse, fiance, or civil/unmarried partner), join a parent, come to look after your child, or come to be looked after by family (if you can't take care of yourself). There are restrictions.

If you do not believe you would qualify for any of the above, then you're out of luck. If you hope you'll qualify as a Skilled Worker, but your job doesn't require a lot of higher education, then you're likely out of luck.

Remember, Brexit still hasn't happened, and even when it does, the UK may not be able to negotiate EU trade without also allowing EU citizens to work in the UK. Basically, that means that as of now (and possibly in the future), for a UK company to hire a US citizen, they have to prove that no one else in the UK or the entire EU could do that job, or wants that job, or is qualified for that job. That is very difficult to prove. I believe it also costs the company money when they apply to sponsor an employee, so you'd have to be very valuable to the company for them to bother.
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Old 12-20-2016, 03:34 PM
 
Location: SLC, UT
1,571 posts, read 2,806,722 times
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I wanted to edit my above post, but it won't let me. So I'll just add the following:

To the OP (or anyone wondering about moving to the UK from the US):
  • The entire UK could fit inside the state of Oregon (the UK is 93,628 square miles, Oregon is 98,381 square miles - the entire US is 3,796,742 square miles).
  • The population of the UK is one-fifth the population of the US (the UK is far more densely populated - 661.9 people per square mile, with the population density of the US being 90.6 per square mile).
  • The UK has one climate classification (temperate), while the US has 13 (arid, semi-arid, desert, humid continental, humid temperate, humid subtropical, tropical, alpine, Mediterranean, cool temperate oceanic, subarctic, cool oceanic, polar).
  • The terrain of the UK includes: lowland, upland, mountainous, and hilly, with the tallest peak being Ben Nevis at 1,344 meters, and the lowest point being Holme Fen at 2.75 meters below sea level. The terrain of the USA includes: plains, mountains, hills, low mountains, river valleys, and volcanic topography, with the tallest peak in the US being Denali at 6,105 meters, and the lowest point being Badwater Basin at 85 meters below sea level.
  • The economy of the UK is the fifth largest in nominal terms, and ninth largest by purchasing power parity. The economy of the US is the the largest in nominal terms, and second largest by purchasing power parity.

My point being, if you're unable to find an area in the US that has the size town you like, the weather you like, the geography you like, or an industry/job you like, then it's unlikely you'll do any better in the UK.

And, as a US citizen, you enjoy all rights and privileges afforded to a US citizen; whereas in the UK, you will not be a citizen, not have the same rights and privileges of UK citizens, and be under threat of your Visa ending or not extending and having to leave voluntarily or be deported.

Considering that you haven't even been to the UK, and are basing your wish to move there on your friend having a nice time on her vacation, it seems a little silly to try and move there. At least visit first, and make sure that your move is based on a true love of the UK, instead of the idea that you might somehow do better there than you're doing here.

---
Note to the mods:
Any way to have my prior post become a sticky? How to move to the UK is a fairly frequent question, and the outline of the various visas may help people and reduce the amount of 'would like to move to the UK from the US' threads.
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Old 12-20-2016, 04:16 PM
 
Location: OH>IL>CO>CT
7,476 posts, read 13,494,371 times
Reputation: 11804
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisfitBanana View Post

<snip>

And, as a US citizen, you enjoy all rights and privileges afforded to a US citizen; whereas in the UK, you will not be a citizen, not have the same rights and privileges of UK citizens, and be under threat of your Visa ending or not extending and having to leave voluntarily or be deported.

<snip>
And, while still a US citizen living in the UK (or any non-US country), you are still subject to US IRS income taxes, plus additional financial reporting, called FBAR and FATCA. Also, if retired, you are not covered by Medicare, while in the UK. And banking has become difficult, with most US and UK banks not wanting US ex-pats business because of the IRS reporting requirements

See https://www.aaro.org/ for more details
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Old 12-22-2016, 10:32 AM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,645 posts, read 28,489,044 times
Reputation: 50458
All very good information and I have nowhere to put this but I want to say it. We are almost definitely going to be living there. Brits aren't getting the full truth of this disastrous election and maybe they think we can get rid of this monster--but we can't vote him out until the next election in 2020.

As retirees, we can't wait that long--he plans to decimate Medicare (health care for the elderly), dig away at Social Security, repeal the general health plan, take-take-take. Give it all to The Rich & tax breaks for The Rich. My English husband will not be able to get health care here because health care will revert to being connected to your job. No help there for retirees. He worked his entire life in England.

He will have to renew his passport and get a visa. Glad someone mentioned the new visa requirement if you've been gone for more than two years. But when he rang yesterday they told him it won't cost that much and that I, his wife, am welcome! (Some types would not be so welcome...they actually said that! hush hush.)

We have to figure out how to move our possessions across the ocean. We don't have much and we live in a very small house. But I think that will be the most stressful part--the expense of getting some of what we want to keep packed and shipped. Then, of course, finding a place to live. His son should be able to help. We'll be in Lancashire to be near his family. I'm still holding onto slim hopes that we can just stay here and avoid all that stress but the more that comes out about this new administration, the more I doubt it.
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Old 12-23-2016, 12:48 AM
 
Location: Airstrip 1, Oceania
1,021 posts, read 2,902,835 times
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No, no and thrice no, in_newengland. Your UK husband does not need a visa to live in the UK. He only needs a current UK passport. You need a spouse visa. The 2-years away rule only applies to non-UK citizens you used to live in the UK but left.
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