I have friend (American, born and bred) who wishes to settle in the UK on a permanet basis, what would be the best approach that eliveate some fo the horror stories I have heard so far with british immigration.
Has anyone successfully immigrated to the UK from the USA and what where their experiences
2007-02-27 23:57:48 · 11 answers · asked by Foxey 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
Americans move to the UK all the time...
I would just check out and contact UK's immigration dept directly.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
2007-02-28 05:27:22 · answer #1 · answered by BeachBum 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My partner is an American citizen and we had a civil ceremony in Vermont in 2000, that's before Britain accepted same sex couples. I began the process for him to come to the UK whilst I was in America studying. Made all the applications through the British Consul and they could not have been more helpfull. He got the necessary papers to come over and I had to show I could support him. After a couple of years he applied for permanent residence and obtained it without any problems at all. He now has indefinite leave to remain here in the UK until he decides if he wants to be a citizen or not. The whole process took about three months, so don't always believe the horror stories, it does pay to be totally honest with the immigration people though.
2007-02-28 11:43:34 · answer #2 · answered by Dr Paul D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Working for the UK IS as I do might I observe:
1) Your US friend can't just decide to come and live in the UK. If you wish some specific advise then you'll need to refine the content of your question. If s/he has no UK background/parentage/work permit/spouse then the chances are on the slim side.
2) Whilst I'm not doing to write that this country is a bag of crap - because there are worse places in the world (though the majority of their citizens do seem to live here now) - I would observe that the grass is always greener....
Don't believe the hype - as I believe the denizens of the USA are wont to say.
2007-02-28 04:16:44 · answer #3 · answered by Frisky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My experince with the immigration authorituies was that they were tough and you cannot get a residency if you life depended on it. You never know what happens next, or what the process is, it's always wait, wait wait with no responses.
I pretty much was a strudent visa forever and even when i wanted to continue my education further it was like commiting a crime as to why i want to stay longer and gave me a nine month extended stay when my program was two years...duh!! you do the math. They were rude and cold.
Ended up coming back to the US to complete my graduate program. Immigration made it virtually impossible and anyway i ended up with a better scholarship deal.
Stay in the US.
2007-02-28 01:09:08 · answer #4 · answered by reene2g 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rules are very similar to the US. If your friend has a special work discipline and a job offer, then the company can sponsor him to work in the UK. But that is only temporary.
In order to settle in the UK permanently, your friend will need "permanent right of abode". That means he will usually have a familial link to the UK - either by marriage or by parentage (or grandparents). If he is married to a UK citizen, then after 3 years of continuous residence in the UK he will be able to apply for citizenship. If one or more or his parents or grandparents was a UK citizen, he can apply for citizenship automatically.
PS: Note to Jason - although same-sex civil partnerships give those couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples, it does not apply to immigration. A man cannot "marry" another man and get right of abode, much less citizenship, in the UK at present. Perhaps it is different in Sweden, but trust me, I know what I speak of.
2007-02-28 08:49:24 · answer #5 · answered by lesroys 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My X was an American who migrated here, it wasn't easy she kept being turned down for a VISA for a long time and spent a lot of money trying to apply for one! She had to stick with student VISA for about two years which means she could only work sixteen hours a week. It was a stressful time that she didn't enjoy she didn't like the fact that she had to spend a lot of money, lie to employers about having a permanent visa to work with and go to school five times a week.
There was a good side to this story though, she ended up dumping me and marrying her best friend, who is female and Swedish and got a Permanent visa six months later!
So if your friend is having trouble there is always the option of getting married and in the U.K you can marry just about anything too.
2007-02-28 00:19:34 · answer #6 · answered by Jason 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
i'm a Brit residing in Florida! that's stressful to get your foot interior the door. There are some enterprise's which will sponser you even nevertheless it demands a great sort of searching. One enterprise that genuinely does it rather is Disney. I even have basically rather heard of them sponsering people for a year yet once you're right here, you are able to then seek for yet another enterprise, for after that year, to sponser you. additionally, mutually as you're right here, you are able to attempt and prepare for adjustment to stay right here legally, your husband could in all hazard could desire to coach and you and the youngsters could be reciprical under his visa. till you're qualified in a field it rather is mandatory (nursing, coaching etc) that's stressful to do it legally. better of success.
2016-09-30 00:25:54 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My Dad retired from the US Navy and my Mom is British I was born in the US At 16 we all trooped over there I hated it DO NOT SETTLE IN THE UK
2007-02-28 00:13:55 · answer #8 · answered by hobo 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Apply for a resident visa.
2007-02-28 00:01:30 · answer #9 · answered by FRAGINAL, JTM 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Leave the gun in the USA, customs might not be happy with it.
2007-02-28 00:07:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋