Studying abroad/ citizenship

Im sorry if this has been asked a trillion times, but everything I have read in previous posts and topics dont really answer my question fully. Basically, here are my plans: I live in the USA (Wisconsin to be exact) and the University that I am going to in a year is a 2 year University that transfers credits to others all over the world. I HOPE to go to the University of Aberdeen after a year of attending the one here in the states (to save money... why go 4 years when you can go 3?) I contacted the Uni of Aberdeen and the man that I emailed said that if I went 2 years to college here, Id have to repeat the 2nd year in Scotland because that is needed to understandt eh 3rd and 4th years. Thats not a big problem, I can just transfer after my 1st year here.

The problem is this: I have been in love with Scotland since I was 6 and found out from my dad that I was half Scottish. Ive always wanted to live there. Basically, I decided that if I liked the country after stayign there for 3 years for Uni, I would get my citizenship. Im a bit afraid though, because Im a bit skeptical on losing my American citizenship only because it is soooo hard to get. Im a big planner and I wanted to know exactly what I'd have to do to get my citizenship to Scotland. Would I completely lose my American? Do I need a visa or anything like that while im in University? Is citizenship hard to get? Please just kindof help me map this out. Im really confused and it makes me nervous that my plans for 11 years might not be able to work very smoothly.

thank you!!!
~Meghan

If your father or mother is Scottish and they were married when you were born, just apply for your citizenship through the consulate.  No need for a visa then and you'll be set.  You don't lose your American citizenship. 

If you can't get citizenship, then you WILL need a visa for university and it will take 10 years for you to get your ILR (Vicky or Garry will correct me if I'm wrong!!). 

If you're half-Scot, then that means one of your parents is a Scot and you can apply for UK nationality.

Sorry, but you can't just go to uni here for less than 10 years and become a citizen - it's not that easy or lots of people would be doing it.

Scottish university offers 4 year degree programmes.  Technically, you can finish in 3, but you're graduate 'ordinary' and considering the numbers of people now going to uni, that doesn't count for much.

The other thing is that as you are considered an international student, your tuition and fees will be high - from about £7,000-£11,000/pa.

If you are half Scots, by far the best thing would be to get a British passport.  Then you can stay as long as you like.

By the way, you don't get 'citizenship to Scotland'.  If you qualify, you become a British subject. 

If you end up having to go the 'student visa' route, at the moment there is a scheme called Fresh Talent Scotland, which will give you a two year permit to stay and work on completion of your course.  This may not be around when you have graduated though.

Vicky

By the way, you don't get 'citizenship to Scotland'.  If you qualify, you become a British subject. 

Just a little technicality:  British subjects are not citizens - or vice-versa.  Subjects in that sense were done away with and today you are either "in" or "out"  ... or "overseas".   The only exception is if an Irish citizen naturalises, then he is both a subject and a citizen. 

*sigh* moving to Scotland is becomming less and less likely for me

it takes 10 years to get citizenship!?!?!?

Have you checked to see if you are entitled to British citizenship through your father yet?

And if you have been accepted at a place ona  course, knowing this means that you will in all likelyhood be free to stay for 5 years, why give up?  Or will you only come over if you are fast tracked to citizenship?

Vicky

I'd check on your father's connection first. If that works you could get citizenship, move over whenever you want, and pay home fees to the university, which are MUCH lower.

If the father connection does not work out (and I don't know anything about the details since I knew it doesn't apply to me) then there are lots of other things you can do. If you are accepted at the Uni in Aberdeen, and you can come up with the money, then you can get a student visa. That's not a way to citizenship, but it gets you over here. There are several schemes where after you graduate you can stay here and work for a while. They keep changing - usually in the upward direction - so I don't know what is current, but basically, you can stay for a while after you graduate. If you have a company here that wants to hire you then you can get a work visa, which is a reasonable way to citizenship (5 years now). Or, who knows, if you're at the Uni you might meet someone. Not saying you should marry someone to stay in the country, but people meet at the university all the time - it could happen.

The point is, once you come over there are a number of paths you can follow if you like it and decide you want to stay.

Foreign fees are expensive, yes, although not more than several US universities. Aberdeen is a good school so you should be able to get US loans if you need to go that route.

Do a little research on the paths to citizenship. Then come back here and ask what it means, since it is all confucing government-speak. There are a number of paths, and since I don't know your situation, or that much about the laws except as how they applied to my situation, I can't help much more than that. But Victoria and Garry do know the laws - its their business - and they are real good about answering qusetions.

Good Luck. I'm enjoing studying in Scotland.

You won't be able to get home fees if you get citizneship..you'd have to be resident for three years first.

And the current scheme is Fresh Talent Scotland....

The rest of the post I agree with (and thanks for the nice words David!)

Vicky

You won't be able to get home fees if you get citizneship..you'd have to be resident for three years first.

Ah! OK, most of the awards I can't apply for say British of EU citizenship, which I don't have,so I never got as far as the residence requirements. Sorry.

No need to apologise!

 

Vicky

I'd check on your father's connection first. If that works you could get citizenship, move over whenever you want, and pay home fees to the university, which are MUCH lower.

If the father connection does not work out (and I don't know anything about the details since I knew it doesn't apply to me) then there are lots of other things you can do. If you are accepted at the Uni in Aberdeen, and you can come up with the money, then you can get a student visa. That's not a way to citizenship, but it gets you over here. There are several schemes where after you graduate you can stay here and work for a while. They keep changing - usually in the upward direction - so I don't know what is current, but basically, you can stay for a while after you graduate. If you have a company here that wants to hire you then you can get a work visa, which is a reasonable way to citizenship (5 years now). Or, who knows, if you're at the Uni you might meet someone. Not saying you should marry someone to stay in the country, but people meet at the university all the time - it could happen.

The point is, once you come over there are a number of paths you can follow if you like it and decide you want to stay.

Foreign fees are expensive, yes, although not more than several US universities. Aberdeen is a good school so you should be able to get US loans if you need to go that route.

Do a little research on the paths to citizenship. Then come back here and ask what it means, since it is all confucing government-speak. There are a number of paths, and since I don't know your situation, or that much about the laws except as how they applied to my situation, I can't help much more than that. But Victoria and Garry do know the laws - its their business - and they are real good about answering qusetions.

Good Luck. I'm enjoing studying in Scotland.

my father thing isnt going to work. Im half Scottish but not by my father alone. The only person that came FROM Scotland is my great-grandpa Robert Walker and he's no longer living.

David, what you said makes a trillion amounts of sence. haha. Thats actually exactly what I was thinking too... Now I just have to think about the student loans thing. I obviously cant afford $21000 on my own in American dollars (I had to double the cost of Uni because of the money difference) so Id have to take out a student loan and try to get a bunch of scholarships too.

You're very very right. I thought the work Visa only counted for 6 months. I keep getting mixed information. 5 years is plenty of time for me. and then I also would get student visa which adds a few more years on... and who knows if I may meet someone. And when the 5 years run out, can I renew it? I think Id have to go back to the USA for awhile and then come back and renew it. oh well, I'lll think of something. Ive wanted this my whole life, Im not going to give it all up just because of silly visas and citizenship! hahaha.

Oh, okay.  When you say 'half-Scots', most Brits will take that to mean you have one Scots parent. 

If you really want to come here and money is tight, you could always become a social worker or nurse or allied health professional such as ultrasound tech, Xray tech, nuclear medical tech, etc. in the US and then come here on an employer-sponsored work permit.  There's at least one member of this board who has done it this way and is now a UK national.

I also cannot stress highly enough the value of visiting - preferably during the winter - first. 

And reading the thread 'Before You Move' in the expat life section.

I'm not saying this isn't for you, but in general, one's idea of what is life is like here v. the reality are most usually very, very different.

Oh, okay.  When you say 'half-Scots', most Brits will take that to mean you have one Scots parent. 

That's what I thought you meant.  I have one American parent and one Scottish parent, and consider myself 'half-Scottish'.

I also cannot stress highly enough the value of visiting - preferably during the winter - first. 

I'm not saying this isn't for you, but in general, one's idea of what is life is like here v. the reality are most usually very, very different.

I second this piece of advice.  Does your uni in the states offer a 'study abroad' program?  Or how about BUNAC?  Check out their website:  http://www.bunac.org/  Might be a way for you to spend a while in Scotland without a huge commitment or big risk.  You'd be able to work and really get a feel for what life in Scotland is like.

I second this piece of advice.  Does your uni in the states offer a 'study abroad' program?  Or how about BUNAC?  Check out their website:  http://www.bunac.org/  Might be a way for you to spend a while in Scotland without a huge commitment or big risk.  You'd be able to work and really get a feel for what life in Scotland is like.

I third this!  I say, go to uni in the US and do a year abroad in the UK (or do BUNAC)....then if you really love it, either apply for a masters there if that's what you want, and/or get the skills and experience necessary to move over as a skilled worker and get yourself on a path to settlement.  It won't be easy and it'll take a few years, but if you're committed to it you can work it out.  Good luck!