Hello everyone!

My name is Dawn and my husband and I have made the decision to uproot our lives and give the UK a try!

I have wanted to be a 'world traveler' since I was a little girl, but it never really panned out. I am a nurse, and a few years ago I tried travel nursing in the States but fell in love and moved back home. Now that guy I fell in love with has, unfortunately, lost his job.  So we took a long, hard look at our lives- what we think will make us happy, what things we'll regret not doing, and we came to the conclusion that this is the time to do something about it!

We're a bit terrified, yet very excited! We have both been to Scotland in the past and in September we spent two wonderful weeks touring England and Wales for our honeymoon. We just fell in love with the UK all over again.

It is going to be a long process- we have to sell the house and pay off some debt. We are consolidating our stuff and deciding what we really need and what we just don't need. It will be challenging since we have 2 cats and 2 dogs, but I think they're ready for a change too 

As we try to get the house on the market, I am researching what is out there for nursing. I have contacted a travel agency in the UK and I am also looking into becoming an Army civilian nurse. Not sure yet.

We also have to decide where in the country we want to live!

I guess that's about it! I'm very grateful I stumbled upon this site and look forward to the many future conversations I'll be having on it!

Welcome to the site and good luck with your plans to move to the UK - there is tons and tons of useful information here and lots of people who can answer any questions you have.

It is going to be a long process- we have to sell the house and pay off some debt. We are consolidating our stuff and deciding what we really need and what we just don't need. It will be challenging since we have 2 cats and 2 dogs, but I think they're ready for a change too 

As we try to get the house on the market, I am researching what is out there for nursing. I have contacted a travel agency in the UK and I am also looking into becoming an Army civilian nurse. Not sure yet.

We also have to decide where in the country we want to live!

Before you think about selling your home, sorting out your pets and deciding where to live in the UK, you'll first need to figure out which visas you might be eligible for in order to live in the UK (if you haven't done that already), because unless you have claim to UK or EU citizenship (and have a UK or EU passport) you won't be able to move here (I guess the immigration part would be sorted out for you if you did become an army civilian nurse though).

You can find out more about visas for the UK on the UK Border Agency website (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/) and the UKBA visa website (http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/). Also the Worldbridge website has lots of information about applying for visas (https://www.visainfoservices.com/Pages/Welcome.aspx)

The poster above me said what I was going to say, but that poster said it better than I could have.

Just because you want to move to the UK, doesn't mean you can.  Do check out the Visa/Immigration issues to determine if you can indeed make the move over. 

Wish you lots of luck and patience (you will need a lot of that LOL) in your venture.  I moved over almost a year ago with my british husband.  I love it here.  We also brought our 2 dogs over and they love it also.

Hello and welcome! 

Just remember that over here we are undergoing spending cuts and while they say the NHS won't get hit, we just don't know.  So, being open about where in the UK may be better as the job you get may decide where you live especially when sorting out a visa is involved.

Very best of luck with your plans! 

Welcome to UK-Y!  Good luck, I hope you're both able to find a way to make it happen. I always love to hear about people deciding to just go for it!

Because I am a nurse, I am eligible for a high skill work visa. I am in contact with a company who will not not only get my work visa, but also one for my husband.  The process for getting my nursing license will take at least 6 months...

Because I am a nurse, I am eligible for a high skill work visa. I am in contact with a company who will not not only get my work visa, but also one for my husband.  The process for getting my nursing license will take at least 6 months...

That's great if you've got things sorted out . 

Just be aware though that simply being a nurse doesn't necessarily mean you will meet the criteria to get a visa based on the highly skilled/shortage occupation list - you have to be working in a particular job role to qualify based on that:

Looking at the list, there are only 3 nursing job titles that fall under the highly skilled/shortage occupation criteria:
 

Nurses (3211)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• specialist nurse working in operating theatres
•operating department practitioner
•specialist nurse working in neonatal intensive care units

(http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/workingintheuk/shortageoccupationlist.pdf)

Any other nursing job title will not qualify you for a shortage occupation related visa... and in that case, then the employer will have to prove that they searched the UK and the EU (27 countries, 500 million people) and could not find a single nurse to fill that role before they can hire you. My aunt has been a nurse in the US for 33 years and she still wouldn't qualify for a visa based on the highly skilled/shortage occupation list because she doesn't actually work in any of the nursing areas that are on the list.

Also, you will have to physically file your visas for yourselves in the US... the company will sort out your sponsorship paperwork, and send it to you, but then you will need to gather up the rest of the visa paperwork yourselves, apply for your visas online (second link in my earlier post), attend biometrics appointments in the US (photos and fingerprints) and then mail your applications to either New York or LA (depending on which state you live in) to be processed. The company employing you is not able to do this part for you - they can only sort out the sponsorship certificate and then you need to do the rest.

Hi Dawn, Welcome to UKY 

I too love to hear stories of people just going for it - so I really hope you are able to get here and make it a reality.  Because it makes life interesting for sure to be able to up and move to a new country!

Good luck!

Hi and welcome to UKY Dawn!   

Good luck with the visa and hope it works out for you - keep us posted!

ksand24, it looks like you've done a lot of research. Are you a nurse?
While I appreciate all the reasons why I can't get a visa, I really am trying to focus on the positive, which is that I am actually able to get a work visa.
I spoke with Continental Travel Nurses this morning and the representative said I'll have no problems at all. The only challenge will be completing all the paperwork! But we started that process this morning and talked about the positions that are open that I am qualified for. Of course, they can't help me with housing because I have the puppies, but I'm sure we can handle that. We do have friends there who are willing to take us in until we get situated.
So it looks like I have to take the IETLS (English test), then I'll have to fill out an application to see if I'm eligible to fill out an application to apply for the nursing permit. Assuming that all goes well I'll have to take a 20 day Overseas Nurse Program course. After I complete that it will take a month to get everything in order during which time I can apply for the position and move on over.
I am truly excited!! And for nurses who emailed me and are interested in the process and progress, I will keep you updated!!!
Here we go!

ksand24, it looks like you've done a lot of research. Are you a nurse?

Nope, not a nurse... I'm just a physicist/meteorologist who spends way too much time here on the forum looking up visa stuff .

While I appreciate all the reasons why I can't get a visa, I really am trying to focus on the positive, which is that I am actually able to get a work visa.

Fair enough - I didn't want to be discouraging, it's just that the government has been making it harder and harder to qualify for work visas in the last few months. I doubt I would even be able to get one myself... it's just taken me 2 years to secure a graduate job in science (masters level upwards), despite me being a British citizen and my skills being listed on the skills shortage list!

I spoke with Continental Travel Nurses this morning and the representative said I'll have no problems at all. The only challenge will be completing all the paperwork! But we started that process this morning and talked about the positions that are open that I am qualified for. Of course, they can't help me with housing because I have the puppies, but I'm sure we can handle that. We do have friends there who are willing to take us in until we get situated.

So it looks like I have to take the IETLS (English test), then I'll have to fill out an application to see if I'm eligible to fill out an application to apply for the nursing permit. Assuming that all goes well I'll have to take a 20 day Overseas Nurse Program course. After I complete that it will take a month to get everything in order during which time I can apply for the position and move on over.
I am truly excited!! And for nurses who emailed me and are interested in the process and progress, I will keep you updated!!!
Here we go!

Ah, okay - I didn't realise that it was a specific scheme you were looking into - if they have special provisions for visas, then that's great...and it basically means that most of what I said above will not apply, because you will already have a work sponsor sorted out (and they won't have to go through the shortage skills list or the resident market labour test) . It doesn't mention on the Continental Travel Nurses website what kind of visa you would be getting... I'm guessing either a Tier 2 work visa or maybe a Tier 5 temporary visa? Have they mentioned to you at all which category of visa you would have to apply for?

Not to be negative, but have you made sure the company is legit?

If so, then it sounds like you've found a great opportunity and I hope it all works out for you and you have a wonderful time in the UK; however, do be careful of organizations that practically promise visa approvals.

Have they told you what visa you would be applying for?  As the website says that assignments are 3 month contracts, I would guess a Tier 5?

x-posted with ksand

ksand24- Oh, I don't think I'd every be able to manage the whole process myself. I think I'd go crazy before all the paperwork was completed!
They sponsor me, and I'm not sure if its a tier 2 or 5. That's a good questions. I will ask them tomorrow when I talk to her again.

Aquila- They are a very well repected company for international nurse travel and were highly recommended.  I was actually comparing this company and another one but this one got top billing all around.

I've done tons of research on travel nursing for over the past 10 years. I looked into it seriously in 2005 but, as I mention, I didn't complete the process because I ended up not straying far from home and getting married. Those men

He's all ready to go now too!