To the UK by way of California and Tel Aviv

Hi everyone! It is so nice to meet you all and I am so glad I found this website. For introductions, my name is Yael, I'm 23. I was born and raised in Southern California but moved to Israel when I was 15 going on 16. I served in the IDF and just finished my service and am living near Tel Aviv.

So why am I moving to the UK? Well, my fiance is originally from the UK and moved there in the fall to begin working on his PhD. His plan was to move there for the PhD program and then move back to Israel, and it still is, but now that we have been separated for so long we are realizing that it is very strenuous on our relationship and so we made the decision a couple months ago that once I was finished with my service I would move there to be with him until he is done with school.

This is of course very exciting because I like new adventures and I think it will be fun to explore western Europe while we live in the UK. I'm of course a little nervous and also a bit sad that we will only be there for a while so we can't get too attached of course. I am truly excited though, and also excited that I will hopefully get to know some of you. I'm so very grateful for the resources this website has and am so glad it was made!

Welcome to the forum and all the best for your move to the UK .

Have you figured out yet which visa you can qualify for to join him in the UK while he is studying?

If you haven't seen it already, the UKBA website details the types of visa available, so you can figure out if you can qualify for one: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

Your 3 main options will be:

- Fiance/Spousal visa (your fiance must earn at least £18,600 per year in the UK in order for you to qualify)

- Work visa (very difficult to qualify for)

- Student visa (easier to qualify for, but expensive as you need 1 year of tuition fees and living costs available to you before you go - about £25,000)