Hello

Hello

After 16 years in California, I am planning on returning home to London with my American husband and 3 cats (and another passport - zing!)

Am incredibly anxious about this whole process but wanted to say thanks for the valuable advise I've picked up reading this forum already.

I think I am going to have to leave California first and find a job in the UK before sending for husband and cats despite both of us making over the requirement here. Little daunting to leave family for a while.. separation anxiety tips anyone?

Thanks! Clare

Hello

After 16 years in California, I am planning on returning home to London with my American husband and 3 cats (and another passport - zing!)

Am incredibly anxious about this whole process but wanted to say thanks for the valuable advise I've picked up reading this forum already.

I think I am going to have to leave California first and find a job in the UK before sending for husband and cats despite both of us making over the requirement here. Little daunting to leave family for a while.. separation anxiety tips anyone?

Thanks! Clare

Hi Clare! Welcome!

If you have savings over £62,500 that you've held for over 6 months or you'll be coming into that much from the sale of your house, then you wouldn't need to go ahead first. Similarly, if you have a job offer in the UK, that combined with your US income would mean you could all move together.

Thanks for the advice. Sadly we do not have a house to sell, that much in savings or a job offer in the UK yet.

I think I am going to have to leave California first and find a job in the UK before sending for husband and cats despite both of us making over the requirement here. Little daunting to leave family for a while.. separation anxiety tips anyone?

Thanks! Clare

Welcome to the forum!  My now-husband and I had a fairly 'whirlwind romance' when we met in 2011, and by June of 2012, I was on a 6 month visit.  I went home after that, and we had 2 months of long distance while I traveled back to the US to apply for my marriage (fiance) visa, and I've been back continuously ever since.  So I don't really have a lot to offer in the way of long distance relationship advice... we just avoided it as much as we could.

But one of the things I did to keep him involved in my day-to-day activities during those two months, was I had a figure (still have him... and now we have two, known collectively as "the Zombies") ... Zombie... I created a Facebook album to follow all the things Zombie got up to during my trip home.  He even documented my biometrics appointment, and shows where he was when the decision email from then-UKBA (now UKVI) came in.  https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyf/media_set?set=a.10151324119396070.521676.721636069&type=3

Plus, we used email, Skype calls, Facebook, etc.

Thanks for sharing that helps a lot! You are right in this day and age at least we have Facetime etc etc. When I moved to the USA I had to write airmail letters to family (remember them?!). I really appreciate all the help. Thanks again.

Welcome to the forum .

If you are able to secure a UK job offer from the US, paying at least £18,600 and starting within 3 months AND you have earned at least £18,600 before tax in the US in the last 12 months, you may be able to apply for the visa without having to move to the UK first and then you can move together when the visa has been issued.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you that's super helpful. Sadly I have not been able to secure a UK job offer from the US but I have have earned at least £18,600 before tax in the US in the last 12 months.

Really appreciate the warm welcome and help!

Thank you that's super helpful. Sadly I have not been able to secure a UK job offer from the US but I have have earned at least £18,600 before tax in the US in the last 12 months.

Ah, okay .

In that case, if you can secure a job relatively quickly once you get to the UK, as long as you can still show at least £18,600 earnings over the previous 12 months, you should be able to apply right away.

However, if you find it takes a while to get a job and you end up no longer have earned £18,600 in the last 12 months (i.e. because you've been out of work for a while), then you will need to work in the UK job for 6 months before you can apply for the visa.

eek! Okay thanks for that info thats very helpful!

eek! Okay thanks for that info thats very helpful!

No problem .

All the different ways in which you can meet the financial requirements (along with the documents required) are listed in Appendix FM 1.7 Financial Requirement here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf

Remember to keep in contact with eachother in a trackable way while you're separated. WhatsApp, apple messaging, facetime, and facebook don't make it easy at all.

Emails or an IM program you can pull records from. You'll have to show UKVI that you've stayed in contact when you've been apart. They don't want to see what you talk about, just that you talk. Silly, but we may as well tell you before you move!

Thanks for the advice. Sadly we do not have a house to sell, that much in savings or a job offer in the UK yet.

A fully vested 401k that has over £62,500 would work as well.  And you AND your husbands 401k's can be combined to meet that requirement.

Oh thank you. I assumed that was people collecting pensions when I read it. I don't think we are quite at that amount but useful to know we can add it in.

Thanks again.

Oh thank you. I assumed that was people collecting pensions when I read it. I don't think we are quite at that amount but useful to know we can add it in.

Thanks again.

You can use the 401k's as cash savings.  😊