Will BREXIT f--- things up for us???

Planning to move back to the UK with my British spouse next spring but am starting to freak out about Brexit effing things up for us. Is there any indication as to how it will affect immigration next year?? Especially for American spouses of UK citizens hoping to return? Will they move the goalposts again? We're already risking sooooo much for this visa (selling house before we apply).

All we want is to go home!

Planning to move back to the UK with my British spouse next spring but am starting to freak out about Brexit effing things up for us. Is there any indication as to how it will affect immigration next year?? Especially for American spouses of UK citizens hoping to return? Will they move the goalposts again? We're already risking sooooo much for this visa (selling house before we apply).

All we want is to go home!

Well, anything could happen but I highly doubt they will make any changes to the partner routes when so much else urgently needs to be addressed. They will be far more concerned about finding ways for the doctors and nurses and farm workers to be able to fill the vacant posts than shaking up the spouse visa process, I think.

Yeah, spouses are on UK immigration rules, not EU immigration rules, so (taking a leap of faith here) I would think Brexit wouldn't touch that at all?

The immigration path for spouses is unlikely to change.  But at best, we are likely about to enter a major recession and I suspect a very very tough job market.  I would love to be wrong, but frankly I find Brexit a million billion times scarier than Trump.  And that’s saying something! 

I would be more concerned about what brexit is going to do to the economy and healthcare than the immigration rules (as those are unlikely to change for non EU folks). I've been terrified of brexit since the vote and the government has done nothing to curb that, and to have it going forward even though we now know there were campaign finance issues on the leave side and likely Russian interference at the time, as well as no concrete plan, it makes me angry they aren't holding a new referendum to accept the final terms.

Nobody knows for sure what will happen with Brexit.

If a deal is done with the EU, the nature of that deal won’t be known until the 59th minute of the 11th hour, so we’re pretty much all in limbo until then.  One thing is certain and that is what we end up with will not be as good for the country compared to what we have now as a full EU member.  Sadly, none of the main political parties have the guts to admit that the whole thing is an unworkable shambles and adopt a full ‘remain’ position.

As others have said, the outcome is highly unlikely to impact current policy re spouse visas.  But it will likely lead to a period of economic downturn - how long and how deep that lasts is anyone’s guess, but an optimistic viewpoint is that businesses and the markets have already factored these things in so the ‘shock’ won’t be as bad as some people believe.

The government, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have planned for anything, so I’d expect disruption in the public sector at a minimum.

Your replies make me sad.

We're moving back for family.

But If all the reasons the UK looks good on paper are now at stake, I wonder if anyone else who wants to immigrate on here these days are worried too? Healthcare, economic crash, etc. Sounds like we're willingly heading for disaster and hardship. And we're willingly dismantling our entire lives here in the US for it.

This doesn't change my mind about moving, because family and a support network really are everything, but still... 

Your replies make me sad.

We're moving back for family.

But If all the reasons the UK looks good on paper are now at stake, I wonder if anyone else who wants to immigrate on here these days are worried too? Healthcare, economic crash, etc. Sounds like we're willingly heading for disaster and hardship. And we're willingly dismantling our entire lives here in the US for it.

This doesn't change my mind about moving, because family and a support network really are everything, but still... 

There is no better reason to move than for family.  Don't be sad. What will happen, will happen but at least you will be where you want to be when it does. 

There is no better reason to move than for family.  Don't be sad. What will happen, will happen but at least you will be where you want to be when it does. 

Exactly this.  We are all going to ride it out.  Just hope it’s not a huge setback in our financial planning.  But it will be whatever it will be.

There is no better reason to move than for family.  Don't be sad. What will happen, will happen but at least you will be where you want to be when it does. 

'

I love this message, thank you.

Loving the name, @morecoffee ....I can relate!!

I wondered that when the first vote passed a couple years back. The future does seem a little bleak....but we won't know until it happens.

Best of luck to you!

I would urge you to read up on potential impacts of Brexit on the economy and get informed so you will know how to work with the news that dribbles out from the government up until Christmas. I would also suggest holding the bulk of your money in $ until there is greater clarity - if hard Brexit/no deal happen then the £ is going to go into the basement and close to parity with the $. You could, technically, take a lot of advantage of that situation.  What happens through the party conference season and up to the final final deadlines for a deal in November will be telling, so its only a few months really to figure out which way the wind is going to blow.

IMO, we don't know what will happen with Brexit.  I"m under no illusion it's going to be rough, but I don't think it will be the complete disaster scenario some are proposing.  If a move to the UK for family is what you want and need, that's what matters.   

So many things could happen in the world with knock-on ripple effects in the US and UK.  If you're moving for family, move for family.  Whatever happens in the US or UK or wider world, you will have a support network to see yourselves through it - together as family.   

I would urge you to read up on potential impacts of Brexit on the economy and get informed so you will know how to work with the news that dribbles out from the government up until Christmas. I would also suggest holding the bulk of your money in $ until there is greater clarity - if hard Brexit/no deal happen then the £ is going to go into the basement and close to parity with the $. You could, technically, take a lot of advantage of that situation.  What happens through the party conference season and up to the final final deadlines for a deal in November will be telling, so its only a few months really to figure out which way the wind is going to blow.

Do you have a recommendation for a place to read about the impacts Brexit could have? We are considering a move as well, and the uncertainty with Brexit does concern me. Would love to read up some more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sure - I tend to read pretty broadly due to job function but usually the Financial Times has some good, reasoned articles, however they are a paid site.

The "latest" from the government - the first of 70 or 80 technical notices on how to prepare IF there is a No Deal (more to come in the next few weeks):

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

Politico Europe  with the latest news:

https://www.politico.eu/section/brexit/

BBC has a Cheat Sheet:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887

New Statesman is pretty good (if you are Labour-leaning), or the Spectator (if you are Tory leaning)

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2018/08/government-s-technical-notices-finally-spell-out-calamity-no-deal-brexit

The LSE has a blog:
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/

And I also check in with some more "unconventional sources including"

Reddit forum on UK Politics (mostly because people cover tweets and other articles I dont have time to chase down:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/

And even Mumsnet (and I dont have kids!) has a Brexit thread - the Westminsterenders is probably the best bet - WARNING some of these threads can go off the rails in terms of remainers vs leavers, but there are several threads on the impact of Brexit on medicines, an a number of posters are quite well informed and reason well:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_