He said YES!

Well, I can finally confirm it: we're moving to the UK! Gareth told me tonight that he would like to move back! Since I am not an oft-contributing member, perhaps I should background here:

Gareth and I are an Internet couple, married five years. He came to the States and we married. We've lived here since and are now moving back to live in Wales (Chester/Wales border). His family is there, so that will make the move easier.

Here are our concerns, so help me if you can:
*selling our house/belongings
*bringing our cat (I don't know how to find a PETS vet!)
*finding a job (I'm a teacher, he's IT/MCP)
*finding a flat/house to rent
*emigrating to the UK (me)
*paying American bills from the UK

This site has been such a great source of info for me over the past 2 months, as I have been researching and finding answers to my questions. I am so glad to finally be "on the move"!

Squealing with Glee,
Beth

Well, I can finally confirm it: we're moving to the UK! Gareth told me tonight that he would like to move back! Since I am not an oft-contributing member, perhaps I should background here:

Gareth and I are an Internet couple, married five years. He came to the States and we married. We've lived here since and are now moving back to live in Wales (Chester/Wales border). His family is there, so that will make the move easier.

Here are our concerns, so help me if you can:
*selling our house/belongings
*bringing our cat (I don't know how to find a PETS vet!)
*finding a job (I'm a teacher, he's IT/MCP)
*finding a flat/house to rent
*emigrating to the UK (me)
*paying American bills from the UK

This site has been such a great source of info for me over the past 2 months, as I have been researching and finding answers to my questions. I am so glad to finally be "on the move"!

Squealing with Glee,
Beth

Congratulations Beth!!!  How exciting!!!

It's 5:40 AM so I'm still a bit groggy, and not feeling too certain how to answer some things.  What I CAN say that as a teacher you may find it pretty easy to get work.  There are plenty of school districts willing to pay to bring over American teachers to fill the gap for the lack of teachers there are here.  

Emigrating should be fairly easy for you I would think since you and your husband have been married for 5 years.  Would just be a matter of applying for a spousal visa.  Thing to remember though is that if you don't have jobs waiting for you when you come over, your husband will have to prove that he can support you.

As for finding a house/flat, I think the frustration that some have run in to is that banks and building societies might be skittish about giving a mortgage since you're not established here yet.  I seem to recall someone getting a mortgage through HSBC ok though.  

Paying American bills can be a toughie but do-able depending on who you have an account with.  I just posted last night that with my account with Halifax it only cost me £3 to set up a standing transfer to my US bank account and then I could simply send a check to those in the US who I owed money to.  There are places like Citibank and Bank of New York here who I think can offer some kind of special account for expats like us.  You'll find lots of different answers to this one!

Best of luck!!!

CONGRATULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations hon.    Elle's already said all the things I could have.  

First off just wanted to say congrats!

I just wanted to add to Elle's advice by touchingon the subject of PETS.  I am not sure if you have found the link but here it is:
http://www.uk-yankee.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=mov;action=display;num=1036177903;start=30

Most VETS can do the microchip, but just make sure you get the right one so you don't have to buy the scanner. This does not have to be done by the USDA Vet, but any good vet will do (that same vet can do your tick and tapeworm certificate too).  The PETS certificate does need to be done by the USDA VET though and DEFRA has a link to this USDA site http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/area_offices.htm where you can find a vet local to you. I went it got the addy for TX and it's:
Texas
Area Veterinarian-in-Charge
USDA, APHIS, VS
Thornberry Bldg., Rm. 220
903 San Jacinto Blvd.
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 916-5551
Fax (512) 916-5197

Both KCG and I are in the blood tested stage of the program so can answer questions up to that point.  I try to add things to the post as I find them out.  

Hope this helps!  We are taking one cat and two dogs with us when we go.

Congratulations Beth.  Thats wonderful news.  Best I can do for now is encourage and listen when you need it.  Best of luck with all your planning.  Where is Chester/Wales?  I'm moving to Swansea.  I was wondering if I've passed thru the Chester area when driving to Wales from London.

Congrats! You will be up in my neck of the woods once you move over.  Chester is up by Cheshire and borders North Wales. Quite far from Swansea..but a wonderful drive and lots of cool things to see.  Love that area and go there quite a bit from where we are.  Good luck with all your new and exciting adventures.  Hubby and I will be married 6 years in December and when we applied for my Visa, it was easy cause we had been married almost 4 years by then..they didn't even flinch when we applied.  

Like Elle said, there isn't an easy answer to the bill thing...tons of people will tell you how they do it though.  

Think it is great you are bringing your cat over.  Also, my hubby is a computer geek and he didn't have any problem finding a job over here...just start looking as soon as you have some dates.  Teachers are certainly needed....good ones they will be chomping at the bit for.  Sure you don't want to come in to Cheshire and work at my kids school?  tee hee  

Good luck and you always have plenty of ears and support here!  

 I am an American teacher working here and in my experience it is not as easy as you have been led to believe. School budgets have been cut and some schools have actually reduced staff. Any school that agrees to take you on will have to get a work permit approved. In addition you will not be qualified here and will need to have any degree checked and then take 3 tests and be assessed whilst teaching. I taught for 30years in Ohio but I still came in here as unqualified and had to pass the tests. Good luck and if you need any further details then please ask.

Y'all are great! Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. Here's where we're at:
I'm starting to clean the house in that major way that you do when you're about to put it on the market. We don't care when we sell the house, as moving to an apartment before we get to Jolly Olde will only help us pay off bills quicker. A house just like ours down the street sold after 3 weeks on the market.

I'm looking at February as the 6-months back time for Bear. We'll take him to the vet and have him chipped and blood tested if you're serious that it can be done by anyone. How do I know which chip can be read in the UK? So, the USDA vet in Austin CAN do his certificate? How do I know his travel route? And what kind of crate does he have to have? I hear Continental will let you keep them in the cabin with you if you can fit the crate under the seat. No matter where he has to be stowed, how will he use the restroom? LOL

I've already been in touch with an agency that will sponsor me to get a teaching job. They'll even pay for the cost to get certified. It's my understanding that there's a 5-year grace period for this. I'm wondering though, as I know that emigration actually COSTS something as of Aug. 1--if I come over with a job sponsorship, will I have to pay immigration fees? I'd love to come work in Cheshire, missmaggie...I love the area from Manchester to Chester. My nieces live in Mancot (Wales) and they want me to work at their school. HA! I know only enough Welsh to say "good morning" and I hear the language requirement is getting more stringent year after year.

One of the great things we may have going for us as far as the housing situation goes is that Gareth's sister and brother-in-law are in real estate. I believe they own a few flats, even. Whatever the case, I think they can vouch for us. We'll be renting for awhile anyway, so maybe it won't be TOO tough.

We have friends in Swansea, Kizmet, so perhaps we'll run into each other one day!  

I'm wondering if being a USAA member will make paying our bills easier? I know when we've gone over, we've used our USAA debit card at the ATMs and for purchases. We were also able to transfer from savings to checking. And since we pay bills online AND USAA is international (for all those military members), perhaps that's the answer. Anyone know?

Thanks again for all of your help. I'm sorry for being verbose, but I am too excited for words!

Ta, again,
Beth

Congratulations and all the best to you!!

I'm looking at February as the 6-months back time for Bear. We'll take him to the vet and have him chipped and blood tested if you're serious that it can be done by anyone. How do I know which chip can be read in the UK??[quote author=vnicepeeps link=board=mov;num=1036177903;start=15#28 date=04/03/03 at 00:37:58]FYI.. just got an email back from the people who make the HomeAgain microchips used by some US vets and tracked by the AKC.  According to them:

"The HomeAgain chips comply to annex A of the ISO standard.  If you need any additional information please contact Andy Pound.  Andy is with Animal Care our distributor in the UK."

These can be purchased at https://www.homeagainid.com  
if your local vet does not have them.  

This means that we don't have to buy a reader!  $200 more to spend on moving expenses.    I'll keep everyone posted because I know how heartbreaking it must be to leave pets behind.[/quote]
So, the USDA vet in Austin CAN do his certificate? YES!  Once you get the blood tests back from the Kansas lab.  the DEFRA site has a guide for US Vets.  
How do I know his travel route? Also on the DEFRA site but several airlines are doing it.  They usually are helping people figure it all out. The list is updated on the DEFRA site. And what kind of crate does he have to have? The typical hard one with holes that says live animal on  the side.  I hear Continental will let you keep them in the cabin with you if you can fit the crate under the seat. Nope. To enter under the PETS they must travel as cargo.  No matter where he has to be stowed, how will he use the restroom? Hee hee.  Usually you won't feed him like 12 hours before the flight and depending on how much of a nervous nellie he is the vet might recommend a sedative.  If not then he will be fine.  Ususally they are too stressed and the carrier is too small so they don't go.  YOu might have a messy crate though but in years of travel with pets over the ocean to other countries including a 23 hours trip to Korea we never had that problem.

Hope this helps!  Check out...for more info regarding the USA and PETS!http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/procedures/support-info/usa_canada.htmut

vnicepeeps...you're wonderful! I am absolutely chuffed by your answers (well...except for the one about him being in the cabin with us  ).

Will our vet know to send his blood work to the Kansas lab?

My poor little Bear. I just hate the thought of all of this stress to him. But there is just no way we could leave him behind. We are those pathetic people who don't have kids so we have a "baby" cat.   We make ourselves sick. Spoiled little brat!

Thanks for the site. I'm actually going to send my vet there too. Do you know how much the chipping costs?

And one last pet question (tonight): how lenient is the 6 month thing? I mean, if we think we're going in August, but then decided to go in Sept. how much leeway do we have to work with here?

Off the pet/PETS topic, does anyone have any idea about the cost of moving? I know this is in a separate area, but I thought perhaps y'all could help me here. We're not moving an entire house, and the only big furniture we want to take is our bed (yes, I've seen those posts!). I've contacted Sterling just for some preliminary stuff. How soon should we plan to send our stuff over?

Thanks,
Beth

I am in the process of getting the pet passport for my kitty.  You are correct--vets in the US are not yet knowledgable about the Pet Passport Scheme.  When I started this with my vet, I printed off the pages on the DEFRA site that are there for vets to read and took them with me when I interaviewed my vet.  While she had experience in sending pets to Hawaii, this was all new to her.

During this interview, I asked her if she was USDA certified.  She told me that all vets in our state have to be.  I don't know if this is true in all states.  The USDA was very helpful in answering the questions that she had.  She had no idea where to obtain the form required by DEFRA and the USDA faxed her a copy.  

In addition to the chip mentioned above, the AVID chip is also readable by European scanners.  Both of these chip makers have web sites.  If your pet already has an implanted chip that is different from these two, it is possible to rent a scanner for $20 a month.  There is no need to buy one.

The address for the lab in Kansas is on the DEFRA site.  This is the lab used by my vet anyway for rabies tests.

As for costs, I had to pay $53 for the Avid chip and the whole cost so far, including lab fees, is over $300.

The six months will not be up when we leave for the UK so my kitty will have to be in quarantine for two months.  Because of this, however, I do not have to travel on an approved route.  We are flying British Airways.

I talked to Continental and British Airways when I was trying to find the best route.  They were both very knowledgeable and helpful.  I only chose British Airways because the schedule from the west coast to Newark was awful for connections--we would have had to change airports in Newark.  Therefore, the crate would have had to be sealed in Newark and we could not get a connecting flight with more than two hours on the ground.  That was not long enough according to Continental to have the crate sealed. The flight on BA from Seattle to Heathrow is nonstop and only 9 1/2 hours long.  Much less stressful for both me and my kitty.

So I hope this helps.  If your vet has any questions tell him to call the USDA.

I just brought my cat over from the US... even though I'm in Ireland, I brought him first to London, then a short 1 hr. flight to Dublin.

vnicepeeps and ElizaM have v good advice.  Here are some other things to know:
- first step is to have the chip (most vets seem to have the Home Again which can be read in the UK)
-  next get the rabies vaccine - this can right after the chip is put in - get a vaccination certificate with the date the vaccine was given, the signature of the actual doctor (not just the name of the clinic), the lot/batch number of the vaccine and the cat's chip number
-  next  - after waiting one month, go back to the vet and get blood drawn; have the form to send to the Kansas testing lab - the form is on Defra and my vet didn't have it - the vet sends the blood sample and the form off to Kansas for blood test (be sure they put your cat's chip number on the form)
-  after the test comes back from Kansas (I had mine sent directly to me, not to the vet) - go to your vet again so they can fill out the PETS certificate (my vet didn't have the form, I had to have this sent from the State USDA)  - make sure they fill out the dates in words - June twelfth, Two thousand and three - make sure the period of validity is from six months after the date of the blood sample (eg if blood was drawn on nov. 1st, the period of validity starts from may 1st) and that the valid until date is one year from the date the vaccine was given
-  pets form is two pages - the second page isn't filled out until just before you leave.
-  go to the USDA vet in your state with the PETS form, the vaccination record, the blood test that you got back from the lab (don't need to bring the cat) - they stamp the PETS certificate first page for $23
-  when you make your plane reservations keep these things in mind: you may not be able to fly the same route/airline as your cat, they don't fly pets on weekends and the USDA isn't open on holidays, some vet offices aren't open on weekends (which is important for the tick/tapeworm appt.).  Get the airline to send you their other requirements.
-  buy a carrier - it should be big enough that they can stand without their ears touching the ceiling according to the rules; it will need extra holes for the USDA seal but they can drill those - I got the requirements from the USDA and drilled my own
-  next - 24 to 48 hours (no less than one or more than two days) before the flight take cat to a vet for a tick/tapeworm treatment - they will fill out the second page of the the PETS form - because there is no "approved route" out of New Mexico, we had to go to a vet in LA.  The airline may require a health certificate; the same vet can do this if you ask.
-  next - go to the USDA the day you fly (the airline can provide directions) - you need to make an appointment a month or so in advance - find out when the cat needs to be at the airline because the USDA will put him in the carrier and then you can't take him out so you don't want to do this until just before you have to - a half hour before you drop the cat off at air cargo.  The best thing in the carrier seems to be newspaper with strips of newspaper (or shredded paper) on top.

More stuff to note:
Make sure you take a record of your cat's vaccinations (esp. flu/enteritis because you can't board the cat in a boarding kennel here without it)

Remember also to update his rabies vaccine within a year of when it was given (the valid until date on your PETS certificate) - if you keep it current he can go back and forth from US to UK without any more 6 month wait.

The people at the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow are THE nicest people ever - they'll take good care of Bear!!  They'll change the paper in his carrier, feed him and talk to him.

My cat is sitting right beside me as I type, and I'm soooo glad he's here.  

Congratulations, and I hope this helps!

I just have one more thing to add.  If your cat has already been vaccinated for rabies and the vaccination is still current, the blood can be drawn the same day as the new vaccination is given.  No need to wait 30 days for the blood to be drawn.  If you have to wait 30 days for the bloodwork, you actually have a 7 month wait.