Moving back to the US

  Hello to all you in the UK.  This is a very interesting and informative thread. 

I am a US citizen and my husband a UK citizen.  We have been married for 6-1/2 years and live on the Gulf Coast in Alabama.  My husband has his 10 year Permanent Resident Card and we are just now considering him becoming a US citizen in order for us, someday, to return to England without the 2 year stipulation only having a Green Card has for him.  He has two kids (23 and 25) in the UK.  I have three kids (twins 20 and 26) and two grandbabies (2 years and one 6 weeks) so it would be extremely hard for me to leave them, but we are not talking about anything soon. 

We are 51 and 54 years old and will be retiring in another 12 years.  At that point I would  love to move to England and then get my UK citizenship after 3 years.  Then at that point maybe we could live 6 months in the State during the winter and 6 months in the summer in the UK.  That is just a dream though and money is certainly a factor. 

Hubby is from the Cumbria area where I have visited twice and it is so beautiful with Lake Windemere closeby.  I see pros and cons of living in both places since reading this thread but we will go ahead and start his US Citizenship and then see about moving to UK several years down the line, though again, it would be extremely hard on me with my kids/grandkids in the US, though my hubby had to do that for me when he came to US so I would do the same for him.  I just wonder how often/length of time I could visit the US while awaiting the three year mark to become a UK citizen.  Anyone know? 

Thank you!!! 

"Residential requirements


In order to demonstrate the residential requirements for naturalisation you need to:

    have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least three years (this is known as the residential qualifying period); and
    have been present in the United Kingdom three years before the date of your application; and
    have not spent more than 270 days outside the United Kingdom during the three-year period; and
    have not spend more than 90 days outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 months of the three-year period; and
    have not been in breach of the immigration rules at any stage during the three-year period."

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/eligibility/naturalisation/spouseorcivilpartnerofcitizen/

If you are talking about 12 years from now, we have no idea what anything will look like.

  Thank you BostonDiner.  And Getta, yes, you are right. 

Hi, this is a bit off topic, but it does deal with moving back to the US and I'm not getting feedback elsewhere. Maybe someone here can help.

My question relates to the moving my items back. I'm an American moving back to the States, and the customs forms have me confused. I'm talking about the one for Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles. The movers say not to list any articles bought overseas and just attach their packing list (which will not break out what was purchased overseas and what wasn't).

I realized this morning they must not be experienced working with expats going home to the US, because doing it their way would imply that all of my goods were bought overseas, and they weren't. I *think* I need to check number 8 on part IV to show that I  have goods bought abroad and owned more than a year, and then list those items on the back. What did you do? Should the movers be itemizing the list? I'm pretty nervous now that I realized my movers probably don't know what to do in my specific case. Any help will be much appreciated -- I don't have long before the move!

Just do what they say and don't stress about it. We filled in extra stuff and were basically told by our US broker not too and had to redo the forms. What customs is looking for is the stuff purchased less than a year so they can charge duties. If your belongings are older than a year old, you won't get charged for them, hence why the packing list will do. Does that make sense?

Just do what they say and don't stress about it. We filled in extra stuff and were basically told by our US broker not too and had to redo the forms. What customs is looking for is the stuff purchased less than a year so they can charge duties. If your belongings are older than a year old, you won't get charged for them, hence why the packing list will do. Does that make sense?

Thanks, yes, it does make sense. I just thought including the packing list makes it seem it all came from the UK, and that could cause problems. But I see what you're saying, putting the whole list in rather than making a few entries makes it easier. I'm glad to hear you got that advice from a US broker -- my advice came from a UK company that I think probably hasn't moved lots of Americans back to the States, so I thought they might just be wrong.

Not sure where you're moving to, but you might want to go for a visit for a few weeks first, things have changed here in the states. Here in Texas, things are out of control, crime, drugs, home invasions, idiot road ragers, I hate it here, I'm ashamed to be a Texan or an American. I can't wait to leave this God forsaken place.
I know people that move back thinking it's going to be just like it was when they left....wrong...I know people that have gone through the paperwork, money etc. to move back to the states and within a month, their looking for a muligan so they can return... just my humble opinion, the grass is always greener.

I have found my people! Arghh! Even though our reasons for moving back to the States are valid, right and in the best interests of our family; I am heartsick. I have loved living here. I have promises from my husbnd we will come back. In the meantime, I have two questions:

Home exchange schemes-i would love to do one of these with someone bere for a month or so. Anyone know of a company or organization that helps with this?

Pet shipping companies to US: good Lord after all we went through getting the cat here the first time, I couldn't believe it would be easier. No DEFRA this time but Heathrow requires we use a pet shipping service and the airlines recommended Red Coat. Anyone?

I'm sure I'll be back here with my list of things from the UK I wish I would have taken to the US, things I miss-arghh bad enough being in the US in an election year-first one since 1990!

Sad to go,

 

Pet shipping companies to US: good Lord after all we went through getting the cat here the first time, I couldn't believe it would be easier. No DEFRA this time but Heathrow requires we use a pet shipping service and the airlines recommended Red Coat. Anyone?

I flew my dogs out of Gatewick on Virgin and no pet shipper needed in April this year. Saved me about £500.