Should we move to the US now or wait to gain UK citizenship?

Hello all. Advice needed!

I moved to the UK on a fiance visa in July, 2012. I believe we are on the old visa rules. In August 2015, I am eligible to apply for my UK citizenship.

My husband and I would like to try living in the US with the option of returning to the UK if we didn't want to live permanently in the US. We are debating whether we should wait and stay in the UK until 2015 to get my UK citizenship before moving to the US.

If we were to not wait and move to the US now, if we ever wanted to move back to the UK, then we have to do the whole visa process all over again and waste all the previous money spent on visas.

For career prospects (I am looking to earn my teaching credential and am struggling finding a teaching program in the UK that will accept my US BA degree!) it would be beneficial to get it in the US and I would like to earn that sooner rather than later.

My question is, under the new visa rules, is it more difficult to get a spouse visa and earn citizenship than the old rules? Should we just ride it out and wait to get the citizenship to avoid issues and money losses in the future, or should we gamble and just move to the US now and not worry about the visa process in the future?

Thanks!

Yes, under the current rules it's a longer more costly process with stricter financial requirements.  If you went to the US and then decided to return your husband alone would have to meet the financial requirement of making £18,600/year or more in the US for a year and have a job lined up in the UK making the same amount or more within 3 months of your return.  You'd require 2 sets of spouse visas of 2.5 years each before you would became eligible for ILR and citizenship.  So, you'll be paying for 2 spouse visas, ILR and citizenship and it will take you 5 years.  But, in 1, 2, 3 or more years it's completely reasonable to expect there will be other changes making it an even more costly and more difficult process.

Obviously, it's your decision but if you can make it til citizenship you'll have more options and not have to worry about qualifying for a UK visa again.