USC and UKC/USC questions - moving to UK W kids

Hello! I'm a US citizen married to Scottish Husband with 3 kids in USA. We've been married for 12 years, and about 4 years ago DH got US Citizenship. He has been offered a job in Scotland and I want to get a grip on what's ahead.

We have 3 US born children under 10--my understanding is that as Dad is U.K. Citizen, they are by birth, so I'm the only one that needs a (spousal) visa. Is this correct? Do the kids need U.K. Passports? They have US passports now.

The loose plan (he just got offer this morning so I'm flipping out and googling like crazy) would be for his job in U.K. To start in April, and the kids and I join in the summer. From reading Spousal visa posts, I'm learning I may be at the mercy of when the spousal visa comes in and is approved (like within 30 days...) Does this complicate things on how long I wait to apply? Is it £800 like I saw on the U.K. Govt site?

I have a million other questions - I know here are several relevant message boards too (we have two small dogs we'd want/need to bring...so unclear about their waiting period after shots etc) and also coming back to US....I think this will be a few years...probably not 5...and so gOing back to US should be fairly simple since we both/all have US citizenship and passports, correct?

Thanks in advance. This is so huge and complicated but could be the chance of a lifetime.

Yes, the kids need their UK passports.  Start that process ASAP.

The fee for the spouse visa is currently £1195 plus £600 for NHS fees.  Priority (optional) is roughly £500.  The base fee will rise in March or April, probably by about 25%.

What category would OP apply under, since her husband is starting his job in April but she and the kids will want to join in the summer? As he won't have been in his job for 6 months by the time of application, will she go under Category B?

Also, OP, since you want to take your dogs, you will need to get them pet passports, so you'll need to take them to the vet basically right now to start the process--it takes about 6 months start to finish, although depending on the veterinary care they've had to date it might take less time.

OP, you've got a while before you can/have to apply (probably 3 or 4 months, depending on whether you use priority and when you go), so start putting together all your documents and (literally) getting your house in order!

Since you all have US passports, you won't have any problems coming back after your time in Scotland, but I would really urge you to seriously consider staying there for the five years (or however long it takes at that point) so you can get British citizenship yourself. If nothing else, it'll make it so you won't have to apply for a visa again in the future after naturalizing.

Thank you thank you KF and Colin for your responses. I am very anxious now that this is a reality.

I really have no clue right now about categories and pets etc. I saw this and thought it applied to our situation:

https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/eligibility

As for the 5 years, my kids will be getting into the teen years so I'm nervous to uproot them then. Time will tell, I suppose!

There are different categories you apply under based on your financial situation. Category A uses your sponsor's current employment (but they have to have been with their employer for 6 months), category B uses your sponsor's income over the past 12 months (but I don't know how it works when they have started a job in the UK and you are counting overseas income)... there are other categories as well--you might qualify under the cash savings route if you, your husband or the two of you jointly have held at least £62,500 for at least six months prior to application.

From what I gather, it seems like the savings route is the easiest to document, despite the high financial requirement. If you guys can apply through that though, by all means, do that one!

Jess, has your husband been employed in the US during the previous 12 months to your application making at least £18,600?  If so, you won't have to wait six months to apply.

Timing is something you can refine as you go.

It also doesn't take six months anymore for pets, so no worries there.  I think it's only 30 days now.

As your kids are not yet in secondary school, I think it's a good time to relocate if you are going to.  All depends on how you feel about the UK school system.  I'm a bit terrified of it.  Kids finish school earlier here and are expected to know what they want to be when they grow up by the age of 16 - and it's hard to change that path afterwards.  But my husband went through the UK school system and is a success story, as are many members of our forum.  If your kids are good test takers and have a strong understanding of who they are and what they want to do - they'll be fine.  I was just a bit more wishy-washy.  I am a success story, but simply because of the forgiving nature of the US system.  For example, I didn't start my university education until I was 22.  That's unheard of here.  Plus it is very expensive here now!

You have the correct visa choice.  Next we need to figure out what category you are applying under.  Two main options for UKC's repatriating.  First is employed in the US making a minimum of £18,600 in the 12 months prior to application and having a UK job offer.  Second is savings of at least £62,500 held for a minimum of six months.  There are other categories, but those are the most commonly used.

Re: pets, I shipped my cat last year and it was rather straightforward.  I imagine the process for dogs is similar. Here is guidance:  https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview

Basically, you need an EU compatible microchip. an updated rabies vaccine, and USDA certified paperwork.  The kennels you use for shipping have certain size requirements.  There are rules on how current the rabies vaccine must be, how recent USDA paperwork must be signed relative to your pet's travel dates, and how soon you must enter after your pet does.  Also, it cost more to ship my cat than me, so keep that in mind when considering costs.

The rabies vaccine (and waiting period) take the most time.  I needed about 6 weeks from start to finish. 

There are different categories you apply under based on your financial situation. Category A uses your sponsor's current employment (but they have to have been with their employer for 6 months), category B uses your sponsor's income over the past 12 months (but I don't know how it works when they have started a job in the UK and you are counting overseas income)

Using overseas income is fine - they just apply as normal under Category B.

From the guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525708/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement.pdf):

5.3.9. Second, the person must in addition have received in the 12 months prior to the date of application the level of income required to meet the financial requirement, based on:
- The gross amount of salaried or non-salaried employment income of the applicant’s partner (in the UK or overseas) and/or the applicant (if they are in the UK with permission to work);

Thanks so much everyone.

His income here in the states meets/exceeds that amount and will have been continuous once he starts this other job in UK. We don't have that much in savings (the 62k) but we do have it in 401(k)s but unsure if that counts. I'm hoping that we don't need to use that category.

As for schools and the kids, that is another huge consideration/concern. My oldest is 8 and in 3rd grade. I just don't want him getting too old over in UK to come home and be way off track for American high school, etc. Of course I have no idea what the future holds for us and we may love it and stay. Things are certainly dicey here in US lately. I am the homebody in the family and so can't imagine this being a permanent move.

Great news on the pets. The shipping for the cats previously mentioned....do you mind giving me a ballpark, chiKristen? I looked at one Tampa based company and it was close to $2k each pet. That is really high for us.

His income here in the states meets/exceeds that amount and will have been continuous once he starts this other job in UK. We don't have that much in savings (the 62k) but we do have it in 401(k)s but unsure if that counts. I'm hoping that we don't need to use that category.

A 401(K) does count as long as the money in it is accessible and can be withdrawn at any time.

Cash savings is the easiest requirement to meet, as it requires less documentation (just 6 months of bank statements, showing the balance has not dipped below the £62,500), though if you can meet Category B with his new job and previous earnings, it shouldn't be pretty straightforward to use that one instead.

I used Air Animal when I moved, but was a corporate relo so I didn't have to pay.  It was $3300 for my two cats over 6 years ago.  $2k per pet isn't too bad depending on where you are moving from and the size of the animal.  The further the flight, the higher the cost.  The bigger the animal, the higher the cost.

The best flight price I've seen someone have is $1100 (cat, they're cheaper) and the UK fees are about £400.  A LOT of airlines will only work with pet shippers.  I think Virgin will allow you to book directly.  Not sure of any others. 

I've heard it's cheaper to fly the pets into Paris or Amsterdam.  But you need to know someone who drives to get to the UK (no pets on the train).

Whereabouts in Scotland will you be moving? With your son being 8 he'll either go into P4 or P5, depending on the month he was born.
Schools in Scotland differ from those in England so take warnings with a grain of salt.
Re schooling, I moved over at 17 to go to uni and was gobsmacked at how much more clever everyone was than me. (Even that sentence makes me sound dumb). And I went to a top 100 ranked public school in the states. Where I learned facts, kids here really seemed to understand the learning and investigative process.

Whereabouts in Scotland will you be moving? With your son being 8 he'll either go into P4 or P5, depending on the month he was born.
Schools in Scotland differ from those in England so take warnings with a grain of salt.
Re schooling, I moved over at 17 to go to uni and was gobsmacked at how much more clever everyone was than me. (Even that sentence makes me sound dumb). And I went to a top 100 ranked public school in the states. Where I learned facts, kids here really seemed to understand the learning and investigative process.

Very true, I only know England.  Lots of things are different in Scotland.  I did think the path at 16 was pretty standard though.

Re: school--he's a late January bday so he'll be 9 soon and 9 at start of the school year. Yes, I'm really impressed with my husband and all his friends' level of "cleverness" lol! I am a little worried about my own kids and if they'll struggle. How many years of primary school are there ? We will be outside of Glasgow...my husband's family is in Ayrshire--about 45 minutes outside it. (Darvel to be exact)--I'd be happy somewhere near them. I'm getting very nervous about all this. I thought I was prepared to make the leap, but now I'm not so self-assured.

Yes, I really wouldn't worry too much about your eldest being underprepared for high school in the US. I would worry if it were the other way around, though, what with the exam system as it is in the UK versus in the US.

Of course one way you can kind of maneuver around that whole issue is looking at having him do the international baccalaureate at that time, but then that's a few years away. (Full disclosure: I think IB is the bee's knees, but I may be biased )