ToR1 - when to Submit???

Hi,

I have a question about when to submit the Transfer of Residence Relief application (ToR1) if anyone can help me please.

Background. My American wife (we got married in the USA June 18th) has submitted her visa application and is waiting for the decision, which we anticipate will be made mid to late October based other timelines we have read. As soon as she gets her visa (fingers crossed), she will be flying to the UK to join me (British husband based in the UK) so will need to ship her stuff just before she leaves the USA.

Shipping. We understand that the shipping company will need the Unique Declaration information generated  by the ToR1 application before her stuff can be shipped if we are to avoid inport duty.  So to my question:

1.  Can she complete and submit the ToR1 application form now, or does she have to wait until she has her visa in hand? She has a copy of her passport photo page which I beileve needs to go off with the application.


Many thanks in advance for your help.

Bob 

I would apply now if you have a copy of her passport photo page. Sooner is better than later and it's good for 12 months. The shipping company will need the number, or you'll have to ask for a refund once you have it after arriving.

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Wow that was quick Margo - thank you 

Hello, Just want to let everyone know the timeline for TOR. I submitted the application on 9/18/19 and got the approval today. I will be ready to ship my belongings as soon as my visa is approved 

Can you only get this import duty relief for a spouse visa or does it also apply to a fiance visa?

Thanks
Phil

Can you only get this import duty relief for a spouse visa or does it also apply to a fiance visa?

Thanks
Phil

The document with guidance is here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/customs-clearance-for-transfers-of-residence-to-the-uk-and-eu

As you'll be settling in the UK I believe it should qualify you for tax relief on the goods you'll be bringing, but you do still have to go through the application process. It covers students as well.

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Thanks Margo

Well, that was fast.  I finally got around to applying for my TOR.....i applied by email Thursday November 21 just before midnight my time which would be Friday November 22 10 am your time and I just received my acceptance email November 26 at midnight my time , which would be November 27 10 am your time.....so basically 5 days.....

When I first sent it I got a generated email that said they try to process applications in 14 days.

Not sure if it was so fast because I hold a British passport???

When I sent it I just sent:

Filled out TOR Application

My lease from 2004.......the lease page was long so just folded it up to show pertinent information and took a picture of it

Black and white photo of my passport page........tried scanning that, and thought I had, and emailed it to them, but then noticed when I checked the sent email that it was just a blank thing and when I opened it up it was nothing.....so then just took a picture of my passport page, made it black and white with editing, and resent it to the same email address with a heading saying it was my passport photo.......yes, not very computer savvy here

A very general, and I mean very general list of what I was bringing.....it was midnight and I was tired.....basically it said.: household goods, books, bedding, towels....only listed the items individually  worth anything....like vitamix blender,  Tiffany lamp shade, artsy side table.....and then wrote basically everything will fit in a box

So all in all.....thought they’d come back at me with wanting a more detailed list, .......but they didn’t.
                         Thought they’d come back at me wanting a utility bill or other kind of bill dated more then six months old, but they didn’t.    Anyone applying, please take note.....if using an utility bill, they ask for it dated OLDER then 6 months....my folded up lease seemed to work.

So,  now have the Tor number for the moving company,  Am going to be using Rainier.  Slow boat option from Honolulu to Scotland.... so will probably take 4-5 months to get there but I’m in no rush for the stuff to show up.  When I first contacted them, said I’d have 20-25 medium boxes and he quoted me for 200Cf......when I contacted him a couple of weeks ago.....said it was more like 30-35 boxes now......he still quoted me 200Cf.....which got me curious how big is 200Cf......and from what I can ascertain.....it’s a container that’s 7 feet high, 7 feet long and 4 feet wide......so that 30-35 box count may go up   


http://aliyahlift.com/mini/

The above link gives an example of 200Cf in layman’s terms......

And the price I was quoted for door to door was $3300......

Hope this info helps anyone out there   

Not sure if beachbunny is still on here but hoping someone else can answer if not.

Beachbunny mentions needing a bill. Why is this? Is this to show proof of address to the shipping company or for the TOR? I have been staying with family for a year now and all I really can produce are my bank statement or a store credit card bill. Will either of those work?

Still wrapping my head around all that needs doing. Thanks in advance!

Well, that was fast.  I finally got around to applying for my TOR.....i applied by email Thursday November 21 just before midnight my time which would be Friday November 22 10 am your time and I just received my acceptance email November 26 at midnight my time , which would be November 27 10 am your time.....so basically 5 days.....

When I first sent it I got a generated email that said they try to process applications in 14 days.

Not sure if it was so fast because I hold a British passport???

When I sent it I just sent:

Filled out TOR Application

My lease from 2004.......the lease page was long so just folded it up to show pertinent information and took a picture of it

Black and white photo of my passport page........tried scanning that, and thought I had, and emailed it to them, but then noticed when I checked the sent email that it was just a blank thing and when I opened it up it was nothing.....so then just took a picture of my passport page, made it black and white with editing, and resent it to the same email address with a heading saying it was my passport photo.......yes, not very computer savvy here

A very general, and I mean very general list of what I was bringing.....it was midnight and I was tired.....basically it said.: household goods, books, bedding, towels....only listed the items individually  worth anything....like vitamix blender,  Tiffany lamp shade, artsy side table.....and then wrote basically everything will fit in a box

So all in all.....thought they’d come back at me with wanting a more detailed list, .......but they didn’t.
                         Thought they’d come back at me wanting a utility bill or other kind of bill dated more then six months old, but they didn’t.    Anyone applying, please take note.....if using an utility bill, they ask for it dated OLDER then 6 months....my folded up lease seemed to work.

So,  now have the Tor number for the moving company,  Am going to be using Rainier.  Slow boat option from Honolulu to Scotland.... so will probably take 4-5 months to get there but I’m in no rush for the stuff to show up.  When I first contacted them, said I’d have 20-25 medium boxes and he quoted me for 200Cf......when I contacted him a couple of weeks ago.....said it was more like 30-35 boxes now......he still quoted me 200Cf.....which got me curious how big is 200Cf......and from what I can ascertain.....it’s a container that’s 7 feet high, 7 feet long and 4 feet wide......so that 30-35 box count may go up   


http://aliyahlift.com/mini/

The above link gives an example of 200Cf in layman’s terms......

And the price I was quoted for door to door was $3300......

Hope this info helps anyone out there   

Am still here...just busy...my painter let me down one to many times so am now decorating my own flat....

They need a bill older then 6 months, I believe, to show that you’ve lived outside the UK for more then a year.  TOR relief is only available on your goods if you’ve lived outside for more then a year.   I always tossed my old bills after paid so didn’t have one.....but my lease in my name was over 15 years at the same address so I guess that was sufficient proof for them.

Don’t know if a bank or credit card statement would work as it really doesn’t show proof that you physically live somewhere like an utility bill but try anyway.   Worse case is they come back asking for more info....

On a side note....my goods arrived in England on March 31....and not sure if they sitting on dock waiting to clear customs or have and sitting in moving company warehouse....with covid, nothing being allowed to be delivered....which is just as well for me because finally had floors put down 2 weeks ago and hopefully in 3 days I’ll have my bedroom painted..... ...so didn’t really have a place to put my stuff and really didn’t want to put it in my shed....now just have spare room, lounge and hallway to do......

Thanks for the reply

This is going to require some creativity then on my part, as I have nothing like a lease or utility bill. Even my last utility bill was from a year ago now (before I moved to where I am currently). I hardly get mail here as it is. I'll have to find something. Sort of worried about this now and hope I have something sufficient for them.

Sounds like everything will be ready to have a place to go then when it finally can be delivered. So many things are backed up. I'll be curious when you finally get your stuff.

Would a pay slip do perhaps?

A pay slip is a good idea only I don't have that either. 

It's going to have to be a blend of a tax document from my college, Amazon purchases and anything else I can pull up. This is why I am worried because any proof others might typically use I likely do not have.

Hi Cali2....did you ever get your TOR figured out???

My stuff is finally arriving July 13

Took from December 27-March 31 to get from Hawaii to England and from March 31 to July 13 to go from England to Scotland....

You will have such fun unpacking! And figuring out what to do with all the boxes if you don't have them unpack for you and take the cardboard away! Nothing was moving here in Scotland from the time of the lock-down. I'm really glad to hear it's up and going again.

Are they using Britannia to deliver to you? If so, let us know how they do?  They delivered our stuff. They opened the crates in their warehouse, put everything on an 18-wheeler moving van, and drove it up with other people's stuff from England. (We were apparently their last delivery before they were heading south again.) They showed up on a Sunday morning, which was a little inconvenient as they blocked in a lot of our neighbors with their moving van for several hours - the lane would have been pretty much empty if they'd come on a weekday, but you don't get to pick the day. How they got that van into our little terrace is truly a miracle, but I did warn them it was going to be very tight with a horseshoe turn involved. More amazing was how they got it back out again - they backed it down the lane, the whole way!

Perhaps it's just that I am more used to USA movers, who show up in uniforms wearing back braces for protection, and behave professionally. (Or I could simply have been lucky with my USA movers.)  These guys were kind of ratty looking and had no safety equipment on to protect their backs even though they had to haul in 80 boxes of books and a couple of really heavy items. They got the job done well enough, though. I wasn't sure if I should have tipped them or not, but I gave each of them enough for a lunch and a beer. (Hopefully that wasn't insulting or anything.)

Apparently the Scottish Government's advice on having movers in is to be sure there is plenty of air flow in the house, and that you should have hand-washing facilities available for them. Hope it goes well for you!