Passport renewal

Seems pretty simple these days....I'm down to 5 months so can't put it off any longer. Good thing I never use it.....although also good thing I'm doing it now. We keep important things in a fireproof box...things were just starting to get moldy inside. Might not be worth keeping things in it anymore....

1. Most recent passport
2. Form DS-82  print+sign
3. 1 colour passport photo  2x2 inches
4. £84 bank draft made out to US Dept of State
5. Return delivery envelope along with the envelope I send everything in.
6. Send to US Embassy in London....either by Royal Mail Special Delivery or DX (is one of them better?)

Seems pretty simple these days....I'm down to 5 months so can't put it off any longer. Good thing I never use it.....although also good thing I'm doing it now. We keep important things in a fireproof box...things were just starting to get moldy inside. Might not be worth keeping things in it anymore....

Let everything dry out really well then try putting some desiccant in the box with your papers to stop that happening again.

Let everything dry out really well then try putting some desiccant in the box with your papers to stop that happening again.

Thanks....yeah....we've been using that box for 5 years or so and open it every month or two and haven't had this problem before.

In case anybody is interested. Just renewed my US passport. Total of 13 days which I thought was pretty good.

In case anybody is interested. Just renewed my US passport. Total of 13 days which I thought was pretty good.

Well done!!  Won’t have to do that for another 10 years 

Now the question is whether it's worth bothering with a UK passport. My first permanent VISA is only good for 5 years, so I'll have to do another one of those in about 3.5yrs.

Just starting my first self assessment, so if you have any tricks I don't know about.........I think I can use my wife to kill off about £1250 of the amount I went over. I'll probably owe around $500. I just need to sit down and try and crank out a paper copy, don't think I will bother with the online stuff.

Now the question is whether it's worth bothering with a UK passport. My first permanent VISA is only good for 5 years, so I'll have to do another one of those in about 3.5yrs.

Just starting my first self assessment, so if you have any tricks I don't know about.........I think I can use my wife to kill off about £1250 of the amount I went over. I'll probably owe around $500. I just need to sit down and try and crank out a paper copy, don't think I will bother with the online stuff.

 It's almost* aways worth getting British citizenship. You may intend never to go back to the US to live but this forum has many members who are having to start all over again. It never gets easier or less expensive.

Yes, if your circumstances permit, you can use the marriage allowance.

It's always worth getting British citizenship. You may intend never to go back to the US to live but this forum has many members who are having to start all over again. It never gets easier or less expensive.

Yes, if your circumstances permit, you can use the marriage allowance.

Always? At some point I was going to try to decide if there were ANY tax advantages/disadvantages for getting UK citizenship. I was thinking about taking my wife off my US taxes for this tax year....my income will drop down to about $16,000 starting this year...with SS only being taxed here in the UK. Having my wife on my US taxes means when she soon starts taking her pensions..the US will likely want a cut of those.

I've lived in the UK for a good 20yrs now off and on. Even if my wife were to divorce me/stab me/or die, I'd likely just stay here in the UK.

Always? At some point I was going to try to decide if there were ANY tax advantages/disadvantages for getting UK citizenship. I was thinking about taking my wife off my US taxes for this tax year....my income will drop down to about $16,000 starting this year...with SS only being taxed here in the UK. Having my wife on my US taxes means when she soon starts taking her pensions..the US will likely want a cut of those.

I've lived in the UK for a good 20yrs now off and on. Even if my wife were to divorce me/stab me/or die, I'd likely just stay here in the UK.

I've edited my post! I'm sure there are some high level security clearances that wouldn't be open any longer, that sort of thing. But on the whole, no disadvantages, unlike all the tax and reporting obligations which come with US citizenship.. you could even give up your USC, that would help your tax load.

For the  majority of people, it's the right thing to do from the point of view of stability and peace of mind. You just never know what they might do to the immigration rules.. even Jimbo, who was never going to, has relented!

When it comes to filing UK taxes, it is straight forward enough. Just remember that you each get taxed as individuals so spreading your income to maximise both allowances is worth doing or possible. That tactic has worked well for us this past few years.

I can’t think of any downsides to getting UK citizenship. Advantages would include not being able to lose it for almost any reason and be deported. Being able to vote is an obvious advantage to most of us that care about those things.

I've edited my post! I'm sure there are some high level security clearances that wouldn't be open any longer, that sort of thing. But on the whole, no disadvantages, unlike all the tax and reporting obligations which come with US citizenship.. you could even give up your USC, that would help your tax load.

For the  majority of people, it's the right thing to do from the point of view of stability and peace of mind. You just never know what they might do to the immigration rules.. even Jimbo, who was never going to, has relented!

How would giving up US citizenship help my US tax load? I'd still have to do my taxes every year wouldn't I?

Stability.....just not an issue with me. I can live "wherever". UK....US....prefereably not Antartica or the Arctic.

When it comes to filing UK taxes, it is straight forward enough. Just remember that you each get taxed as individuals so spreading your income to maximise both allowances is worth doing or possible. That tactic has worked well for us this past few years.

I can’t think of any downsides to getting UK citizenship. Advantages would include not being able to lose it for almost any reason and be deported. Being able to vote is an obvious advantage to most of us that care about those things.

Don't really care about voting....I won't vote for US stuff any more. I find it hard to believe that someone with a permenant visa will be chucked out..... possible? maybe....but.....

How would giving up US citizenship help my US tax load? I'd still have to do my taxes every year wouldn't I?

Stability.....just not an issue with me. I can live "wherever". UK....US....prefereably not Antartica or the Arctic.

Well, I suppose you'd still have the US source income to declare but you wouldn't have to do FBARs or declare UK income in the US. It would open up a lot of investment opportunities too. Your UK ISA income would actually be tax free!

If you moved to the US and were out of the UK for 2 years or more, you would loose your indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Visits back periodically do not keep it active.

Well, I suppose you'd still have the US source income to declare but you wouldn't have to do FBARs or declare UK income in the US. It would open up a lot of investment opportunities too. Your UK ISA income would actually be tax free!
 
If you moved to the US and were out of the UK for 2 years or more, you would loose your indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Visits back periodically do not keep it active.

No longer have to declare UK income? Just bank interest though.....Just  One year bonds are all we are doing.

Just not even thinking about being out of the UK. We have been back for almost 6.5 years. Furthest from Harrogate we have been is Redcar. We are seriously boring people. Hoping to get some trips up to Scotland once our last dog dies....likely fairly soon. If I left the UK for 2 years....it would be because my wife died and I moved back to the US for some reason. In which case.....I wouldn't be moving back here because??.....no good reason to. I do not plan on moving back to the US, this is where I live. If my wife were to die, I'd consider moving to a little bungalow at the beach........

No longer have to declare UK income? Just bank interest though.....Just  One year bonds are all we are doing.

Just not even thinking about being out of the UK. We have been back for almost 6.5 years. Furthest from Harrogate we have been is Redcar. We are seriously boring people. Hoping to get some trips up to Scotland once our last dog dies....likely fairly soon. If I left the UK for 2 years....it would be because my wife died and I moved back to the US for some reason. In which case.....I wouldn't be moving back here because??.....no good reason to. I do not plan on moving back to the US, this is where I live. If my wife were to die, I'd consider moving to a little bungalow at the beach........

Obviously you're not obliged to become a UK citizen. If your current situation suits you, that's great. It's just that we've seen so many people here on the forum who have so much regret at not taking it when they could have, as their circumstances later changed in a way they did not anticipate.
Admittedly, they were not necessarily at the same life stage so maybe not fair to compare. But as long as you are fully aware of the pros and cons, that's the main thing.