New members of the Scotland forum, introduce yourself here — 2017

Hi Eddie and welcome to the Forum.

Assuming one of your parents has British nationality, then you can apply for a UK passport at the Embassy in Washington and your daughter will be able to do the same.  If not, then it will not be so simple, you'll basically have to find a job in the UK where the Company is willing to sponsor your entry visa.

Hello 

My name is Julie and I am an American interested in moving to Edinburgh in the next year or two.
I have a lot of questions on how to obtain a visa so I can legally move there permanently. I have a job that may transfer me if there is an open position, but if not I will look for a job on my own.
As an American I know how difficult it can be to obtain a visa and move abroad (especially now), so I was wondering if this is the same situation everywhere? If I find a job but they won’t sponsor my visa, is this something I can do on my own? I’ve done some research on it but I am finding a lot of mixed information.

Also I was wondering what an average liveable salary is in Edinburgh? I know the income tax system is different than in the US.

Thanks!!

Hi Julie and welcome to the Forum.

With regards to the UK in particular; as a US citizen, you will need a visa to enter and work in the UK.  All visa's are work-related and your employer will have to sponsor your move; further, there are restrictions on the type of job you can be given, the restrictions are listed in a "Shortage Occupation List"; you can access this list from this link; please note that there is a Scottish as well as a UK version.  Bottom line is that if you have a skill listed on the list and can get a job that pays you over a specific limit and that employer will sponsor you, then you have a chance.

Hope this helps.

Hello everyone!! I hope you all have a great day!

My name is Muk and I am Thai who interested in traveling and working in Scotland in the next few years. Currently, I'm in Thailand and still looking for the information on living in Scotland such as how to apply for a VISA, how to make a living there with my current skill sets and so on.

Looking forward to being there in Scotland very soon!

Cheers

nutthawan wrote:

Hello everyone!! I hope you all have a great day!

My name is Muk and I am Thai who interested in traveling and working in Scotland in the next few years. Currently, I'm in Thailand and still looking for the information on living in Scotland such as how to apply for a VISA, how to make a living there with my current skill sets and so on.

Looking forward to being there in Scotland very soon!

Cheers

Hi Muk and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of the page is our Handy tools link; if you select that you'll get access to our Expat Guides that will help you plan your journey.

To answer your specific questions:

Depends on your skill sets.  The UK is being very restrictive with regards to non-EU immigration; if you don't have the right skills, plus an employer to sponsor your work visa and pay you at least the specified salary, then you won't be able to work anywhere in the UK.

The UK Government issues a "Shortage Occupation List" from which you can check to see if you have the appropriate skills to pursue this; this link will take you there; Table 1 is for all of the UK, Table 2 relates to Scotland only, so both are relevant to you.

You may also wish to consider the costs of living in the UK; the Numbeo website provides this information; this link will take you there.

Once you've read our guides, if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi, I'm Reagan, I'm a UK citizen who has lived in Canada my whole life.  My family (husband and 4 kids) & I are hoping to move to Scotland next year and I'm hoping to get some insight into the process. My older kids can get Ancestry visas, but I would need to sponsor my younger two and possibly my husband unless he could get a Tier 2 visa.  I think it would be better to have him on a spousal visa but it is a matter of working out the logistics, like me getting a job that covers the financial requirements.  We are open to living pretty much anywhere although I would prefer not to live right in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Then there are the other things, like bringing goods or buying them there, etc.  So much to consider!

Anyway, I look forward to chatting with those in the know

I'm not too savvy with forums, I think I posted this as a new topic before I figured out it should be a reply?

Rkerr6 wrote:

Hi, I'm Reagan, I'm a UK citizen who has lived in Canada my whole life.  My family (husband and 4 kids) & I are hoping to move to Scotland next year and I'm hoping to get some insight into the process. My older kids can get Ancestry visas, but I would need to sponsor my younger two and possibly my husband unless he could get a Tier 2 visa.  I think it would be better to have him on a spousal visa but it is a matter of working out the logistics, like me getting a job that covers the financial requirements.  We are open to living pretty much anywhere although I would prefer not to live right in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Then there are the other things, like bringing goods or buying them there, etc.  So much to consider!

Anyway, I look forward to chatting with those in the know

I'm not too savvy with forums, I think I posted this as a new topic before I figured out it should be a reply?

Hi Reagan and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of the page is a link to our Handy Tools section, if you select that, you'll be able to access our Expat Guides; these contain articles written to help you plan your journey.

To answer your specific questions:

Assuming you were still a UK citizen at the time; as the child of a UK citizen at birth, your kids are entitled to British passports, so there are no visa issues for any of them.

Assuming you still hold a UK passport, you and your kids currently have the right to live and work anywhere in the EU.

With regards to your Husband, you seem to have already spotted the options; there are 2 possibilities:

Family Visa - this is where your husband gets into the UK financially supported by you this link will take you to the UK Government website that deals with these.  You should be aware that there are minimum income rules that you will need to meet in order to use this method.

Work Visa - this is where he gets a work visa in his own right; this link will take you to the UK Government website that lists the jobs that can be included.  If your husband possesses the skills necessary to qualify for one of these jobs, then he needs to look for a job, where the employer will sponsor his visa.

Once you've read our guides, if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi Cynic, thanks for the welcome!

I took a peek at the Handy Tools, looks great. I'm sure I'll be digging around in there quite a bit.

I'm a British citizen by descent, not birth, so unfortunately it doesn't pass on to my kids.  The new rules for the family visa are quite staggering unless you're from the EEA. It's too bad the Commonwealth countries aren't treated similarly. I should be able to secure a job that would meet the financial requirements although I imagine it will be difficult to do from here, and although my hubby could find a well paying job once there, I don't think he'd qualify for a Tier 2.  It's really trying to figure out the timing and logistics for everything, especially if I have to go ahead of them. It feels very overwhelming at this point. :S

On another note, does anyone know if the Ancestry visa is available if you have a great grandparent born in the UK, or just a grandparent? The financial requirements are much lower for that.  Also, if I didn't have to sponsor my husband, does anyone know if to sponsor my kids the financial requirement is the same as if I sponsored a spouse, or does it default to the lower amount for children? The website doesn't specify, it assumes the children are coming with the partner.

Thanks!

Reagan

MiriamFigueras wrote:

Hi there, my name is Miriam and I am from Barcelona, Spain. I am currently planning to move to Edinburgh next month. Although I am aware of the Brexit situation, I hope that being a member of the EU would hopefully still be not so restricted in terms of working and living in Scotland and within the UK.

I am definitely interested in following up on that issue and in tips for finding rooms and apartments to rent, best areas to live and job finding tips. I also wanted to ask about other areas outside Edinburgh such as South Queensferry and if they were an easy commute to Edinburgh.

Thank you and all the best!

Miriam

Hi Miriam and welcome to the Forum.

South Queensferry is commutable to Edinburgh; there are both train and bus services, takes about 30/45 minutes respectively.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Rkerr6 wrote:

Hi Cynic, thanks for the welcome!

I took a peek at the Handy Tools, looks great. I'm sure I'll be digging around in there quite a bit.

I'm a British citizen by descent, not birth, so unfortunately it doesn't pass on to my kids.  The new rules for the family visa are quite staggering unless you're from the EEA. It's too bad the Commonwealth countries aren't treated similarly. I should be able to secure a job that would meet the financial requirements although I imagine it will be difficult to do from here, and although my hubby could find a well paying job once there, I don't think he'd qualify for a Tier 2.  It's really trying to figure out the timing and logistics for everything, especially if I have to go ahead of them. It feels very overwhelming at this point. :S

On another note, does anyone know if the Ancestry visa is available if you have a great grandparent born in the UK, or just a grandparent? The financial requirements are much lower for that.  Also, if I didn't have to sponsor my husband, does anyone know if to sponsor my kids the financial requirement is the same as if I sponsored a spouse, or does it default to the lower amount for children? The website doesn't specify, it assumes the children are coming with the partner.

Thanks!

Reagan

Only just noticed this response; apologies for not responding sooner.

If you have a British passport, then how you got it is immaterial, you're a British Citizen and that passes on to your children.  My advice would be for you to apply for their British passports now.

Ancestry is only relevant if one of your grandparents was born in the UK; it does not go any further than that.

What's the nationality line for your husband's side of the family?

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=751424

Thanks!