How to Emigrate to England from the USA

If you’re thinking about emigrating from the US to England, that’s great! As someone who’s done just that, living in the UK definitely has its perks – that free healthcare is a game-changer! However, you are going to have to go through a mountain of paperwork, and emigrating to the UK isn’t the cheapest thing in the world!

So, with all that in mind, let’s dive in and find out all about emigrating to England from the USA.

Check your visa eligibility

First things first, you need to find out which UK visa you’re actually eligible for. Contrary to popular belief, US citizens do need a visa to live and work in the UK. As it stands, US citizens can stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa, but you cannot work during that time. If you want to stay long-term, you need a visa. 

There are quite a few different avenues that you can go down when choosing a visa. Let’s run through the options and see which is the right visa for you! 

british passport

UK Ancestor Visa

If you’re lucky enough to have a British grandparent who was born in the UK, Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands, then you can apply for a UK Ancestor Visa. These visas last for five years and then you’re able to apply for your indefinite leave to remain (ILR) which is essentially permanent residency. 

Investor Visa

Do you have a spare £2 million lying around? Well then, if you want to invest that money in the UK’s economic growth then you can get yourself a visa! Like many of these controversial Golden Visas, the easiest way to do this is to buy property. You can either buy a high-end property in London for a cool £2 million, invest it in local businesses, or become a mass landlord. 

Global Talent Visa

Are you an expert in the field of culture, arts, academia, research, or digital technology? The UK wants you! If you meet any of these criteria and want to work either in the private sector or in universities around the country, you can apply for this specialist visa. 

Innovator Visa

Think you’ve got the next big business idea? If you have a sponsor and a business idea that hasn’t been seen on the market before, you could apply for an Innovator Visa. You’ll need a full business plan and someone who is willing to vouch for you while you’re in the UK, building your business. The idea is that as you build your business, you’ll be contributing jobs, taxes, and insight to the UK economy. 

Student Visa

If you want to have the quintessential British university experience, you can. There are dedicated student visas that you can apply for if you have a valid acceptance letter from a college or university. These allow you to stay for the length of your study (up to five years) and you have the opportunity to swap it over to a Graduate Visa which allows you to stay for another two years so that you can find a job in the UK.

One of the good things about the UK Student Visa is that you’re also allowed to work alongside your studies up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. This means that you can support yourself or get some valuable work experience while you’re studying for your degree. 

Sportsperson Visa

If you’re an elite sportsperson or coach who is recognized by your sport’s national governing body, then you might be eligible to move to the UK. This can be to train and represent, to support grassroots sport, or to boost the popularity of your sport in the UK. 

Skilled Worker Visa

As with many countries around the world, employers can sponsor US citizens to live and work in the UK. This means that your employer would need a sponsor license and sponsoring a non-UK citizen costs around £1,000 per year.

If you’re trying to hit the ground running and arrive in the UK with a job offer in hand, make sure that they’re willing to sponsor you. You can even negotiate the £1,000 fee as part of your package if necessary.  

However, you need to be listed as a Skilled Worker according to the UK government. There’s a full list of roles and industries on the official government website. This is similar to the Australian system where there’s a list of in-demand skilled jobs.

This has caused controversy in the UK as the distinctions between skilled and unskilled work have been sketchy, to say the least, so double-check if your occupation is on it!

Health and Care Worker Visa

This one is pretty straightforward, if you work in the health and care work sector, you can apply for a dedicated visa. Much like the Global Talent Visa, this industry has a separate visa track from the other Skilled Worker visas as they’re pretty much always in demand in the UK. So, if you want to work in the UK and you work in this industry, you can get fast-tracked through on this dedicated visa.

Intra-Company Visa

If you work for a multinational corporation that has offices in the UK and you want to transfer between locations, there’s a special visa for that. As you’re essentially just moving offices and not getting a whole new job, you’re more of a safe bet in the eyes of the UK government. This visa is now also called the Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility), so it’s all about getting a global experience in the UK. So, if you’re lucky enough to work for a company with international offices and they’re willing to transfer you, you might be able to get this specialist visa. 

Find Accommodation

Once you’ve figured out which visa is right for you and know that you’re eligible to emigrate to England from the USA, it’s time to find accommodation. Depending on your situation, you might want to wait until you’re in the country to do this, but you can always work out which areas you want to live in.

Let’s be honest, the vast majority of US expats move to London. The bustling capital is full of people from all around the world and is well-connected to just about everywhere with multiple airports, international train stations, and more.

It is also by far the most expensive place in England. Average apartments go for around £1,500 per month without any utilities, and let’s just say, London apartments aren’t known for being spacious. If you’re moving to London, you need to make sure you’re earning enough to comfortably live there. There are also a lot of flatshare opportunities where you can rent a room for around £800 per month depending on the area. 

If you want to live in a city outside of London, rents are much cheaper. For example, the average rent in Manchester is £1,000 per month, Liverpool is £840 per month, and Newcastle is £950. There are pockets that can be more expensive than parts of London like Oxford or Bristol thanks to their short commuter times into the capital.

Ship your belongings

If you’re moving to the UK, you’re going to need to ship your belongings. Of course, you need an address to send them to, so if you don’t have a permanent place, you might need to set up a storage solution in the meantime. 

moving boxes

Depending on how much stuff you have, shipping belongings across the Atlantic can easily run into the thousands of pounds. While shipping by air is by far the quickest option, it’s up to five times more expensive than shipping by sea. So, work out whether you prefer the savings versus the speed. 

If you’re shipping by sea, you need to be organized and have your stuff packed and ready to go a few months before you want to move. If you’re sending things by air, you can afford to be a little less organized and send it pretty last minute.

It’s important to remember that you’re moving to a country that has many of the same stores and websites that you use in the US, so unless something is one-of-a-kind or sentimental, maybe question whether you should be paying to ship it or whether it’s most cost-effective to sell it in the US and buy a new version in the UK.

Open a bank account

Okay, so this is a big one. Nothing in the UK can get done without a valid UK bank account. If you want to get paid, get a lease, prove your identity, and set up a phone plan, a bank account is crucial. However, in true bureaucratic style, there’s a catch-22. 

In order to secure a lease on a rental property or be able to buy a property outright or get a mortgage, you need a UK bank account with proof of funds. Sounds pretty sensible, right?

Well, you can’t open a UK bank account without having a valid UK address. Now you see the issue.

There are ways around this, of course. Your US bank might be able to help you out if they have a partnership with a bank over there or are an international banking outfit. If that’s not viable, there are a few UK banks like HSBC, Lloyds TSB, and Barclays, which offer UK bank accounts for international expats which you can open from overseas before you arrive.

You can also delve into the world of fintech if you need a UK bank account in a pinch and then you can switch things over once you’re set up with a proper address.   

Bringing pets with you

If you have a furry friend who’s making the big move with you, there’s a checklist of things that you need to consider before they travel. 

These rules apply to dogs, cats, and ferrets, but if you want to bring a different pet into the UK, you have to follow different guidelines which can be found on the UK government website. Of course, you’re not going to give a rabies vaccination to a tropical fish, after all!

For dogs, cats, and ferrets, there are really three main things that you need to make sure they comply with before they come to the UK, otherwise, your pet might be quarantined or even sent back to the US. 

You need to make sure that they have:

  • A rabies vaccination
  • A microchip
  • A valid health certificate
  • Been treated for tapeworm in the last 24 hours (if your pet is a dog)

If for some reason your pet has to be quarantined, this will be done by a trained government official. You are not allowed to move your pet until this quarantine period is up and it can be up to a few months. 

The cost of moving to the UK as a US citizen

Okay, so we’ve gone through the different steps and eligibility concerns when it comes to moving to the UK from America, but how much is this really all going to cost?

Well, as I said at the beginning of this article, emigrating to England from the USA is not cheap. Depending on how many dependents you’re bringing, your shipping fees, and where you plan on living once you’re in the UK, you’re going to need anywhere between $20,000 and $40,000 for the move and set-up costs alone. It’s not a quick and cheap process! 

Not all of these costs will apply to every person, so let’s break it down.

Visa Fees

So, this largely depends on which visa you’re going for, but a conservative estimate is between $2,000-3,000 per application. It’s important to remember that this is just for the visa. This doesn’t cover express courier fees, biometrics, copies, translation services, and more. You could easily add another $500-1,000 to this amount if you need to utilize all these services. 

Health surcharge

As the UK offers free healthcare in the form of the NHS (National Health Service), when you go to the GP or emergency room you won’t be asked to pay unless you need a prescription which is often at a flat rate of £11.90 per item.

However, when you apply for your visa, you also need to pay a health surcharge so that you can access the services going forward. This is not an optional charge and it’s around $860. Compared to the US healthcare costs, it’s a small price to pay to be covered while you’re in the UK! 

Flights

Okay, so again, this depends a lot on where you’re traveling from in the US. While flights between East Coast cities like New York, Boston, and Washington DC can cost as low as $200 for a one-way ticket, West Coast tickets from LA or San Francisco are a lot closer to $500 for a one-way ticket, and if you’re coming from a more regional airport or are planning on landing in Manchester or Birmingham, flights can easily rise up to $1,000 per ticket. 

Shipping

Hands down, shipping is the most expensive moving cost. Depending on whether you choose to ship by air or by sea is going to massively affect the price, but industry standard shipping prices between the US and UK are between $6,000-10,000. 

This obviously depends on how much you plan on shipping as many companies operate either on weight or the number of boxes. So, if there are any items that you can leave behind or sell and buy replacements for when you’re in the UK, it can save you a huge amount of money in the long run!

Pet Costs

With vet bills, transportation costs, health certificates, vaccinations, and more, relocating your pet comes in at around $6,000. There are a lot of special considerations that have to be made so that your furry friends can arrive safely and soundly in your new home!

Rent

Depending on where you plan on living in the UK, you could be paying anywhere from $1000 to $2,500 in rent for an apartment. You need to make sure that you have the first month’s rent, plus the same amount again as a deposit. If you’re in London, be prepared to pay more!

Utilities

On average, you’ll spend around £160 per month on electricity, gas, and water. You’ll also need to pay council tax – unless you’re a student – which is anywhere from £100-200 per month depending on your area and the size of your property.

Internet and mobile costs are around the same as in the US, and there are a whole host of providers to choose from. If you want access to local TV services, you’ll also have to buy a TV license which is around £180 for the year. If you get caught without a license, you might get fined £1,000.

Personal Savings

When you arrive in the UK, you have to have a minimum of $1,750 in savings to be allowed in. This is part of your visa terms, so check to see if the amount is slightly different for you. Of course, with the costs of living in England, especially in London, I’d advise having a lot more than $1,750 in your bank as a contingency buffer!

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