[Closed] Moving back to the UK

but apart from that, anything else?

You HAVE been watching the news from the UK, yes? Stay where you are amigo 🙂

We came back a couple of years ago after 13y abroad. No regrets so far. Food and beer is a lot better than when we left! Didn't have any job/visa worries though.

I really don't think it can be more F.... up than where I am (China)

Depends where you're coming from. It's pretty third world over here and you might be in for a major culture shock if you still imagine it to be anything like it was 13 years ago.

Are you allowed back in?

Travis ignore the negativity, unemployment in EU is 10% and 25-50% amongst the young but some people think our future lies there 😯

Get advice on the visa situation asap, my nephew had some trouble getting his new Chinese wife a visa bit onky as they where recently married. You should not have an issue just hoops to jump through, I'm sure you are aware.

Otherwise not particularly, I imagine your China experience will be useful - expect much greater focus Eastwards now in the UK. Employment prospects are still much better in the SE, more so perhaps even than when you left.

Welcome back 🙂

@Jambalaya Thanks, and @howsyourdad1 I'm not too sure
Yeah Visa thing, currently, I need to be working in the UK 6 months before she is allowed in.
Although, I reckon laws may change soon, now we are out of EU (sort of) she also has a skill which is useful (she's a middle school teacher at an English speaking school, teaching Oxbridge Mathematics to GCSE)
I thin the only thing that scares me is the rain... I only get 2 weeks a year.

I thin the only thing that scares me is the rain... I only get 2 weeks a year.

Its not called the green green grass of home for nothing! Nothing to worry about here in the SE....its mostly all good.

Lawyer up for the visa.

@Tom... what do you mean?

Be very careful lawyering up for visas. I used to work the Home Office a good few years ago. The Home Office were bad but the lawyers we dealt with were mostly unbelievably bad.

Any small mistake you make, will see to it that the visa will bounce.

Off the top of my head you're going to need:

1) A survey of the property that you are going to live in - to prove that it's habitable.

2) Proof of 6 months earnings

3) Photos of you and your together wife wearing different clothes and in different locations etc

4) An excuse as to why you can no longer stay in China

5) Text or social media transcripts to prove that you talk to each other when you are away from each other.

6) You will be taken aside and cross questioned separately from each other by what feels like NKVD officers - lawyers can help you understand what to expect on the actual day as well.

etc etc etc etc

a little bit confused. I was quite (and the wife was) willing for me to come to the UK for 6 months prior to she is allowed.
I want to play fair, not the game.

It's fine playing fair, we did. But don't get caught out - they will try to trip you up.

Cheers Tom.
Appreciate that.
I know they are making it harder to come back.
It's makes it even worse, when you have skills that is needed.

I don't think they liked us because we were both students in the UK and managed to get the visa based on our combined part time earnings over a 12 month period instead (we used a slightly unusual category to get through) 😆

Yeah up yours Theresa May.

so, after being brought up for 30 odd years, then away for some 13+ years... all is the same?
Actually, we are are only coming back for the children.
Green space.
There isn't a sq mm here

Are the children Chinese or British nationals? China has an issue with dual nationals doesn't it?

My brothers wife is Chinese....well Tibetan Chinese, personally I can see a lot of work for them in the UK when they are older if they speak Chinese and understand the culture.

Green space.
There isn't a sq mm here

Other countries with green space are available 🙂

I wouldn't move back to the UK right now given the choice, unless I had elderly rellies to take care of.

NZ? Canada?

Ignore the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the kiddies who didn't get their own way.

The UK will be a great place to live if you have English-Chinese language skills in the coming years.

There'll be a little bit less green space in the UK after 13 years away, but the pubs that are still open are better than they were, not least for food.

On the downside you'll probably find people a bit more pushy and self-centred than they were.

Visas are simply hoop jumping, if you can't show proof if a long term relationship, then thry will grill or just reject.

I understand it has got harder since we did it 7 years ago, but there was no need to lawyer up.

There was no need for 6 months income either asong as there was a lump sum in the bank.

Although I understand that it had increased. There was a law about no spousal visa to under 21 not sure if that is still going.

Join local expatt forums they will be more help

There is a lump sum thing - but you'd need 36 odd grand in the bank to wave the 6 months of pay slips.

There was a world of difference between my brothers older marriage visa application and ours - the one designed now was designed to lower immigration as much as possible by any means necessary.

Nice to see the scaremongering continuing.

Personally I'd leave it a bit longer till the spare change jar is full and the pound hits a proper low... Also mind out for the racists.

From a world wide perspective I'm not sure I would move back at the moment, really depends on what field you work in and how that will look while they try brexit.

Why do you want to comeback? Rose tinted spectacles?

Seriously. When away I always miss home. Then I think 'ah, hummm'.

The other thing to bare in mind is the rose tinted glasses, and the culture shock of returning.

The first six months while we waited for things to start up were awful, and we nearly left again. It was expensive as well, not working for 6 months, not able to sign on, burnt through our savings at a serious rate.

Personally I would not be paying anything to a lawyer or visa expert to put the application in, all the advice you need it on websites and expat forums who have. and are going through it now.

There was, and may well still be, rules in place for long term marriages as well, with visas being issued for them if they could be proved to be genuine and long term. Rather than popping over to whatever SEA and picking up a bride.

I do know of someone who used EU human right laws to get his wife granted a visa to the UK to marry, something about the right to marry, even though he didn't have the evidence, funds etc. He was a hipster weirdo from London so he may have just have threatened to wear even tighter and brightly coloured jeans if they didn't issue it.

Nice to see the scaremongering continuing.

Might be worth brushing up on flint tool making skills, cooking rodents and making clothes from hemp; UK economy is taking a bit of a dive at the moment 😉

@Hora, Education.

For the childrens benefit, the UK has a lot more to offer than China.
More things to do, more freedom, and fresh air (and a spot of rain too)

We dom't have parks to play football in, no where (safe) to ride bikes (and my son loves riding) Everything we do here, involves spending a lot of money (how about £10 per person to swim) and is a PITA to get to.
I know the UK isn't perfect, but then again no country is, and on top of that. I am burning my savings, putting them in International School, so that they have a normal rounded education.