The UK has strict rules about immigration and visa procedures, much like many other countries. Whether you can move to the UK depends on if you qualify for one of the possible UK Visas:

• do you have an ancestral right?
• do you have family, spouse or fiancé in the UK?
• do you have a job offer in the UK?
• do you wish to study in the UK?
• are you wealthy?
• are you starting a business that will employ others?

If you answered “yes” to at least one of those questions, then you have a possible path to qualify for a visa.

If not, unfortunately you’ll need to adjust your expectations. The UK is trying to reduce immigration, and there is no open door to American migrants.

It is not easy to meet all visa requirements, some of them are reliant on financial resources, to ensure that migrants are not a burden to the UK tax payer. The anti-migrant rhetoric in tabloids like the Daily Mail can be aggressive and this has had an effect of changes of the Visa rules.

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Check what UK Visa you need

Visit the United Kingdom Visas & Immigration Agency, current name. Previous names: UKBA, IND More Visa Information page:
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Cost: There are two parts to the cost.

• Application Fees can be hefty and vary per visa type
• Healthcare Surcharge: around £624 per year per family member [mfn]https://www.gov.uk/temporary-worker-charity-worker-visa/apply [/mfn]

Getting help

If you have further questions, visit our UK-Yankee Online Forum and post in our Visas & Citizenship section and the friendly members there will do their best to help explain the visa process.

You can also seek professional advice & assistance. You can find an OISC approved immigration advisor at www.oisc.gov.uk/people_seeking_immigration_advice/.