Disclaimer: This blog provides general immigration information, not legal advice. Laws and policies change frequently, and individual circumstances vary. Always do your own research and consider speaking with an accredited immigration lawyer before making any decisions. I am not affiliated with any government agency and am not responsible for outcomes based on this information. Official guidance on immigrating can be found on the UK Home Office website.
First off, immigrating to the United Kingdom from the United States (or anywhere else) is not for the faint of heart. The process is lengthy, expensive, and complicated. There are no guarantees you’ll be successful – even if you do everything right. It requires strong motivation, commitment, and a not-insignificant amount of money.
If that doesn’t put you off, successfully immigrating is also…possible.
Why bother immigrating to the UK?
There are loads of reasons why you might be looking into moving to the UK. Perhaps you’re not happy with the state of politics/living standards in the US and want to see what life could be like elsewhere. Maybe you grew up watching British TV and movies and feel like the culture better suits you. It could be for a job or study opportunity that also opens easier travel access the rest of Europe and the world. Or possibly the thought of free health care holds strong appeal.
If you are fortunate enough to have a choice about moving to a new country, I would argue that the stronger motivation is wanting to move towards something rather than away from something.
Meaning, wanting to actively build a life in the UK is going to give you more motivation than just wanting to leave the US. That said, if your human rights are being threatened in the US, that would be a pretty powerful motivator for wanting to live in a country where you can be safe, respected, and valued.
Whatever your motivation, there are many routes into settlement in the UK. These routes all require a visa and there are lots of different types.
You may have heard of Tourist visas that give you permission to travel to a country for vacation, or Work visas which allow you to live and work in a country for a certain period of time. Ancestry visas are also possible – but only if you’re a citizen of a Commonwealth country (this does not include the US) AND one of your grandparents was born in the UK, not if an ancestry website said you’re 20% Scottish, for example.😉
On the next pages, I will summarise the main UK visa types that exist, and their eligibility requirements. I aim to include the most up-to-date information from the Home Office website, but as always, if you’re serious about moving, do your own research as well.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments!
