Long-Term Stay in the UK
 

My husband and I have an opportunity to move to the UK for one year. I'm told, however, that we will have to leave the UK after 6 months for a "period of time" before we can return to finish out our visit. Does anyone know just how long this "period of time" is? No one in the UK seems to know, but I've heard everything from one day to 8 weeks. <BR> <BR>I really appreciate any information you may have. Thanx.

Hi Sunni <BR>I'm not sure if I'm on the right track with this or not but here goes... <BR>A few friends of mine have relocated to the UK and suffered visa problems. For the renewal of their visa, they must be out of the country. Most of them go to paris or amsterdam for the day and then return to find their visa application sorted.

(assuming you are from the US) You are allowed 6 months just on your passport. Then you can do a day trip to Paris, a weekend in Amsterdam - just any short trip out of the UK and you will be good for another 6 months. <BR> <BR>(British Commonwealth citizens have different rules.)

<BR> <BR>Try contacting the British Foreign Office. They have a website: <BR>http://visa.fco.gov.uk/

It has just goneo n down the line as newer things have been posted , it was in the 4th section of 50 messages. As something new is posted everything moves back 1

I suggest you contact the British Consultate in the US (probably NYC) to find out this information. I am assuming that you have the opportunity to live in the UK for a year because you have established employment over there or because your husband is being transferred over there for a year. If that is the case, then your husband's employer will work all of this out for you. All I can tell you from experience is that my sister attended the London School of Economics (to obtain her masters degree) for 18 months and had no problem obtaining a student visa for that length of time. Other suggestions are to call the US State Department and ask some questions or an immigration attorney (an attorney or paralegal will point you in the right direction). <BR> <BR>Leslie

It does depend on what you're coming to do and where you're coming from. <BR> <BR>If you want to check on line try <BR>http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ <BR> <BR>The work permit stuff is elsewhere. <BR> <BR>Give details and I'll try to answer. Hope this helps

To all who replied to my posting, a big thanx. I really appreciate the time you took to answer. In response to the "why" we're going... we are neither students nor workers. Our son lives there and we're going over to play for a year or as soon as the money runs out. Again, thanx very much.

Even simpler, Sunni. Once you walk through to immigration at Heathrow, claim asylum. Seems to work for thousand of others of late.

Assuming your year is work related be SURE to understand the tax implications. We were also sent to UK last year for work but had to leave after 6 months because of the taxes. If we stayed any longer both countries would have considered us citizens for tax purposes. If your company isn't agreeing to pick up the tax tab after six months you could be working for nothing or worse. Please check it out!

oops! missed the post that said it was all holiday...you lucky dog!!!!!!

If you're just coming to visit, then I believe the maximum allowed stay in the UK is six months, after which you can re-enter (for another six months) if you leave the country. I think it can be as simple as a day away, provided you can satisfy HM immigration that you possess the means to support yourselves during your second stay. If your initial visa is for less than six months it can be extended once you arrive, but probably not past six months. The immigration inspectors at the airports, etc. have wide authority and can make things easy or tough as the case may be. On your initial entry you might mention your desire to stay for a year and get their advice, better yet, contact a British consular office before you go.

<BR> <BR>The asylum idea is great. If you tell them your son already lives here, they'll let you straight in. <BR> <BR>And probably give you a nice 3-bedroom semi in the suburbs to boot! <BR> <BR>And you won't even have to learn our language!! <BR>

Janis is right. You'll just need to leave for a day. <BR> <BR>Sue, I hate to argue with you, but where did you get that information? I lived in the UK for 2 years, and paid taxes in the UK. As a US citizen married to a US permanent resident, we were required to file a US tax return even though we weren't living in the US. The US has a treaty with the UK, as it does with many countries, where US citizens and permanent residents living in the UK only pay UK taxes on money earned in the UK. There is no double tax. My husband's a CPA and a Chartered Accountant and his best friend in the US is one of the top immigration attorneys in the US, so I'm pretty confident about this. And add to the fact that our tax return for one of the years we were in the UK was audited, and the IRS said we followed the procedures precisely.

To Kathryn: <BR> <BR>Just a question of clarification. Does that mean you just filed a US tax return but did not pay any taxes on your UK earnings?? And you also filed a UK tax return for which you paid your taxes based on your UK earnings?? Thanks Kathryn.

To Kathryn: <BR>I just want to clarify my understanding of the tax laws. If you are in the uk for less than 6mos of their tax year (Apr 6 to Apr 5, or therabouts) in the first year, then you pay US taxes on your worldwide income for the year and UK taxes on the income earned while in the UK. Because of the tax treaty betw US and UK, you get a US tax credit (not necessarily $ for $, but almost) for the taxes paid in the UK. If you stay in the UK for more than 6 mos, then you become an ordinary resident of the UK and owe UK taxes on your worldwide income and owe US taxes on the income while in the US, i.e. the situation reverses. Again, you will get a UK tax credit for the taxes paid in the US. After one year, the test for residency in the UK drops from 6 months to a mere 3months averaged over 3 or 4 years, I'm not sure which. In any case, becoming a UK ordinary resident has significant tax consequences due to the higher tax rate in the UK, but not double tax as I may have implied in my previous post.

Kathryn: This whole discussion of taxes is nutty - Sunni will be on HOLIDAY in the UK - no wages/earnings! Their tax liability is to the USA. They will not be on work visas, student visas, or asylum seeking. Just an extended vacation using their passports to enter - six months, leave the country for a day and then six more months (or until their money runs out) <BR> <BR>Don't confuse matters