Moving to another country is not for the faint of heart. It helps if you are determined (stubborn) have an adventurous streak and are married to someone even more adventurous and stubborn than yourself.
You would think moving to the UK when one of you is a British citizen would be simple. You would be wrong.
My Loving Spouse is currently an Ex-Pat. However, if he leaves the USA for a set number of days he will lose his green card, making it hard for us to return to the USA should we chose to do so.
Our Steps to leaving besides selling the house, etc. yada yada
Step 1 in leaving was his becoming an American citizen. A process for sure, but all in all one of our eaiser steps. (They waived his requirement to prove he could speak English.) They handed him an American flag and swore him in. He now has dual citizenship and is a regular patriot in both countries so he’s a Regular Pat.
Step 2 Filing for a UK Spousal Visa
Gone are the good old days where one could walk into a consulate, fill out the forms and talk to living people. Applying on line with Gov.UK took many hours, most questions required proof. Some of my favorite questions were:
- Have you and your spouse met? Do you have pictures of you together?
- Do you and your spouse live in the same home. Can you proof this by showing bills with both of your names on them?
- Do you have X amount of money? How long have you had it? Can you prove it?
- Where did X amount of money come from?
“Once the third party receives your documentation for your application you will hear back from the UK. This will take 8-12 weeks or 24.”
The third party instructions were so confusing!! I finally printed them out, crossing out what did not pertain to me and highlighted anything that did.
Great cheering was heard when we received this!
Now I will be an Ex-Pat
Step 3 Open a Scottish bank account.
While in Scotland we tried to open a bank account.
Day 1 went into Bank of Scotland. “Oh, the person who does international accounts is not here today. All you need is a UK passport. Come back tomorrow.”
Day 2 – ‘Oh, you do that on-line.’ Okay, we’ll do it when we get home.
On-line did not go well. My Loving Spouse spoke to the agent for the Bank of Scotland.
“Oh, Sir, you need to have proof of a Scotland address for 3 months.”
‘How am I going to pay my bills for 3 months, while I do not have a bank account?‘ My Regular Pat asked calmly and patiently (I like to think).
“I don’t know.”
Step 4 Open an International Bank Account
Fill out application. Prove you are a real person.
Currently waiting for an answer.
Step 5 Find a Dog shipper
So far this has been the most complicated and expensive. My Loving Spouse (Regular Pat) has spent upwards of 50 hours researching and speaking with the different providers who can get Gunner on the plane and off again at the right spot. Gone are the days of showing up with your baggage, a dog crate and a large yellow dog. One place said he was 3 pounds overweight and although we thought about putting him on a diet, the Vet said he didn’t have 3 pounds to lose. One dog shipper was going to cost over $5000. We’re feeling grateful to have one lined up at half that rate and we’ve explained to the dog that he is now an Ex-Pat-Dog and will not be coming home for any visits.
Step 6 Set up Shipping Agent
We are taking very, very little with us. However, we still are taking dear and important ‘stuff’, just not much of it and it has to be shipped. It will take 3 months and will be charged by volume. It won’t be cheap, so anything that costs more to ship than the item is worth will not go.
Step 6a Get rid of almost everything you own
WhoaNelly – sold
Pressure washer and my favorite wheel barrow – sold
T-posts, extra chicken wire, 2 bales of hay and a few fishing poles – donated to sweet family friends of ours and we were delighted…but this is just the beginning.
Step 7 Begin collecting those precious hugs
The hard part and the sweet part of living life. They call me their family..
I am his ‘Sis’
and ‘the daughter I never had’.
There are tears.
…and I am blessed.
Love this post!!! Xo
Hugs! xo
Oh, I only wish you the very best as you face this brand new adventure! Thank for keeping us all in the loop.
Thank you, Leslie. So much to still do as we wait to see if the contingencies on the house will be removed! Yikes.
Ditto to all Rob said. But how exciting! You are making headway!
Yes, sweet cousin, it has been so fun to live close to you all! Now we’ll have more adventures in Scotland.
What a move. I admire your adventuresomeness (sounds like a word to me?)
Thank you so much Doris!
Oh, I need one of those precious hugs! Perhaps it will have to be on the other side of the pond! Many prayers coming your way for all that still has to be done.
Oh, sweet friend, we will see each other before too long, I am sure. I wish you were here, we have so much fun working together. A dumpster is on its way for Wednesday. much love,
e
Hi “Soon-to-be-ex-Washingtonians”,
First; your “Pat” was, is and never will be, just a regular Pat.
Second; What we won’t do for a family member = Gunner!
Third; We will miss you being as near as you were.
Fourth; We have talked often of going to Ireland (or Scotland).
All our prayers and good wishes,
one of your Seattle cousins- Rob & Candy
My Unregular Pat says, ‘Thank you’. You’re right, he is not a regular guy. We have enjoyed sharing the farm with you so very much. We will look forward to sharing Scotland with you too. Thank you for the prayers, we’ll take each one. much love,
E