# Moving back to the UK



## EnglishJacq (Dec 15, 2019)

I’m a British (dual) citizen married for 27 years to a US citizen. For the last 9 years we’ve been living in Germany while my husband worked for the US military. We’d like to move to the UK late next year and so I’m looking for advice on how best to do this.

We will be semi-retired. We have enough funds to support ourselves indefinitely but my husband would eventually like to find something part time (professional doctor). 

Should we apply for a visa before moving over, or should he enter as a visitor and then start the process? He’s visited the UK numerous times before and just enters the UK through the biometric passport line with no questions asked. The reason I ask this is because we are in Germany under Status of Forces and are not in the German system at all. He doesn’t want to have to return to the US to apply from there, but isn’t ‘in’ Germany to apply from a European country. 

Can he just enter on his visitor status and then apply to remain?

TIA.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

No he cannot enter the UK and then apply for residency.

From the sounds of it you the Brit has lived in Germany but not as a working resident - it's your husband, the US citizen who has worked in Germany.

If you, the Brit, had been working in Germany you might have qualified to try and sponsor him via the Surindher Singh route (i.e Eu citizen returning to UK following residency in another EU country) - Brexit now puts this option in doubt

As it is you will need to return to the US, and apply from there. You will need to sponsor him for a spouse visa

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa.

Read up about the financial requirements:

https://assets.publishing.service.g...pendix-FM-1-7-Financial-Requirement-ext_1.pdf


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## EnglishJacq (Dec 15, 2019)

Thanks for the quick response. My husband hasn’t worked in the EU system at all either. Technically, as Status of Forces (US), we are in the US even though we’re stationed in Germany. 

The financial side isn’t an issue, we are able to support ourselves indefinitely if necessary including private health insurance. 

I’m thinking this may need an immigration lawyer/service. I’m wondering if we can apply through the US government/military services from here rather than have to physically return to the US to apply.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I'm not sure that you would have to return to the US, given that you are resident in Germany (even with your US husband working for the government). But the main thing is that YOU will have to "sponsor" your husband's visa application, which means that you will have to have sufficient income and secure a place where the two of you can live in the UK. 

I would post a query in the UK section here: https://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/

They normally have quite a few questions about obtaining a spouse visa. It's not an easy process - and you have to understand that you have no inherent "right" to have your husband join you if you return to the UK. (Works the same way for the US, BTW - getting a spouse visa for the US can take up to a year depending on your circumstances and its the US spouse that has to demonstrate adequate income and accommodation.)

This is the "official" government overview: https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa


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## EnglishJacq (Dec 15, 2019)

Thanks for your answer. Yes, I’ll post something over on the UK forum. I was rather hoping I could go ahead and buy a house and have him join me, at least part of the time, just as a visitor, while we applied for his visa.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

EnglishJacq said:


> Thanks for your answer. Yes, I’ll post something over on the UK forum. I was rather hoping I could go ahead and buy a house and have him join me, at least part of the time, just as a visitor, while we applied for his visa.


The spouse visa process can take as little as 6 to 8 weeks if priority service is paid for.


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## EnglishJacq (Dec 15, 2019)

That’s good to know - thanks!


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## parsenya (Dec 17, 2019)

There is a shortage of doctors in the UK, chances of getting a job for a doctor in the UK is very high. So you have that option as well. a UK firm sponsoring the work visa .


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