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I thought this might be of interest to several of you: Sunday Telegraph ArticlePlease keep in mind that this is not the official announcement, yet. Since an announcement has to be made at least 21 days in advance, it is likely to be made some time in April, though. EDIT: This is the original MAC report on family migrationIt explains all the changes they recommend but which of them will be among the changes implemented is yet to be seen. | |
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Hello all:
This is a bit of a long question, but hopefully someone can answer this for me.
I am a US citizen and have a valid passport. I studied in the UK for three years, but had to leave in August 2010 following two unsuccessful appeals to the extension of my student visa.
I am planning a summer trip to Scotland to visit friends (have not solidfied plans), and I am a little worried, because of my past visa issues. If I had to leave (voluntarily left), will this affect my ability to travel to the UK? Will I still need a tourist visa? And will I have to get the travel/tourist visa from the UK or the US, if I need one? (The US agency says I don't need one; the UK Border Agency site says I do need one.)
Sorry if this sounds less than helpful, but I am truly not sure of my options right now. Any advice would be awesome. | |
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Are there adverts in british telly that treat homosexuality in a matter-of-fact manner?
as in, say you have a cereal advert or a retirement plan advert that shows some sort of family or couple because advertisers try to play to a warm family values atmosphere. are there examples of adverts that will do this but with a homosexual couple, not really drawing attention to it, but just putting it out there?
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I really really want to live and work in America ever since I've been a little whipper snapper!! Now i have a under grad degree and i have a Masters degree in film production. but is it worth my while to pay one of these company's that look for a sponsor for the H1B visa??? considering both my degree's are media related??
Peace
Ash | |
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A purely hypothetical question from an American master's student who has been in the UK since undergrad on two consecutive student visas:
Is it feasible to do two graduate courses (in my case, a research doctorate alongside a separate, second vocational MA in a neighboring city) alongside one another, in a discreet manner?
Would a student pursuing both courses be able to enter the UK on a 3-year Tier 4 student visa registered with the doctorate-granting institution, having neglected to register the CAS number offered by the MA-granting institution? Would it simply be a matter of "I'm here legally; I can pursue supplementary study for fun!" or would Hypothetical Student risk deportation and/or getting in serious trouble? The UKBA site is ambiguous - it seems to simultaneously forbid studying at multiple institutions while leaving an enormous grey area in the field of acceptable "supplementary study."
(for the purposes of this argument, let's assume that the academic-feasibility and financial-feasibility side of things have already been discussed and tacitly approved by some members of the doctorate-granting institution. Quite a few home students of my acquaintance have been able to do the "double degree" thing (usually a law degree alongside a doctorate, although in one case it was a second master's degree) without being found out; however, they didn't have visa issues involved.).
Both institutions are regarded as Highly Trusted Sponsors and are in no danger of having said privileges revoked anytime soon, if that makes a difference. | |
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Two part post. One long, one short.
Part the First
I've been living in the USA since I was 12. I'm contemplating a return to the UK in 2013. I have retained my British citizenship.
As far as I know, I don't have an NI number. Contraiwise, my I've-only-got-Google research suggests that if my Mum got benefits for me (which she did) she would have had to have set me up with an NI number in order to receive it.
Is that scenario possible? Or was something (gasp!) wrong on the Internet?
(I'd ask my mum, but she's dead. Dad - still in America, also - is no use.)
Mind you, if Mum did register me for an NI number when I was a wee 'un, then begins the exciting process of finding out what it is!
I would just cheerfully shrug and apply for a new NI once in the UK, but I have horrifying visions of the system throwing up my name with a number already attached and hilariously awful consequences ensuing. Besides, not having to wait for the bureaucracy to do its thing would save me some time. I'd really hate to get a job offer only to hear that I can't get paid until I provide an NI number and, oh, did we mention the bureaucracy will take up OMGhowlong to do so...
Thoughts? Suggestions?
At this point, I'm honestly hoping that Google led me astray!
(edited for accuracy because I'm a bit stupid sometimes)
Part The Second
Has anyone else around here done something similar - returned to Britain after leaving as a child? I'm curious to hear others' experiences / advice / horror stories, etc.
Thanks! | |
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Hi, tiamatlady and I are going through the Spouse Visa application. I'm a bit unclear what contact details I (as the "sponsor") should put for my "employer", since I work for a multinational, and it seems to be written as if we all work for individuals? * For address, I presume the address of the office I work at makes sense - though I was wondering if instead it should be the address on my P60 (which gives the legal address for the UK part of the company)? (The guidance says "where your sponsor works" suggesting it should be the former.) Or should it be say where HR are located (which I think is another physical address altogether)? * If the former, then I can also put that office's phone number (which goes through to reception, though I don't know whether they'd be able to give out any info)? * But I have no idea what to put for my company's "email address"? I could put my manager, or perhaps HR? (The guidance says "Include details of website if appropriate", which I could put, though it's unclear if a website address should be in addition or can be supplied instead - plus I've no idea where the contact details on the website go - it's just a generic address for the entire UK bit of the company.) Thanks. | |
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After 11 years, three different visas (J1, H1-B, EB-1 -> Permanent Resident), about $10,000 and countless miserable visits to the Application Support Center to be photographed and fingerprinted, my husband and I will reach the end of our immigration journey in 3 weeks, when we have our citizenship interview and quiz. I consider myself very lucky - I left the UK in October of 2000 as a newly minted PhD with a two-year non-renewable contract and a non-immigrant visa. I never imagined I would still be here 11 years later! | |
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I've been working fulltime in the UK for the past year and a half, and I've got an account with Barclays. I want to close this and transfer all of it to my Canadian TD account. I'm not sure what's the best way to go about this -- has anyone here done the same before?
I'm thinking that I'd have to talk to Barclays first, close the account and get a cheque from them (do they give you a cheque when you close your account? or cash or what?), then take it to a forex firm to get it converted to CAD. They would then would give me...what? Another cheque? Which I would then deposit when I get home.
Does this sound right, or is that not what would happen, or is there a better way? How much can I expect to lose in the conversion? | |
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Hi, there. I heard about your community in immigration and thought I'd post here as well. I read your FAQ and first I'd like to say I am not a student yet (I do plan on going to school sometime in the next few years), don't have any UK relatives, I am not looking to marry a UK citizen and I work from home as a web/graphic designer and have a small internet business. These four things make it pretty damn rough when you want to move to the UK permanently and gain citizenship. I also took a look at the national shortage occupations list and graphic design is on the list but I'm not sure if "computer graphics supervisor" or the entire graphic design section is what I would fall under since I don't do work for film, television or video games yet. I also went through the tags; specifically the "moving to the uk" tag and most of the posts under that tag seem to be about marrying a citizen of the UK, people with college degrees or for people whose situation is pretty different from my own. I know gaining citizenship and being able to move to the UK permanently is no easy task at all but I am trying to figure out my options and what I can do to make the process easiest for myself (not easy, though, just easier than other options). I've been researching this for a few months and the information is so overwhelming and I'd really like to hear from people who have been through similar ordeals for their input and advice. Some of this I have copy and pasted from my post in immigration, but I feel like the more details I give the easier it is for people to give me input/advice. I live in the USA, English is my mother language and I am interested in gaining a work permit, permanent residence, citizenship and/or possible naturalization. My best friend moved to the UK a few years ago and fortunately for her it was much easier for her than it will be for me since she married a UK citizen. I have visited the UK a couple of times now and I am absolutely in love with it. I will live in the states for another year or so until my lease runs out and then it's time for me to move once more and I'd like it to be somewhere I've always wanted to live, the UK (England to be specific); the reason being I am tired of moving and want to move somewhere I won't want to move away from and I just don't like anywhere in the states enough to say that about them. What would be the easiest way (again, not that any way will be particularly easy at all, just one that is a little easier than the rest) for me to go about moving their permanently and gaining citizenship with my current situation? Will I absolutely need a Visa and if so, which do I qualify for? It doesn't seem like I qualify for any of them :( Is there anything I can do to make this whole process more doable; change of profession, school, etc? And the way naturalization works; according to the immigration website naturalization is able to be applied for if you have lived in the UK for five years and are over the age of 18. How could I explore that idea? IE, how can I live there for five years in order for that to be an option? Pretty much, is there even a small possibility this could work out for me? I'm sorry for the noobness, and thank you so much in advance.. it really means the world to me. Any other advice or tips are greatly welcomed. | |
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so i just watched Obama's SoTU address, and i'm left with a high degree of mixed emotions about the whole thing. During his presidential campaign, there was a lot of emphasis placed on dealing with our economic crisis, strategies to create jobs, help industry find its footing again, &c.
all of that is fine and good because that was one of the key things on everyone's mind at the time. Not that that isn't still important as the national economy is still on the beginnings of the road to recovery, but through all of the topics that he tried to address - most of which i resonate with and support - the one thing that i felt was lacking is something that's very close to my heart.
which is that i'm an artist. a musician, a composer by degree and somewhat by trade (a music educator otherwise). Music is my passion and is something i always dreamt making my career out of, and despite the fact that in high school it seemed improbable and despite my parents' initial resistance, i was intent on following my dream and utilizing my talent to create art that tries to appeal to lots of different levels.
i had a lot of inspiration along the way. The right sort of teachers in the right places, the right sort of musical role models that resonated in the artist in me. I feel that despite the fact that even then when i thought that dreamers and artists like me were politely frowned upon, i still had enough people to support me and validate my passion so that i can be in a place i am now: a career in music that is at least moderately successful and something i'm generally happy with. And i make it my mission to try to instill the inspiration that was given to me to my students and to those who have exposure to my art and my passion.
But i live in a time where the arts and extracurriculars in our public schools continues to diminish, where it feels like talk of becoming a composer or a musician or a storyteller are flights of fancy that should eventually turn into real "grown up" responsibilities of finding a more stable job or one that has more practical value. And today watching a president who i respect and admire and has a lot of right ideas made one thing clear: i don't live in a current national climate where dreamers and artists like me are given significant priority or advocacy. And it's damned depressing.
So my question is: how do people feel about this across the pond? Is there strong advocacy for innovation and creativity in ways that doesn't always lead to straightforward tangible ends? Where do the dreamers and artists and musicians and fiction authors &c fit in society from a practical and perception standpoint?
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Alex Gilvarry was on the leonard lopate show today(radio talk show in the new york city area) and he had a quote I thought I'd share, though I'm sure its not the exact quote:
"The two most british people are half-American, Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie." | |
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Hello all,
This might seem like a confusing question, so I'll try to keep it simple. My brother, an American citizen by birth, is currently living in Trinidad as a dual citizen (Trinidad/US). However our father is a British citizen and my brother would like to apply for a UK passport as I have.
I wanted to know if I could apply for a passport on behalf of my brother. I'm currently living in England and wanted to know if it would be easier to apply for it from here. My brother isn't very good with forms and documents and that sort of thing, so I think it'd be best if I just did it. The question is, would I be able to? | |
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Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I've just had a quick look through the archives/tags and didn't find any posts relating to this topic.
I have been living in England for 16 years and still can't get over the way nearly all English people seem to presume you celebrate Christmas, wishing you "Happy Christmas" and asking you if you are "ready for Christmas?". This question is nonsensical for me because apart from sending a few cards and sometimes having a meal with friends, I don't celebrate Christmas. When I try to explain this people often seem taken aback, as if it is something very unusual. Because of this, I have mostly stopped explaining this to people and just answer their question with "yes" (because technically I am ready, since there is nothing for me to do!) and let them assume I celebrate Christmas.
Yet my recollection from growing up in the USA (mostly California) is that I was taught it is rude to assume people celebrate Christmas, as for example they might be Jewish. Now I am wondering, is my memory correct? Is it considered rude in the USA to assume people celebrate Christmas? I thought that's why people there wish each other "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings". | |
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- Mood:cheerful

Hi everybody. You may remember me from such posts as Experience Post!! Applying for British Citizenship. This morning I got a letter from the Border Agency saying that my British Citizenship has been approved. I applied on approximately 11 October. The letter is dated 09 December 2011. So this means that my application took two months. (I am not late in posting this -- the post in my area is delayed by weeks and we have not been receiving bills, letters, packages, etc.) The letter states that I have 21 days to contact a local authority and go through a ceremony. Having already missed 12 days (yikes), I went to the local council today to talk to them about it. Edit 1: At the registry officeI spoke to a nice receptionist about appointments and various other things. She went to get my "file" which was in a very small filing book holding no more than ten other applications. When the Border Agency mails you the letter, they simultaneously mail something to your local council (note that if you applied through a different council like I did, they'll still send it to your local one) -- a letter like the one you got, a certificate, and some other stuff. You then need to make an appointment for the ceremony. IF you participate in a group ceremony (in my council they're held once a month) then you have nothing to pay. IF you need a private ceremony (that is, you've missed the group one like I did) then you need to pay. The fee is set by your local council. You then make an appointment and the ceremony takes ten minutes. I'll update you about the ceremony on Friday. Sidenote: I sent a text message to my FIL stating that I received this letter and he sent me one back saying "Horray, well done. Better like marmite and beer." I guess I had better then. Any questions? Also, what other British things must I do? (Please answer with any silly comments.) Edit about ceremony under cut( And here ) | |
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