UK visa question(s)

[mike]

My son and his girlfriend are planning to live in the UK for a year, starting next July. They're struggling to get the info required to get a work visa, the UK embassy aren't very helpful. (they want to charge $2.70 per minute to just ring them for info)
Has anybody here done something similar or know anything about it?

Thanks.

[Shadesy]

My son and his girlfriend are planning to live in the UK for a year, starting next July. They're struggling to get the info required to get a work visa, the UK embassy aren't very helpful. (they want to charge $2.70 per minute to just ring them for info)
Has anybody here done something similar or know anything about it?

Thanks.

Are they under 30.

Most of the info is online. You have to apply and send the form, passport, financial info and travel documents to the embassy in Canberra and hope for the best.

I did it 7 years ago and a bit hazy on the details.

[PerryGroves]

I lived in the UK ages ago when the visa requirement was up to 26, its now 18-30. You used to get it by rolling up at Heathrow, you now need to prove you have $2500 cash and jump through some hoops (photos/fingerprints), guy from work went, dont think it was overly onerous, but he lives in Sydney.

Given when I walk down the street where I live there are tattooed yobs in football shirts everywhere I will be pissed if they make it too hard for us to get in there.

[Webster]

Pics of the girlfriend could be helpful.

[Julie]

Breaking up the band!!:o

[mike]

Are they under 30.Yep. 21 & 19



Most of the info is online. You have to apply and send the form, passport, financial info and travel documents to the embassy in Canberra and hope for the best.
So far they've been told they have to go to a capital city to apply for their visa. (we're closer to New Guinea than Brisbane ffs) Plus they can't apply until 3 months prior to departure, yet they are told the visa could take up to 15 weeks to process.


you now need to prove you have $2500 cash and jump through some hoops (photos/fingerprints), guy from work went, dont think it was overly onerous ...
I hope it's that easy.

[3Puttpete]

The UK border agency website says they process 98% of these applications within 14 days and 100% within 40 days. 1108 applications in November

[DaveK]

I had a 2-year working holiday visa that ran out at the start of this year.
Off the top of my head it was open to anyone under 28 with an Australian passport and $4,000.
I'm in Adelaide (there's no British consulate in Adelaide) so i had to book a time and get to the consulate in Melbourne for a 10 minute appointment (eye scan, fingerprints etc). Then they took my passport and mailed it back to me a couple of weeks later.
It's relatively straight forward (apart from the travelling), you just need to find the right paperwork to fill in.

[Puji]

I am doing this next year also.

There is so much information online. There are even company's who will organise it all for you for a fee.

[mike]

I had a 2-year working holiday visa that ran out at the start of this year.
Off the top of my head it was open to anyone under 28 with an Australian passport and $4,000.
OK, we thought they could only get a one year visa, and 2 year visas are available only as an ancestry visa, ie. a parent or grandparent is a British citizen.


Breaking up the band!!:oWe'll replace him. It won't be the same though.


I am doing this next year also.

There is so much information online. When are you going and have you set any wheels in motion yet?

[Puji]

I'm touching base with some employers over there. I am in the finance field.

But for the first few months I plan on travelling and have got myself a job at a golf course.

I am holding off from applying for the visa just yet. Because IIRC, the visa is valid for 2 or 3 months after it is approved.

Nothing formal however. Need that kick in the arse. I will regret it if I don't do it.

[DaveK]

This is what i had.
2-year visa

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier5/youthmobilityscheme/ (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier5/youthmobilityscheme/)

[mike]

Thanks DaveK. Good info.

[mike]

Thanks again DaveK, the Youth Mobility Scheme is the way they went about it.

OK so they leave in a few weeks and now we need bank account info. From what we can gather you apply for an account when you get there? Seems HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays are the big ones. They'd like to sort it out before they leave if they can.

Any other options?

[Courty]

When we were there we were able to access our Westpac accounts through HSBC ATMs. There is obviously some kind of arrangement between some if the banks.

[mike]

They're staying for two years courty. We were there last year and we all had access to our aussie accounts but it was messy and expensive.

Commonwealth and NAB haven't been helpful. I'll tell them to contact westpac.

[PerryGroves]

Mike, the major banks here wont be much help unfortunately, the NAB does own Clydesdale in the UK so they ought to be some assistance.....but you get the kid in the local branch who is not across things. Maybe this might work for them, at least they can open it before they go, once they hit the ground in the UK they can probably get something else happening.

http://www.hsbc.com.au/1/2/personal/savings/multi-currency

Could be handy when the old man needs to top up the account in AUD :lol:

[BrettM]

You can get money out of your account in Australia if you are overseas as long as you have a keycard with the cirrus logo. Just plug in your regular PIN.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/kelbrett/cirrus_zps796749ac.jpg

This got us out of trouble when we were living overseas until we set a local account up.

[mike]

Ok. 2 years on. He's loving it in England and wants to stay longer.
Is it possible?

[coalesce]

It can't be possible he's loving it no. And as a pom I'm allowed to say that

[Ron Burgundy]

He'll likely need his employer to sponsor a residency visa. It's a little harder for anyone outside the EU (ie Aussies) these days. It will depend on what he does for a living too. Just google 'UK employer sponsorship' and there'll be a wealth of info.

I got my employer to sponsor me when my 2 year visa ran out. It was pretty straightforward. Although a mate just got himself a fake Italian passport and stayed under the EU rules. Both options worked. But my way finished up somewhat better than my mate's.

[mike]

Thanks Ron. His employer has said they will sponsor him, he's assistant manager at a cider bar, soon to be manager.
Trouble is he's not sure if he wants to stay with the company. Wants to travel with his English gf.
I think the sponsorship is his only option. He's just pissed off that we're all part of the commonwealth and he's a model citizen but can't stay.

[Courty]

...or marry his GF.

[BenM]

Just take out citizenship. That's what my brother did. The traitor.

(He has a German girlfriend so I think it made things easier for him to travel over there and see her family etc).

[PerryGroves]

He's just pissed off that we're all part of the commonwealth and he's a model citizen but can't stay.

Unfortunately the English are like Kiwis, any reciprocity will result in us housing multiples of them.

If they let your young bloke stay, we have to let 1000 of them do the same here.

[mike]

Just take out citizenship. That's what my brother did. The traitor.
How?

[BenM]

How?

The usual way I spose. Swear an oath and sacrifice a goat. Think it's easier for us as our mum is England born.