celticfae Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 So Im an Aussie and my hubby is a UK Citizen with a house in Scotland. Sadly Im one generation out of using grandparents they were born here in Oz. My child is grown up and out of home and doesn't want to go back so it will just be my husband and I who have been married for 8 years this year. After the passing of my father we think its time to go back to Scotland where my husband has house and family as his mum and dad are getting on and need help too. We are looking at around April next year to return. I dont know where to even start many years ago I posted some questions but I figure its all changed now. Can someone point me in the right direction on what visa I will need and medical tests etc and pets ... I will need to know about that too and cost of boxes to be shipped (slow boat) over as well, l where do I look and who to trust etc. Has anyone done visa without the $6000+ tag or is it better to use an agency and pay the $6000+ as I said just confused and dont know where to start. Appreciate any and all feedback as this is very daunting to figure out where to even start - and sort out time frames for pets and us and visas etc and time goes so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 This thread has the details on the visa that will be needed and the link to the official website. There are basically two ways to qualify for it. One based on savings and one based on income or a combination. With regards shipping, it depends on how much stuff you want to send. If it a house full, then a container from any of the major global shipping companies. Ask for a few to provide quotes. If it is a smaller amount, then look at Movecube. Pets are a big one as it needs early planning. Costs will depend on the size of the pet. We shipped our chihuahua in 2016 and it was about $3000. We used a company called Dogtainers who we were very happy with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 (edited) You don't need a migration agent to do the British spouse visa application. It's a fiddly process but it's not as bad as the Australian one, and approval is much quicker. This is the visa you want: https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse\ It's confusing because it talks about a partner "joining you in the UK', as if one of you has already moved there - but don't let that put you off, it's the right visa. The big snag is that you have to meet a financial requirement. You either need enough savings (which can come from the sale of your home), or have a job to go to. If you can manage the financial requirement then the rest is easy. No medicals required. Tip for when you fill in the forms: the main application is online, but there's an extra form called "Appendix 2" which is really easy to miss. If you don't fill it in, your application will be rejected, so make sure you complete it! https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733638/VAF4A-Appendix2-08-18.pdf Edited June 3, 2019 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 A couple more tips: Do not close your Australian bank account as it can take ages to get a British bank account set up (they'll accept your deposit quick enough but can take weeks to let you withdraw anything!). If you're going to rent at first, be prepared to pay six months rent upfront. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticfae Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 Thank you both ... I have just printed off the forms to read and gone through the website its well not easy to navigate but i think i got the jist in the end ahhhh .... We wont I hope have alot to ship out more like a couple of teachest boxes type thing just stuff I cant part with.... so I will look into Move cube - with the pets its just 2 cats... mid to small sized... one came out from Scotland 8 years ago and they both have all the shots they needed etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 11 minutes ago, celticfae said: Thank you both ... I have just printed off the forms to read and gone through the website its well not easy to navigate but i think i got the jist in the end ahhhh .... We wont I hope have alot to ship out more like a couple of teachest boxes type thing just stuff I cant part with.... so I will look into Move cube - with the pets its just 2 cats... mid to small sized... one came out from Scotland 8 years ago and they both have all the shots they needed etc.. Tea-chest size boxes are quite expensive to ship now, you'll find a small or medium Movecube is much better value Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 You will need a TOR form so you don’t pay VAT on your cats! There is a thread on here with lots of information in it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 8 hours ago, celticfae said: Thank you both ... I have just printed off the forms to read and gone through the website its well not easy to navigate but i think i got the jist in the end ahhhh .... We wont I hope have alot to ship out more like a couple of teachest boxes type thing just stuff I cant part with.... so I will look into Move cube - with the pets its just 2 cats... mid to small sized... one came out from Scotland 8 years ago and they both have all the shots they needed etc.. Be aware, it isn't just normal shots. They need to have rabies jabs and these must be administered by a government approved vet (most vets are not registered to do this for migration purposes). The vet will then add the serial numbers of the vaccine to the paperwork which will be needed to pass through customs. (Failure will mean they do not pass customsonce reach the UK!!!) Do, as I said, get a pet shipper involved and earlier than later. Costs are by the size of the animal. My chihuahua was $3000k and he is smaller than a cat. Lots of things can through spanner so in the works. For example, 24 hours before our fella was about to fly, the airline announced a total embargo on animals. Panick for us, but Dogtainers handled it and arranged a alternative flight with a different airline. All of the the airlines have a limited amount of spots for animals, which is limited agin by where they stop off. So don't underestimate this. You will find a Movecube holds a lot more than a couple of tea chests and I would urge you to pack it as full as possible. You pay by size not weight. So might as well fill it. You would be surprised how it is the daft stuff you miss. To this day, three years later, I still miss my favourite pan! If you go with Movecube, draw out it ps dimension on the garage floor and the then start packing every img you can in to the height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 20 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said: Be aware, it isn't just normal shots. They need to have rabies jabs and these must be administered by a government approved vet (most vets are not registered to do this for migration purposes). The vet will then add the serial numbers of the vaccine to the paperwork which will be needed to pass through customs. (Failure will mean they do not pass customsonce reach the UK!!!) Do, as I said, get a pet shipper involved and earlier than later. Costs are by the size of the animal. My chihuahua was $3000k and he is smaller than a cat. Lots of things can through spanner so in the works. For example, 24 hours before our fella was about to fly, the airline announced a total embargo on animals. Panick for us, but Dogtainers handled it and arranged a alternative flight with a different airline. All of the the airlines have a limited amount of spots for animals, which is limited agin by where they stop off. So don't underestimate this. You will find a Movecube holds a lot more than a couple of tea chests and I would urge you to pack it as full as possible. You pay by size not weight. So might as well fill it. You would be surprised how it is the daft stuff you miss. To this day, three years later, I still miss my favourite pan! If you go with Movecube, draw out it ps dimension on the garage floor and the then start packing every img you can in to the height. I think the rules around a government approved vet changed last year. I had my local vet complete it. @celticfae there is a special form for the rabies and the pet shippers usually have them if you use a vet that doesn’t usually do them. Hopefully you already have the rabies under control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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