Guess what I'm doing today? Going to the office for my first day at my new full-time job!
I'm very excited and nervous. It's been almost a year since I've worked.
It was so wonderful to have a year off to work on this little blog of mine.
As wonderful as it's been, it certainly doesn't pay the bills.
Not to mention that I'm one of those unusual people that absolutely loves accounting.
I worked so hard on getting my degree and qualifications. It's time to put it to good use again.
So, it's off to work I go! Wish me luck.
One of the other big things that was in the pipeline was acquiring my
Indefinite Leave to Remain from UK Immigration.
Since starting this whole expat adventure I've read so many incredible Visa stories.
So many people have had to go through separations and long distance relationships.
We've been so lucky that other than the major expense we haven't faced any major challenges.
Here's the logistics of our international love story.
Matt and I met in the US and were married there in January 2011.
We first went through the process of getting Matt a Green Card as we were settling in the US.
Then after a year, we decided to move to the UK and applied for my Spousal Visa.
After 27 months, my Spousal Visa expires next month so it was time to take the next step.
For me that is Settlement with an "Indefinite Leave to Remain."
(Six months after we moved they changed the regulations and for people applying after that date,
they require two Spousal Visa periods of 27 months before Settlement.)
The first step was taking my Life in the UK Test which is a 24 question multiple- choice quiz.
The cost was £50 and I took the test at a local testing centre after several weeks of study.
I used the official testing booklet and read it through probably 3 times as well as the Study Guide.
That was an interesting experience. I was thrilled to pass! If you are getting ready to take the test
and want more details just send me an email. I'm happy to share my experience.
Then it was a matter of determining the correct form to complete.
In my case, it was the 37 page SET(M) document for
"the spouse or partner of a person present and settled in the UK."
Additional items that we needed included Life in the UK Pass Letter, passport photos, payment confirmation, letters proving our address for two years and more. We ended up with a large packet which included the application,
original documents as requested and copies of everything.
There are several options in applying for an ILR. You can send your application in by mail.
Or you can apply in person at a Premium Service Centre.
The major con of sending it off by mail is that it takes 4-6 months for processing
and during that time you don't have your passport. The cost for this is currently £1,051 ($1,733).
We opted for the quicker option of applying in person which is currenly £1,426 ($2,352).
Incredibly expensive but worth it to not have to give up my passport for any period of time.
Not to mention that I'm starting a new job and I didn't want any ambiguity in my right to work in the UK.
The peace of mind for both of us to have everything decided and settled is also invaluable.
I had heard that it might be difficult to get an appointment,
but when I registered online there were plenty of appointment times available.
We paid the fee at the same time that we made the appointment.
Matt was not required to join me but I was pretty stressed out about the whole process.
I might have shed a tear and he happily accompanied me. (Thanks, Baby!)
On Wednesday we headed to Croydon with our packet of documents for our 9:30 appointment.
Many applicants had attorneys or advocates with them and there are services
that will assist you through the process. We opted to go it alone.
As this was just confirmation that we were still married and settled in the UK,
the paperwork wasn't nearly as involved as the initial Spousal Visa application.
It went like clockwork.
Arrived at 9am and waited for entry.
9:15 we went through security and checked in.
They confirmed payment and the correct application form then gave us a number.
We then waited for our number to be called in the nice little cafe.
Within 15 minutes, my number was called for my application to be entered into the system.
We sat at a desk while a worker entered everything, checked everything.
We were given everything back and told to wait again.
15 minutes later was called in to do my biometrics. Fingerprints and photo.
We waited again while they checked that I was actually who I was claiming to be.
Then we were sent back to the cafe to wait for a caseworker to review my case.
We went back to the cafe and waited 90 minutes watching the number board anxiously.
They have a little number board where you can watch your application progress through the system.
I was so relieved to see my number pop up on the "Pick up Documents" screen.
We picked up our docs along with a letter of approval. Yay! We were done by noon.
My Biometrics Card arrived in the post two days later.
I now have "Indefinite Leave to Remain" which means I can live and work in the UK indefinitely.
I'm still subject to immigration control but considered settled in the UK.
As I said in the guest post, it gets pretty complicated and changes every day. If you are going
through this,
I highly recommend that you do as much research as
possible and consult an expert.
It’s important to dot every “i” and
cross every “t.” It takes time, money, patience and great attention to
detail.
Plus, it can be pretty stressful. We've been pretty lucky through it all.
My heart goes out to those who are separated with their partners through the immigration process.
I can't even imagine how difficult that must be.
Should I choose, my next step would be to get UK citizenship.
As the spouse of a UK citizen, current regulation allows me to do that after being here for three years.
But, that's a decision for another day.
How was your settlement process?
