Moving to the UK from Canada

[jrobson67]

Hi

I'm looking for any advice, information or experiences of moving from Canada to the UK. I am enquiring on behalf of my girlfriend who is a Canadian citizen from birth and has no ancestral connection to the UK. She is 43 and has a strong 20 year career in financial services. We have been together for almost a year now, but the current situation of living in different countries is beginning to become a bit unmanageable as you might imagine and quite expensive. I'd really love to hear from people who have been in similar situations or who have a knowledge of this type of situation. I would be very grateful for any advice.

Many thanks
John

[anniecc]

You might find you get more helpful advice if you ask specific questions, but here's some general info on your options.

For immigration purposes the UK divides the world into EU and non-EU - as a Canadian citizen your gf falls into the non-EU category. In recent years the rules for non-EU citizens to come to the UK have become much more stringent. If your girlfriend wants to move permanently to the UK, her basic options are:
1) Fiance or spouse visa - you would need to meet the income threshold to be able to sponsor her, and you would need to be married or engaged with firm plans to marry.
2) Tier 2 work visa - she'll need a job offer from a company that is willing to sponsor her. This can be difficult to obtain, but will depend on whether your gf has skills and experience that are in demand in the UK.
3) Tier 1 entrepreneur or investor - if she is intending to start a business or invest substantial funds in the UK. She won't need a job offer, but needs access to substantial funds.
4) Student - although presumably a less likely option given her career stage.

All of these offer a potential route to permanent residency so it will come down to what suits her individual circumstances.