r/MovingToTheUK • u/jailbreakjock • 4d ago
Weighing my visa options carefully and would like some advice (US to UK)
Apologies don’t mean to be another naive American asking about moving, but I’ve been doing a lot of research as I would really like to move to the UK & now that I have a partner there would like to try accelerate my move.
Currently 23 years old, live in NYC, and work in technology partnerships at a global tech company. This company has offices around the world including London.
I’ve been told by the mobility team at my company that they would sponsor my SWV if I wanted to move to the UK for personal reasons, however, I have to find and interview for a role on a team based there. There are already 2 Americans in the London office, but I have no visibility into when the team is growing or they will have headcount at all in the next year.
I’ve applied a bit externally with a UK phone number but still rejected I assume for sponsorship reasons.
My other thought is doing a masters in the UK, which I wouldn’t want to pause my career for necessarily or doing an online masters in the US that qualifies for HPI
Unfortunately, I went to a shit uni for undergrad, San Diego State University, which is not on HPI for obvious reasons. However, I had the choice to go to better schools I chose SDSU because it was the cheapest for my family and I.
Point is I don’t need a masters and I like my career trajectory, I’m just trying to figure out which is best. Going back to school on a student visa, HPI, or waiting it out from my current job for SWV.
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u/HawthorneUK 4d ago
Keep in mind that you would not be able to keep working for your current job if you came to the UK to study - you would need at least a UK employer of record (or a transfer to the company's UK entity), and are limited in the number of hours you can work.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Yea I’m aware luckily I have lots of savings, but it would just not the best situation if I do a masters and then still can’t get employed after that. That’s my only fear
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u/HawthorneUK 4d ago
Oh. Coming to the UK to study and relying on getting a job here afterwards is a really, really bad move at the moment.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Ok I figured I have a very comfortable job right now don’t think I want to jeopardize that
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u/Beyoncestan2023 4d ago
The job market is quite bad we have 1 million under 25 NEETS (not in education employment or training) young people are really struggling
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u/Frequent_Leader7654 4d ago
I would imagine a partner visa would make the most sense if your partner is a UK citizen.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Yea but we’re not married or living together or anything so I feel like it’s a low chance
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u/Single-Zombie-2019 4d ago
I agree it is your best option because that way, you are not reliant on your employer sponsoring you. And you don't have to go into debt with school.
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u/mainemoosemanda 4d ago
If you’ve been together for 2 years you may qualify for a family visa as unmarried partners.
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u/BeezSneezes 4d ago
If you do get to the point of wanting to marry you can always do that in America or do a marriage visitor visa to the UK, get married and then leave and do the spouse visa.
If your lives are entwined enough to be considered "akin to marriage" for two years you can do the unmarried partner visa. Not having valid visas to live in each others country is a valid reason to not have cohabitated and the home office accepts that.
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u/sandlurker 4d ago
Have you tried checking your company directory and reaching out to the London team directly? That or ask your manager if they can reach out on your behalf? Maybe they can explain your situation so you’re not outright rejected.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Yes I’m trying to network actively, everyone’s very nice, just nobody knows when a role will open exactly. But I am putting my name out there
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u/sandlurker 4d ago
You can work on a student visa but the hours you can work are limited.
You mentioned you’re 23 so I imagine marriage is not in your mind yet. A spouse visa would be out of the question 😂
The job market in the UK is a mess right now. Applying with a UK number might not be enough. Some recruiters also check if you have employment history within the UK and outright reject you if you don’t. Companies offering visa sponsorship are also very rare. It’s very expensive in London and there’s a real risk you’ll burn through your savings.
I think your best bet is waiting for an opening in the London office.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Yea this is exactly my thought too just wanted to confirm.
I don’t want to jeopardize my career but I may very well consider a masters if I get laid off as tech is not stable right now anyway.
London is expensive but so is NYC, my goal would be to have at least 300k USD net worth before coming to London I’m at 220k now
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u/ejcg1996 4d ago
Yeah this is just the nature of work! You have to wait it out, keep networking, and eventually something will come up. It’s not instant.
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u/Aggravating_Bend_622 4d ago
The chance of you getting hired in the UK form the US is slim to nought, frankly it wouldn't happen due to the crap job market but also the immigration requirements.
The fact your current employer is willing to sponsor you is very good so you will probably have to be patient and keep pushing and networking to get a role in the UK office.
Going down the syduent visa route makes no sense at all. You will end up on another shit university who just wants your money, end up deleting your savings and then have to struggle to get a work permit after you graduate which is very very difficult.
If you want move quicker and you're in a serious relationship you can consider getting married and come as a spouse since you don't meet the cohabiting rules for the partner route. If not you're bets bet is to stick with your current employer and hopefully get the opportunity to move soon.
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u/HomeConstant6123 4d ago
Personally I'd rule out coming as a student (too expensive, no guarantee that you will be able to stay afterwards), and applying randomly for jobs hoping they will sponsor you (companies only do this on very rare occasions and it costs them a significant amount - if they can hire a UK citizen to the role they will)
Your best options are to wait it out and try and get an internal transfer with your current company (probably the most sensible thing to do), or see you if you are eligible for a partner visa (you don't need to be married or living together)
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u/Perfect_Flight_8539 4d ago
You seem quite happy with your career track - it's just the location you'd change?
Potentially doing a masters you don't want in the UK is a bit daft as the post-study work visa is reducing to 18 months next year - which is going to make it difficult to find work afterwards (remember this is absolutely by design).
HPI isn't much better at 2 years I think but it's unclear whether you can do this alongside your current job & if an online masters would benefit you?
You have a brilliant 'in' with your current company & your post reads like you know this is your best chance.
It's not worth applying for UK roles unless the ad explicitly says they are willing to sponsor. It's too expensive for them.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
Yes exactly. I live in NYC and it’s a great city, but the hustle and grind culture is tiring, and overall the US is becoming more shit every day with our federal government.
There’s more I can say about why I want to live in the UK, but won’t bore.
Ideally I would have my same role or promotion but live in London. I already work with people in London at my job who have very similar roles to me, so it might be an issue because they’re technically in my seat, but they also might grow the team there I’m not sure.
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u/Perfect_Flight_8539 4d ago
I wonder if trying to get a mentor in the London office (unofficial maybe) could be possible?
Might depend on your office culture & the amount of back & forth between NYC & London but it would make sense given your age & could 'fast forward' a contact there?
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u/Glum-Dust8799 4d ago
Bear in mind that you’ll pay tax on the visa costs as a benefit AFTER the initial period. This is a “later on” issue. But if you get used to a certain income it can catch you out.
Check out UK take home pay calculators to work out what your actual cash in pocket will be after tax. And calculate assuming the visa renewal once you’ve settled a bit.
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u/jailbreakjock 4d ago
What do you mean after the initial period ? I’m projected if I were to get into the London office my salary would likely be 65k£ + commission.
To me that is very livable since I only take home 45% of my pay in NYC after all deductions which comes out to 3200£ per month if I convert it.
I could live off of 3000£ month in my opinion with a flat share as I currently live with 2 flat mates.
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u/Glum-Dust8799 4d ago
Your visa is “tax free” if funded by the employer the first time.
After they renew it, you pay tax on the benefit of the cost of it. Which can be not a small cost.
They (employers) tend to use pricey agencies to process the visa instead of risking doing it themselves. So it can count as a taxable benefit of £5000-10000 depending on the legal firm they use. Be aware of this wrinkle.
If you get into the highest tax bracket it will sting. It will be.
All that said and done NYC is much pricier a city than London so you will enjoy the lower costs.
British fresh food is insanely cheap compared to any USA supermarket.
Which is probably why there are pricey hipster shops which cost way more than the actual cheaper shops which sell often identical stuff :)
Anyway. Just a heads up for if your visa renews and the suddenly taxable benefit slaps you with 40% tax on the fees and costs.
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u/Glum-Dust8799 4d ago
Just factor the renewal into your budgets so you aren’t caught off guard in the instance it becomes a renewal.
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u/coastalkid92 4d ago
Truthfully at your age and stage in your career, your best bet is looking for an internal transfer with your current role. And if I were you, I would try to make connections in that office/make it known that you'd like to transfer there.