Relocating from Jamaica to the UK
The Jamaican High Commission in London estimates that around 800,000 British people of Jamaican origin now live in the UK. Jamaican nationals are drawn to the UK for many reasons, including to join family members already living here, for the excellent job and study opportunities, and to enjoy the British culture and its rich history. If you are considering making the move from Jamaica to the UK in 2024 or beyond, it is important to do your homework first. In this guide, we will explain the immigration routes and rules available, the cost of living here and how this compares to Jamaica, the practicalities of living in the UK, and how to make your move as smooth and seamless as possible.
You can be assured that we have assisted many Jamaican nationals in relocating to the UK easily and seamlessly, and we can do the same for you. For assistance with making your move to the UK from Jamaica, please speak to one of our friendly and understanding specialist immigration Solicitors who can guide you through the process.
What are the legal requirements for Jamaican citizens moving to the UK?
Each UK immigration visa/route has its own legal requirements, which must be met in order to make a successful application. Here are the legal requirements for the most popular UK visas for Jamaican citizens:
UK Skilled Worker visa
If you would like to move from Jamaica to work in the UK on a long-term basis, you will need either a Skilled Worker visa or a Health and Care Worker visa. The UK Skilled Worker visa is the most popular work visa and caters for a wide range of occupations. The Health and Care Worker visa is aimed specifically at healthcare professionals.
The Skilled Worker visa enables sponsored workers to bring their immediate family and remain in the UK for up to 5 years. After 5 years, holders can either extend their visa or apply for permanent settlement. Once permanent settlement has been granted, it is then possible to apply for British citizenship 12 months later.
To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have a job offer from a licenced UK employer in an eligible occupation. In addition, your job must pay an annual salary of at least £38,700 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your particular occupation. It is also possible to meet the eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker visa with a lower annual salary. This may be the case if you have a PhD, a job on the UK government’s immigration salary list, or are a new entrant to the job market.
If you are a Jamaican national, you will be exempt from having to meet the English language requirement. This means you do not need to pass a language proficiency test to secure a UK work visa or any other type of visa.
UK Student visa
To relocate to the UK from Jamaica to study at a British school or university, you must be aged 16 years old or over and have been offered a place on a course with an approved educational provider (one with a sponsor licence issued by the Home Office). You must also have enough money to support yourself while in the UK.
As a Jamaican national, you will not be required to prove your knowledge of the English language.
Towards the end of your course, if you would like to stay longer, you can either apply for a new student visa or, if you wish to find work, a UK Graduate visa. The Graduate visa will allow you to remain in the UK for up to 24 months, during which time you can find skilled employment. Once you have found a suitable job, you can switch to a Skilled Worker visa, which will allow you to gain indefinite leave to remain (ILR) to settle permanently after 5 years. You can then apply for UK citizenship one year after gaining ILR.
UK Innovator Founder visa
If you are a Jamaican business person/entrepreneur and would like to open a new business in the UK, the Innovator Founder visa may meet your needs. One of the biggest benefits of this visa route is that it provides a much faster pathway to permanent settlement. It is possible to secure ILR after 3 years rather than the 5 years necessary for most other visas. To make a successful UK Innovator Founder visa application, you must be 18 years or older and have a new, unique, viable, and scalable business idea. Your business idea must also be endorsed by an approved endorsing body.
Family visa
The UK family visa scheme is ideal for Jamaican nationals with a UK-based partner or spouse, parent, or child who is a British citizen or has settled permanently here. The legal requirements to apply for a family visa will depend on the family category under which you are applying.
To join a spouse or partner in the UK as a Jamaican national, you must be able to show that you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is legally recognised in the UK or you have been living with your partner in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply. You can also apply if you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving.
Beyond the relationship requirement, you will need to prove that you have a combined income of £29,000 or more, which can be met through salary, savings, pensions, or income from investments.
As with the above visa types, you will not be required to meet the English language requirement as a Jamaican national.
If your family visa application is successful, you can stay in the UK for 5 years and then, if you wish, apply for an extension or permanent settlement. Twelve months after gaining permanent settlement, you can apply for UK citizenship.
What is the cost of living in the UK?
The cost of living in the UK is around 18% higher than in Jamaica, according to the cost of living comparison website Numbeo. This difference rises to 28% when rent is taken into account. Restaurant prices in the UK are also 35% higher than in Jamaica, while groceries are 7% lower.
While the cost of living in the United Kingdom is higher than in Jamaica, wages are typically higher here, especially for those in skilled employment. Also, bear in mind that the cost of living varies considerably across the UK. By choosing a less expensive place to live in the UK, you can lower your overall cost of living.
Emigrating to the UK from Jamaica – Checklist
At AY&J Solicitors, we understand what it takes to make the move from Jamaica to the UK as easy and seamless as possible. We recommend taking the following steps to make the journey as easy as possible for you and your family:
- Seek the guidance, support, and legal expertise of a specialist UK immigration Solicitor such as AY&J. We will guide you through each step of the visa application process. Before doing so, we will check the best visa route for your needs and gather any documents and evidence needed to support your case. We will then prepare and submit your application and handle any questions raised by the Home Office. By engaging our services, you can relax in the knowledge that your immigration visas are in hand, allowing you to concentrate on other aspects of your move.
- It is important to secure a job offer from a UK employer before you apply for a work visa. To make the task of securing a job easier, consider signing up to agencies, using job search websites such as Indeed, Linkedin, and Totaljobs, and applying directly to employers listed on the Home Office’s register of licenced sponsors.
- Create a shortlist of where you would like to live in the UK. There are hundreds of cities, towns, and villages across the UK which may suit your needs and those of your family members.
- Come to the UK before making the final decision about where to live. It is important to take into account the cost of living in your preferred area, ease of transport, and the availability of school places. If you are excited about where you plan to live, this will make the overall experience of moving from Jamaica to the UK all the more enjoyable.
- Create a detailed budgeting spreadsheet with your expected income and costs. Also, if possible, speak to someone you know who lives in the UK to better understand your likely costs. When preparing your budget, include the cost of groceries, car insurance, other insurances, council tax, transport, electricity, heating, and any other costs you can think of, and
- Work out how much it will cost to move to the UK from Jamaica, including your flight costs, removal costs, home rental deposit, transport, visa costs, and healthcare surcharge.
Moving to the UK from Jamaica benefits
For Jamaican nationals, the UK offers a whole range of benefits, including:
- An excellent transport system including rail, sea, road, and air. This makes it easy and convenient to travel around the UK, other countries in Europe, and further afield.
- A robust and dynamic economy – the UK currently has the 6th largest economy, just behind India, Japan, and Germany
- Plenty of well-paid and highly skilled jobs
- Low levels of administration ‘red tape’ make it easy to set up a business here
- The world-renowned British culture and history
- So much to see and do, including our beautiful national parks, beaches, towns, villages, mountains, hills, lakes, and countryside, and
- Access to some of the best schools and universities in the world, e.g. Oxford and Cambridge.
How to set up your finances in the UK?
To set up your finances in the UK, you will need to consider your banking arrangements, UK national insurance, and tax.
- Opening a UK bank account – We recommend waiting until you have arrived in the UK before opening a bank account. You will be asked by the bank to provide proof of your identity (e.g. your passport) and a permanent UK address (e.g. a utility bill, mortgage agreement, or rental agreement).
- Transferring money from Jamaica to the UK – Two of the most common ways to transfer funds from one country to another are bank-to-bank transfer and money transfer services. If you use a money transfer service, make sure that you use a company with a strong reputation, such as OFX or Wisse. It is also important to check that the fees payable and the exchange rate are competitive.
- National Insurance Number – Make sure you apply for and receive your National Insurance (NI) number before you start working in the UK.
- Paying tax in the UK – If you are employed in the UK, your income tax will be collected through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. Your employer will transfer any tax collected on your behalf directly to HMRC. On the other hand, if you are self-employed, you will need to submit a completed annual self-assessment form to HMRC. We recommend engaging an accountant who can complete this for you.
What is a Self-Sponsored route?
The Self-sponsorship route allows Jamaican citizens to relocate to the UK without needing to secure a job offer. Using this method, Jamaican nationals set up a business in the UK, which they can use to sponsor themselves. Jamaicans who choose the self-sponsorship route can settle in the UK after a number of continuous years of residence (3 years with the Innovator Founder visa) and then gain UK citizenship for 12 months.
AY&J Solicitors can help you with all aspects of the self-sponsorship process, ensuring that your application is professionally prepared and submitted, that any documents required are provided, and that any questions raised by the Home Office are answered. We can also apply for visas for your family members who will be joining you in the UK.
Emigrating to the UK as a non-Jamaican national
Non-Jamaican nationals who intend to live, work, study, or join family members in the UK will also need to apply for a visa. To check which visa is right for your needs and for your family members, please speak to one of our friendly expert UK Immigration Solicitors[PM2] . We will listen to your circumstances and those of your family and advise which visa/s to apply for.
Joining UK Family Members as a Non-Jamaican National
Non-Jamaican nationals who intend to join a partner, spouse, parent, or child already living and settled in the UK will need to apply for a family visa. Your family member must either be a British citizen, a person with indefinite leave to remain, an EU/EEA national who started living in the UK before 1st January 2021, or a person who holds UK refugee status. After 5 years, family visa holders can apply to extend their stay or for permanent settlement.
FAQ’s
What documents and information do I need to move to the UK from Jamaica?
The evidence that you must provide with your visa application will depend on the type of visa you need. For example, if moving to the UK to work, you will need:
- A valid passport or other form of valid ID
- Proof of a job offer for an eligible occupation
- A Certificate of Sponsorship, and
- A bank statement showing that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any immediate family members
Your immigration Solicitor will provide you with a comprehensive list of all the necessary documents based on your visa type.
Do Jamaican citizens need sponsorship to work in the UK?
Yes, as a Jamaican national, you must be sponsored to work in the UK. Sponsorship can only be provided by an employer with an A-rated sponsor licence. Alternatively, you can explore the self-sponsorship option explained above.
What should I consider before moving back to the UK from Jamaica?
If you have been overseas for many years, this may have negatively affected your credit rating, making it harder to borrow money or get a mortgage when you return to the UK. If you are unsure, speak to a credit rating company to understand the steps to take to reestablish a healthy rating. It may also be useful to consult an accountant about your tax situation, as living in Jamaica for over five years may mean you need to adhere to different income and capital gains tax regulations. Additionally, check if you need to ‘top up’ your national insurance contributions to be eligible for a UK state pension.
Moving from Jamaica to the UK requirements
Please see the legal requirements for moving from Jamaica to the UK above.
Can you move to the UK from Jamaica?
Yes, however, Jamaican citizens and their family members normally require a visa to live in the UK. Please see the visa options explained above.
Are Jamaican citizens allowed to work in the UK?
Yes, as a Jamaican citizen, you can work in the UK. You will need an offer of a job in an eligible occupation from a sponsoring employer, a Certificate of Sponsorship, and a work visa issued by the UK Home Office. Alternatively, you can come on a family visa, which also allows you to work.
Applying for a UK visa from Jamaica
As a citizen of Jamaica, you can apply for a visa online. You will need to fully complete the application form, pay the application fees, and submit any evidence. An immigration law specialist based in the UK can handle your application on your behalf.
How long can a Jamaican citizen stay in the UK?
The duration of your visa will depend on the type of visa you hold, for example:
- Work visas – typically valid for up to 5 years.
- Student visas are valid for the length of the course, after which you can apply for a graduate visa to remain in the UK for an additional 2 years to seek employment.
- Family visas – typically granted for up to 5 years.
Most UK visas offer a route to permanent settlement after 60 months (5 years) or less in some cases (e.g. the Innovator Founder visa).
What is the cost of living in the UK?
Please see the cost of living section above.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with all types of visa applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or at contact us today. We’re here to help!
