Challenges of moving from the Canada to the UK involve complex immigration laws and visa applications. Just one misstep — delay or even denial of entry could affect your personal and professional plans. Let an expert team of immigration solicitors help you with your relocation. Leave all your worries behind and rest assured regarding having every aspect of your move managed efficiently and in compliance with UK regulations. From securing an appropriate visa to enter the country to understanding the minutiae of residency in the UK, our services help you to move seamlessly.
The Success Story: Read about how A Y & J Solicitors helped this Canada client relocate to the UK and made the process easy, ensuring timely entry into the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we've helped thousands of new and experienced business owners move to the UK from around the world. We understand the typical challenges that come along with your visa application for self-sponsorship UK and know how to mitigate them. We walk you through step by step, showing you how to self-sponsor a work visa in the UK. Instead of going it alone, let our lawyers take the weight off your shoulders, so you can rest easy knowing you'll be able to bring your business (and family) to the UK.
Kate Corey, Founder of 6 Degrees
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the British system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
"Outstanding Service. Specifically Thanks to Diana And Ikra Ahamed."
"We engaged with AYJ solicitors in summer to apply for Sponsor license followed by application for HSW visa. Our matter was handled by Raj Kaur who was very thorough in explaining us the process, providing us the complete list of requirements and clarifications if required. Whenever she didn’t have confirmed information she spoke to the seniors lawyers at the firm and provided us timely response. In the end, she helped us the prepare the application and CoS which was submitted and the application was granted. Raj also helped our employee submit their application and went beyond her role to support the application process as the applicant was for a family member and had other minor complications. I would highly recommend to use Raj and AYJ’s services."
"I am writing this review with the hope that it may be helpful for anyone else considering enlisting the services of AY&J specifically for a Standard Visitor Visa to the UK. I am British and my partner is not. We both live in his home country, and we enlisted the services of AY&J Solicitors to help us reapply for a Visitor Visa for my partner to visit the UK after one failed application. The original application was denied not for a specific reason but because we did not provide enough evidence and information, and we therefore went to AY&J with the hopes of having guidance in navigating the opaque visa application process. Communication with AY&J was very smooth, everyone was responsive to our emails and the process was clear. However, we were ultimately unsuccessful in obtaining the visa. Although I do not hold AY&J accountable for the visa outcome, on reflection I wish that they had advised us differently and this is the reason for my review. Our visa application made with the support of AY&J was denied due to the fact we did not provide sufficient information in the category related to financial records. We were aware that this may be an issue before making our application, but we were advised to go ahead and make the visa application under the impression that we had provided enough other supporting evidence to mitigate this. The visa was ultimately rejected due to lack of sufficient financial information. Although my partner’s financial situation is sound, systems in his home country (a cash based economy) mean that he didn’t have all the paper evidence of his finances at the time of making the application, and the UK visa application typically requires 6 months of financial records. If we had been advised to delay making our application for 6 months, we would have been able to ensure he had paper trails and provide 6 months of paperwork of his financial records and I believe we may have had our visa accepted (although I can’t say this with certainty). We went ahead and submitted our application, which was denied as we didn’t have 6 months of paper trails of my partner’s savings and income. As a firm specialized in visa applications, I would have expected AY&J to advise us to withhold our application until we had 6 months of financial documents. We were instead under the impression that everything else we provided was sufficient to mitigate this. If we had been advised to delay or postpone our visa application, AY&J would not have collected their fee from us, which is something I am left wondering about. Overall, it was an expensive process, we were denied the visa but also each denial makes obtaining a future visa harder. I am left wishing we had been advised not to submit at the time we did so that we could have made a stronger application, and I question whether we were encouraged to supply without all the necessary paperwork as this ensured AY&J their fee. Therefore my overall review and advice is that although AY&J were supportive and communicative, I feel disappointed that we were advised to go ahead and submit a visa application without sufficient documentation, which we could have easily gathered if we were advised to wait 6 months in order to obtain this. For others considering using AY&J to apply to a Visitor Visa for the UK, I hope this review is helpful."
"I had an amazing experience with AY&J SOLICITORS from the very first consultation, they were professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring about my case. They explained the process in detail, kept me informed at every step, and were always quick to respond to my questions. Their attention to detail and personalized approach made me feel confident throughout. Thanks to their expertise, my application was approved! I highly recommend them to anyone looking for reliable immigration services. My Special Thanks to Diana, Ashu & Puru."
"A big Thank You to Rajvinder Kaur for her assistance and guidance in our extension for spousal visa application. Raj provided us with accurate and timely information making the application to confirmation experience easier. She was always readily accessible and prompt in her actions towards the case. The journey of a visa application can be emotionally and mentally draining...Thanks Raj for helping us sail through. We have used the services of AY & J Solicitors previously for my entry visa application and Thank You Diana for leading us in the right hands. Deepali & Tapan Chavan."
"A Y & J Solicitors made my visa process smooth and hassle-free. They were supportive, detailed, and incredibly quick to respond. Highly recommend their professional and efficient service!"
There are many excellent reasons to consider immigration to uk from canada. While it wouldn’t normally feature as a reason to move to the UK, the weather here is much warmer than large swathes of Canada. The Gulf Stream means that while we are at a comparable latitude to Canada, we don’t suffer the extremely low temperatures seen across Canada. This is because the Gulf Stream whisks warmer water and air from the tip of Florida, along the eastern coastline of the US and Canada, and across the Atlantic, providing a climate that is much warmer than it would otherwise be.
Other reasons to consider relocating to the UK from Canada include the rich culture and heritage, the fact we speak English, the ease of access to Europe, the vibrant job market, the excellent business opportunities, and the pretty villages and towns; the list is almost endless.
Canadians coming to the UK have a wide choice of immigration visas available to them, including the Ancestry visa, Skilled Worker visa, Youth Mobility Scheme visa, Student visa, Global Talent visa, High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, and the Innovator Founder visa. The visa you choose will depend on factors such as what you intend to do here, your age, whether you have dependants and your ancestry. Here is a summary of each visa, including who they are for, the main eligibility, and the benefits to holders.
Canadians coming to the UK have a wide choice of immigration visas available to them, including the Ancestry visa, Skilled Worker visa, Youth Mobility Scheme visa, Student visa, Global Talent visa, High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, and the Innovator Founder visa. The visa you choose will depend on factors such as what you intend to do here, your age, whether you have dependants and your ancestry. Here is a summary of each visa, including who they are for, the main eligibility, and the benefits to holders.
If your Ancestry visa is granted, you will be able to work and study in the UK and bring your partner and children with you. Ancestry visas are normally granted for 5 years, at which point you can, if you wish, apply to settle permanently.
The Skilled Worker visa and the Health and Care Worker visa are the most popular UK work visas for foreign nationals who wish to work in the UK. Holders of either visa can work in the UK for up to 5 years and then either renew their visa or apply for permanent settlement.
To apply for a Skilled Worker visa or Health and Care Worker visa, applicants must:
There is normally an English language requirement, however, citizens of Canada automatically meet this criteria and do not need to provide any evidence of their English language proficiency.
Another very popular visa available to Canadian citizens is the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa. While this does not provide a route to permanent settlement, once in the UK, YMS visa holders can switch to a different type of visa that will qualify for indefinite leave to remain and then citizenship a year later.
The UK YMS visa is open to Canadian nationals who are aged between 18 and 35 and have at least £2,530 in savings to support themselves while in the UK. If your YMS visa is granted, you will be able to stay for up to 24 months to work, study, and even set up a company or be self-employed.
Several other UK visas available to Canadian nationals include the following:
If you are contemplating moving to the UK from Canada, you are in excellent company. According to analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), total long-term immigration to the UK for the year ending June 2023 reached 1.2 million. Figures also show that between July 1st, 2022 and June 30th, 2023, 94,576 people emigrated from Canada to another country, with the majority coming from Ontario and British Colombia. Thankfully, for those considering immigration to the UK from Canada, there are a wide range of visa options available, many of which lead to permanent settlement (indefinite leave to remain) after living here for several years (normally 5 years). In this article, we will cover everything that you need to know about emigrating to the UK from Canada from an immigration perspective.
The life and living costs in the UK are generally lower in the UK compared to Canada. Rent and consumer prices are approximately 6% lower and groceries are around 20% lower in the UK by comparison. Before making the move to the UK, it is always advisable to put together a budget based on your expected UK salary and living costs to determine how the cost of living here compares to Canada. It is also important to include the overall cost of moving to UK from Canada, including removal costs and flight costs.
Before you make the move from Canada, we recommend that you complete the following checklist:
Self-Sponsorship offers an excellent alternative to Canadians who wish to live the UK. Rather than gaining employment and applying for a work visa, Canadian citizens can set up their own company without the need for a UK sponsor. The self-sponsorship options provides an direct route to permanent settlement in the UK and eventually citizenship.
These immigration visa options only cover some of the routes available to Canadian citizens who want to emigrate to the UK. To discuss your immigration options for relocating from Canada to the UK and understand which is the best visa route for you and your family, speak to an immigration solicitor in the UK who will be pleased to advise you. Whether you are emigrating to the UK as a non-Canadian National, an Canadian citizen, or planning to join UK family members, we can help you.
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!
