Challenges of moving from the EU 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 US 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:
"The team has been incredibly helpful and provided great support with regard to guiding me through the immigration process. Everyone was responsive, enthusiastic and diligent. I could not recommend them more."
"Excellent service, top-notch communication and a highly experienced, knowledgable team of solicitors. Would recommend to any one looking for peace-of-mind with their immigration."
"I would recommend this firm. Ikra was professional, reliable and a good communicator."
"“I write to express my sincere and heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for your highly professional and competent services, provided in both a friendly and accessible manner."
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"I would like to share my great experience on the service I had. For my case, it is complicated and unusual but the attentive service and advice in every step from the lawyer: Mr. Imad made clearly process. My Visa has proved within just a week, OMG this is amazing. I can give just Five Stars because this is no star number Six. Thank you very much for your assistance.🙏"
For EU nationals seeking to relocate, the UK offers enormous benefits, including:
As an EU national planning to relocate to the UK, it is important to understand the legal
To apply for a study visa to attend a British university, college, or school as a national of the EU, you must:
If approved, you will be able to stay in the UK for the length of your course of study. If you wish to stay in the UK after your course ends to find employment, you can then apply for a 2-year UK Graduate visa.
If you are an aspiring business person or seasoned entrepreneur from the EU, the UK’s Innovator Founder visa may be ideal for you. With this visa, you will be able to relocate to the UK to establish a new and innovative business and settle permanently after just 3 years (rather than the normal 5 years). To apply for a UK Innovator Founds visa as an EU national, you must:
This is just a small selection of the many visas available to EU nationals. To better understand the best route for your needs and those of your partner and children, please speak to an experienced immigration specialist. They will assess your situation and long-term plans and recommend the most suitable visa, including some that you may not be aware of, such as self-sponsorship (see below for more details).
Like much of the EU, the UK has a robust modern digital banking system, making it easy to open and manage bank accounts. Rather than trying to open a bank account in your home country, it is best to do this when you arrive. This is because UK banks will require proof of your identity and your permanent UK address.
Once in the UK, you will also need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number. This is required before you start work or running your new business venture. Like the banking system, the tax system is also very simple in the UK. If you are employed, you will simply provide your NI number to your employer, and any tax you owe will be automatically collected by your employer and paid to the government through the ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE) system.
EU nationals running a business in the UK will need to prepare a ‘self-assessment tax return’ more submission to HMRC each year. An accountant in the UK will ensure that your return is prepared correctly and submitted to HMRC on time.
Several other UK visas available to Canadian nationals include the following:
According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, there were an estimated 4 million EU-born nationals living in the UK. While this number has fallen since Brexit and the ending of free movement, millions of EU nationals still call the UK home. It is estimated that Polish nationals make up 21% (826,000) of all EU citizens living in the UK, followed by Romania with 14% (554,000), Ireland with 10% (389,000) and Germany with 7% (298,000). The good news is that despite Brexit, it is still perfectly possible for EU nationals to live, work, study, and join family in the UK with an understanding of the visa system. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about relocating from the EU to the UK, in particular, the legal requirements, the cost of living in the UK, and a relocation checklist. We also answer many of the frequently asked questions asked about moving from the EU to the UK.
As most EU nationals will know, the UK left the EU at 11pm GMT on the 31st December 2020 (at the stroke of midnight in Brussels). This ended the right of free movement of citizens between the EU and UK citizens. EU nationals residing in the UK before the end of 2020 were able to apply to stay indefinitely under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), but those who did not now need to apply for a visa to work, study, or join family members. Thankfully, with the assistance of an immigration specialist based in the UK, securing a work, study, business, self-sponsorship, or family visa is relatively straightforward.
The cost of living in the UK is generally higher than in many southern and eastern European countries but lower than in some northern or western countries such as Norway and Switzerland. According to recent figures, the UK has the fifth highest minimum wage across Europe, behind Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The food prices are broadly comparable with most of Europe but considerably cheaper than in France.
It is important to bear in mind two factors when it comes to the cost of living in the UK. Firstly, your costs will vary considerably depending on where you live. Living in central London can be extremely expensive, whereas living in a small village or town is generally much more affordable. This is especially the case when it comes to rent. The other factor is that wages for highly skilled jobs are often higher than in other EU countries, therefore balancing out the cost of living.
Making the move from an EU country to the UK can be daunting and time-consuming, but by taking the following important steps early on, you make the whole process as simple and straightforward as possible:
The Self-Sponsorship route offers an alternative way for EU nationals who wish to relocate to the UK without the need to apply for a job. Using this approach, you can establish your own business in the UK and effectively sponsor yourself. Our team can explain the process of applying for self-sponsorship process, ensuring you meet all of the legal requirements before doing so. Once in the UK on the self-sponsorship route for the required amount of time, you will be able to apply to settle permanently and later gain British citizenship.
If you are a non-EU national who wishes to emigrate to the UK, you will also need to apply for a visa in the same way as an EU national. The most suitable visa for your needs will depend on your home country, whether you have family links to the UK, and what you plan to do in the UK. To better understand your immigration options as a non-EU national, please consider speaking to one of our friendly and insightful UK Immigration Solicitors.
As an EU national with plans to emigrate to the UK to join your partner, spouse, parent, or child already living here, you will most likely need to apply for a Family visa. Your UK-based family member must 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 has refugee status in the UK. If granted, you will be able to join your family in the UK and gain permanent settlement after 5 years of continuous residence and British citizenship one year later.
To relocate to the UK for work, you will need:
These are only some of the documents that you may need to relocate from the EU to the UK. Your immigration advisor will provide you with a complete list of all the documents that you will need based on your chosen visa type.
Yes, since Brexit, if you want to work in the UK as an EU national, you must be sponsored by a UK employer. Alternatively, you can consider the self-sponsorship route (see above).
If you are a British ex-pat who is moving back to the UK from the EU, we recommend looking into your employment, banking arrangements, and credit rating (you may have lost some of your credit rating if you have been outside the UK for many years). We also advise speaking to an accountant about your tax arrangements. If you have lived in the EU for more than 5 years, you may need to meet different rules for income and capital gains tax. Finally, check whether you will need to ‘top up’ your national insurance contributions so that you are eligible for a UK state pension when you retire.
Please see the legal requirements for moving from the EU to the UK above.
Yes, however, EU citizens and their family members require a visa to live in the UK. Please see the visa options explained above.
Yes, but you will need a job offer from a sponsoring employer, a certificate of sponsorship, and a work visa granted by the UK Home Office.
As an EU national, you can apply for a visa online through the UK’s Home Office website. You will need to fully complete the application form, pay any required fees, and submit any documents required to support your case. You will also need to meet the requirements for the type of visa you are applying for. An immigration law specialist based in the UK can handle all of this on your behalf.
Please see the legal requirements for moving from the EU to the UK above.
The length of time you can spend in the UK will depend on the type of visa you hold. EU nationals can visit the UK for up to 6 months without a visa. Work visas last up to 5 years and provide a route to permanent settlement. Student visas typically last for the duration of the course, but holders can then apply for a Graduate visa to stay in the UK for a further 2 years to find work.
Please see the cost of living section above.
Many UK nationals are moving back to the UK from the EU following Brexit and the ending of UK/EU free movement. This is because UK nationals are now restricted to the number of days (90 days in every 180 days) they can spend in the EU. Other UK nationals are returning for work opportunities or to be with family members.
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!
