Immigrating to the UK

And so my plans to go to UK have changed. Decided to go to NZ instead with the wife. Good luck to all those leaving.
 
AdrianH said:
May I ask your reasons for change from UK to NZ?
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Sure.
  • Not as populated (4.7m in NZ vs 66.5m UK). - Around the same size as the UK
  • More open space
  • More outdoor style of lifestyle - relaxed too
  • Very low crime rate (one of the lowest in the world)
  • Great education / schooling system,
  • Beautiful country; lots of great locations
  • Friends and family are there / going there
I'm sure there are other points - but these are the main ones.
It's also much easier to get into than the UK (Even though wife is British) and not as expensive to move to.
 
marco said:
I financially emigrated with the help of FNB. A very simple process.
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Thanks

Did you have to close all bank accounts, bonds, credit cards, etc?

I have an investment property with a bond I may want to keep, need to find out about tax implications though.
 
I have a curiosity question, especially for you guys with kids ...... someone I know is going over with their kids but not citizens because parents are by descent UK citizens. They seem to think it's going to be a long and expensive process for the kids to be living with them, is that really the case?
 
The financial requirement if applying for Leave to Enter from outside the UK is calculated as follows.
£16 000 + (18 600 x 2.5) = £62 500. This is for a couple with no kids that have not yet found work. It can be savings, dividends or liquid stocks held by the UK citizen as the spouses income cannot be added.

Applying for Leave to Remain from within the UK is a bit different. The spouses income or savings can be added to the citizens.

If no savings then the sponsor must earn at least £18 600 pa.
https://www.freemovement.org.uk/appendix-fm-financial-requirements/
 
Aqua_lung said:
The wife and I have plans to move abroad (the EU, her home). I'm torn between doing this or what gregmcc has done.
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Here is an article detailing financial emigration

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/financial-emigration-for-south-africans-everything-you-need-to-know/

If you choose to financially emigrate. You can access and transfer the following out of South Africa:

* Proceeds from your South African retirement annuities before retirement age

* Future inheritance funds

* Passive income from rentals, dividends, directors’ fees or a salary

* Proceeds from a third-party life policy

Financial emigration is not required to move the proceeds of other assets, such as bank accounts, discretionary funds, living annuities, pension and provident funds, proceeds from the sale of property and life insurance policies. These funds can still be transferred using the R1 million and R10 million foreign investment allowances.
 
Aqua_lung said:
The wife and I have plans to move abroad (the EU, her home). I'm torn between doing this or what gregmcc has done.
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I financially emigrated because I was investing on the JSE and did not want to bring it with as I do not know the UK or EU markets. I needed a Blocked Rand Account for surveillance purposes by the SARB.

I also had to deem my movable assets as "sold" on the day before leaving and paying Exit Tax in the form of Capital Gains. This closed my books at SARS and I started on a new base cost in Portugal from the day I landed.
This splits the tax year between the 2 countries and I had to file taxes to SARS up until departure that included the Exit Tax and in Portugal I filed tax from the day of arrival.
 
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Mephisto_Helix said:
I have a curiosity question, especially for you guys with kids ...... someone I know is going over with their kids but not citizens because parents are by descent UK citizens. They seem to think it's going to be a long and expensive process for the kids to be living with them, is that really the case?
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The children of UK citizens born in SA must be registered at the UK embassy for citizenship and passports. Then simply return to the UK as if you were merely on holiday to SA. The costs are for registration and passports and not expensive visas.
 
marco said:
The children of UK citizens born in SA must be registered at the UK embassy for citizenship and passports. Then simply return to the UK as if you were merely on holiday to SA. The costs are for registration and passports and not expensive visas.
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I presume you mean if parent(s) are citizens by decent and not birth.

I say this because I am citizen by birth and daughter born in SA. I phoned HMPO to get info on applying for her passport. The agent said it wasn't necessary to register her for citizenship. I then did the online passport application earlier in December, and the passport was dispatched yesterday, should get it Monday or Tuesday.
 
marco said:
I also had to deem my movable assets as "sold" on the day before leaving and paying Exit Tax in the form of Capital Gains. This closed my books at SARS and I started on a new base cost in Portugal from the day I landed.
This splits the tax year between the 2 countries and I had to file taxes to SARS up until departure that included the Exit Tax and in Portugal I filed tax from the day of arrival.
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I read somewhere that if you are selling property, it needs to be transferred to new owner before leaving. Being sold but not transferred when leaving means more to actually implications.

To be honest, I am thinking of paying an agent to get information and discuss pros and cons of a few things. Then handle the actual process myself.
 
Brexit may make it easier for you. I would push to get the adoption done first. Then sell everything and just go. There are a few British Banks in Cape Town which can be used to move the funds.

Your age isnt a problem. And do you really want to come back? I wouldnt go back. We moved to Netherlands through a job offer. Rather than missing family, we have helped move a lot of our family also this side. They dont miss it. Really if you miss SA just pop in at the Netherlands. Same food mostly.

I have a few friends thats moved to the UK and became naturalized citizens. They arent keen to go back. Some left family who has also now moved abroad.
 
marco said:
The children of UK citizens born in SA must be registered at the UK embassy for citizenship and passports. Then simply return to the UK as if you were merely on holiday to SA. The costs are for registration and passports and not expensive visas.
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This is not that unfortunately, his case is he got citizenship like I did, was born in SA and got a passport through parents ..... and his kids, also born in SA, do not qualify for citizenship. He mentioned some rigmarole of settlement visas and then eventually citizenship which I take is costly as all hell
 
Mephisto_Helix said:
This is not that unfortunately, his case is he got citizenship like I did, was born in SA and got a passport through parents ..... and his kids, also born in SA, do not qualify for citizenship. He mentioned some rigmarole of settlement visas and then eventually citizenship which I take is costly as all hell
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Are you sure that is correct? I have UK citizenship through my dad. Born in Aussie land, but lived in SA basically my whole life. But if I have kids in SA, they would be ineligible I believe.
 
Chris_the_Brit said:
Are you sure that is correct? I have UK citizenship through my dad. Born in Aussie land, but lived in SA basically my whole life. But if I have kids in SA, they would be ineligible I believe.
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You are correct. Citizenship can only be passed down from a person who did not gain citizenship by decent of parent(s). You having gained citizenship by decent from you parent(s) who were born in UK can't pass it onto your kids.

Found this:

A British citizen otherwise than by descent, can automatically pass on British citizenship to a child born outside the UK. You can be a British Citizen otherwise than by descent by:
  • Birth;
  • Registration;
  • Naturalisation;
  • Adoption.
A British citizen by descent is a person born outside the UK and is acquired if one or both parents are British citizens. This means that you cannot automatically pass on British citizenship to any child who is born abroad. You are a British citizen by descent if:
  • You are born outside the UK to a parent who was a British citizen at the time;
  • It does not matter whether the birth took place before or after 1 January 1983 as long as a child who was born before that date became a British citizen on that date;
  • On 31 December 1982, he or she was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies through:
  • his or her own birth, or
  • a parent's or a grandparent's birth,
  • legal adoption
  • naturalisation
  • registration
  • You lived in the UK while a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies for five years at any time before 1 January 1983, and was not subject to restrictions under the immigration laws at the end of that five year period.
  • You are a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by connection with the Falkland Islands and Dependencies (i.e. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands).
 
AdrianH said:
I read somewhere that if you are selling property, it needs to be transferred to new owner before leaving. Being sold but not transferred when leaving means more to actually implications.

To be honest, I am thinking of paying an agent to get information and discuss pros and cons of a few things. Then handle the actual process myself.
Click to expand...
I don't know much about fixed property but I was quoted by an agent for R20k to do my financial emigration. The lowest quote I got was from a freelancer was R14K and that was in 2015.

FNB was great and cost me ziltch. Two trips to SARS and three to FNB. Done. Simples. FNB even contacted my broker to place my investments in a Non Res Blocked account. That enabled me to only pay 15% Dividends Withholding tax instead of 20% and tax on interest is capped at 10%.
 
What's the best (cheapest) way to keep your mobile number and not lose it, and possible keep sms and WhatsApp working on it when not in SA anymore? Currently on a Vodacom contract that is coming to the end of the 2 year term soon.
 
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