Immigrating to the UK

Weird to see so many posts about 6 months up front. Every agency I asked about it because I could pay it up front due to my redundancy payout said landlords generally frown on it because it makes it seem like the potential tenants are drug dealers or something. Basically, I guess, because most people don’t have that kind of cash just lying around unless you’re up to something illegal.
 
The Voice said:
Weird to see so many posts about 6 months up front. Every agency I asked about it because I could pay it up front due to my redundancy payout said landlords generally frown on it because it makes it seem like the potential tenants are drug dealers or something. Basically, I guess, because most people don’t have that kind of cash just lying around unless you’re up to something illegal.
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I never said I wasn't a drug dealer
 
Priapus said:
LMAO poor guy. But yeah, there was literally nothing he could do. It is what it is/was.

I’m in talks with my company still. They know I am leaving. They have a UK HQ. So they going to see if it’s feasible for me to work there in a UK contract.

Otherwise I’ll work for them for 6 months whilst in the UK on SA contract until I find a local job. Probably won’t take 6 months to find a local job.
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Just speak to SA employer to use correct "foreign income" codes on the IRP5.
 
No 6 months upfront here either thankfully and zero credit history (I was actually credit invisible for like 4 months, lol). Took about 3 weeks of looking while I was staying with a mate.
 
The Voice said:
Weird to see so many posts about 6 months up front. Every agency I asked about it because I could pay it up front due to my redundancy payout said landlords generally frown on it because it makes it seem like the potential tenants are drug dealers or something. Basically, I guess, because most people don’t have that kind of cash just lying around unless you’re up to something illegal.
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Yeah that makes sense. We are going to put the rental on my wife’s name as she’s as British as they come and has recent credit history.

Hopefully they won’t ask for 6 months. That’s a lot of money up front.

AdrianH said:
Just speak to SA employer to use correct "foreign income" codes on the IRP5.
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Oh? I wasn’t going to bother with any of that.

Mephisto_Helix said:
No 6 months upfront here either thankfully and zero credit history (I was actually credit invisible for like 4 months, lol). Took about 3 weeks of looking while I was staying with a mate.
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Yeah I am hoping they don’t ask for 6 months.

Someone mentioned 5 weeks to find a place. If we are planning to leave end of March. We should start looking in Feb or there about a I think.
 
Priapus said:
Yeah I am hoping they don’t ask for 6 months.

Someone mentioned 5 weeks to find a place. If we are planning to leave end of March. We should start looking in Feb or there about a I think.
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Good luck. And I don’t mean that sarcastically, I genuinely hope you come right. The last thing anyone needs is more hard work in what is already a tough process.
We, like @2023, took five weeks to get into a rental. Three weeks of calling and looking at places and two weeks of paperwork and approvals. Prior to arriving we tried mailing and didn’t get a single reply. Very frustrating at the time but understandable from an agent or landlord’s perspective.
Also had to pay 6 months up front and provide bank statements to prove where our money was coming from and that we had money to back the entire lease period because we had zero history here. Supporting the agent/landlord perspective.
 
Paul Kemp said:
Good luck. And I don’t mean that sarcastically, I genuinely hope you come right. The last thing anyone needs is more hard work in what is already a tough process.
We, like @2023, took five weeks to get into a rental. Three weeks of calling and looking at places and two weeks of paperwork and approvals. Prior to arriving we tried mailing and didn’t get a single reply. Very frustrating at the time but understandable from an agent or landlord’s perspective.
Also had to pay 6 months up front and provide bank statements to prove where our money was coming from and that we had money to back the entire lease period because we had zero history here. Supporting the agent/landlord perspective.
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I think chances are that the wife goes over first to help secure a place. I don't think we'll manage to get anything sorted from this side.
 
Priapus said:
I think chances are that the wife goes over first to help secure a place. I don't think we'll manage to get anything sorted from this side.
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That will no doubt have a different set of hardships but financially makes the most sense.
Wonder if that would change your visa process given that your wife would be the sponsor and be in country?
 
Paul Kemp said:
That will no doubt have a different set of hardships but financially makes the most sense.
Wonder if that would change your visa process given that your wife would be the sponsor and be in country?
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I don't think it will.

I've just gotten off the phone to an immigration lawyer / agent.

They've advised:
- Spousal Visas take roughly 12 weeks to process at the moment - 500gbp extra if you want it in 30 day
- Healthcare (IHS) fees increasing from 16th Jan 2024 - to 1035 per person, per year the visa is valid.

And because my wife was only given 60 days - not 90 days at the border on her visitor visa (@Sinbad is right - SA doesn't want people here) - she has to leave at the end of March with a visa extension.

So, it's highly likely I'll be stuck here for a bit whilst things get wrapped up.

Why are we doing all this again... FML.
 
AdrianH said:
As a side note, anybody renew their SA passport from UK?
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Don't get me started on this! I did it last year. Was the biggest pita - took about 6 months.

It's 'supossed' to be a better now that they are using VFS global but I've heard a few horror stories. The is a FB group for SA High commision in London filled with stories.

My wife's passport is due to expire end next year - we are flying to SA to see family and get her passport sorted in SA rather than getting it done here.

High Commision is worse than SA DHA if you can believe that. They don't answer the phones full stop. No reply to emails. I eventually setup a cron job to mail them every day and started cc'ing higher ups. Got a response after 2 months.
 
Priapus said:
I don't think it will.

I've just gotten off the phone to an immigration lawyer / agent.

They've advised:
- Spousal Visas take roughly 12 weeks to process at the moment - 500gbp extra if you want it in 30 day
- Healthcare (IHS) fees increasing from 16th Jan 2024 - to 1035 per person, per year the visa is valid.

And because my wife was only given 60 days - not 90 days at the border on her visitor visa (@Sinbad is right - SA doesn't want people here) - she has to leave at the end of March with a visa extension.

So, it's highly likely I'll be stuck here for a bit whilst things get wrapped up.

Why are we doing all this again... FML.
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16 Jan. **** me. 2 weeks before we apply.
Mother ****ers.
 
gregmcc said:
Don't get me started on this! I did it last year. Was the biggest pita - took about 6 months.

It's 'supossed' to be a better now that they are using VFS global but I've heard a few horror stories. The is a FB group for SA High commision in London filled with stories.

My wife's passport is due to expire end next year - we are flying to SA to see family and get her passport sorted in SA rather than getting it done here.
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They told me 12 months when we applied.
There was a woman there in tears because she applied 14 months before and couldn't go and see her family as it hadn't come through yet.
 
Sinbad said:
They told me 12 months when we applied.
There was a woman there in tears because she applied 14 months before and couldn't go and see her family as it hadn't come through yet.
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There are some people that have been waiting over 2 years. I'm honesty thinking of renouncing my citizenship when my passport next expires. I can't go through this **** again in 10 years.
 
gregmcc said:
There are some people that have been waiting over 2 years. I'm honesty thinking of renouncing my citizenship when my passport next expires. I can't go through this **** again in 10 years.
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Once you have a British Passport; does it really matter? Just enter SA on the British passport instead.

Busy waiting for my new passport - should be here by next month I think. At least DHA does that right, here.
 
Sinbad said:
They told me 12 months when we applied.
There was a woman there in tears because she applied 14 months before and couldn't go and see her family as it hadn't come through yet.
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So, they have no way to travel at the moment then and stuck in the UK?

Not possible to get a temp travel document?
 
Sinbad said:
16 Jan. **** me. 2 weeks before we apply.
Mother ****ers.
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I must actually do some calculations here.

When you renew, they give you 30 months plus up to 28 days from the date of application, right?

And for ILR you can apply as soon as you've been here 5 years exactly?

If so...

My wife's anniversary is 9 June.
30 months from 9 January is 9 July right?
So we could apply early Jan and still manage the 5 years on just the one renewal? Or am I working it out wrong?
 
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