We got our visas!

The move is starting to become more real as we completed the very important step of attaining our visas recently.  Luckily, it was a very straightforward process for us.  My company obtained a work permit from the UK Home Office for me, and I just needed to gather the rest of the paperwork together.  In the end, Dan decided not to apply as a HSM but as a dependant on my work visa instead, and we sent both of our applications in together.

On June 13, I submit my application online which is the only possible way for a US citizen to do it.  I also pay for the application plus postage fee $443 and schedule my Biometrics appointment for July 1.  At the Biometrics appointment on July 1, I get my picture and fingerprints taken.  I must send in all documents within two weeks of the Biometrics appointment.  Dan goes through the same procedure a few days after me.  In our joint application, we included everything they asked for in the following order:

-a cover letter
-my signed and completed application VAF2
-my work permit
-proof that I got my PhD (it was stipulated in the work permit that this is required for my post)
-a letter of support from a colleague from whom I’m renting a room for six weeks before Dan arrives
-confirmation from my biometrics appointment
-two passport photos of me
-four bank statements from our joint account
-my current and old passports
-our marriage license
-Dan’s completed and signed application VAF2
-his original birth certificate (they asked for his but not mine, strange)
-two passport photos of Dan
-Dan’s current and old passports
-confirmation from Dan’s biometrics appointment

Just a note that everything is the original, not a copy.  We send everything off to the British Consulate in LA by priority mail, certified, on July 10 and received the visas via UPS on July 17.  I was really nervous about the whole process, but it went extremely smoothly.  There were several times that I had questions, but I found the answers online, usually on UK-Yankee.  This was better than paying the $12 to call the consulate!

A few things that took a little bit of time to collect during our application: 1) Dan’s original birth certificate had to be sent over by his mom, 2) we had to call the National Passport Information Center to find out what city our passports were processed in, and 3) we needed to know the city of birth for each of our parents.  We were very lucky to have such an easy application, but I could imagine for some people that some sections of the application might be challenging, such as finding their old expired passports or recalling all the trips made to the UK in the last 10 years.  I imagine the work permit is the main reason for the process being so easy. Our visas note our one restriction is that we do not have recourse to public funds which is just fine with us.  We do have access to their National Health Service and we will need a National Insurance Number, very similar to the US’s social security number.

On another note, Dan has decided to join me in converting to Mac and will be buying a MacBook which means we will easily be able to communicate over the iSight during the 6 weeks that we will be apart.  Yea!

Tags: apple, mac, UK visas, work permit