Thinking about taking the leap and emigrating from the USA to England? I know the feeling! Between the free healthcare, more affordable college courses (for the most part), and close proximity to mainland Europe are all huge pros.
However, the process of moving to England isn’t always straightforward, so here’s how to move to England from the USA. Let’s dive in and learn more!
Visas
First things first, we need to talk about visas. Although US Citizens can stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa, this is as a tourist. Legally you cannot work during this time. While there is some room to check the occasional email on your phone, you cannot legally work here, even as a remote worker or digital nomad.
In order to move to England from the USA on a long-term basis, here are the most common visas. There are more high-end investor and global talent visas, but these are hard to come by. Self-employment visas are also hard to come by and there technically isn’t a digital nomad visa or freelancer option for overseas nationals at the moment:
- A sponsored work visa
- An intra-company transfer visa
- An elite sportsperson or coach visa
- A student visa
- A spouse visas
Sponsored Work Visa (Tier 2 Skilled Worker Visa)
The most traditional way to move to England from the USA is by getting a business to sponsor your work visa. There are so many companies that do this, but it’s worth double-checking during the hiring process before you get too far down the line.
The facts
- Minimum salary requirement: £25,600 a year
- Length of visa: Up to 5 years, or the length of the contract, whichever is lower.
- It is renewable at the five-year mark.
- Takes up to 8 weeks to go through.
- You do not need to prove your B1 English language level if you’re from the US.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Work for an international country and want to move to a UK office? The British Government has a specific visa for this, but it’s really just a version of the sponsored work visa.
There are two sub-sections; short-term and long-term and the criteria differ massively.
The facts (Short-Term ICT Visa)
- Stay up to 12 months
- Salary over £24,000
- No renewal available
The facts (Long Term ICT Visa)
- Stay up to 3 years
- Can renew for a further 2 years
- Salary over £40,000
Elite Sportsperson or Coach Visa
If you’re an elite sportsperson or a coach who is well-recognized within your sport on an international level and wants to develop your sport in the UK at the highest level, you can be eligible for this visa.
The facts
- You can stay up to 3 years, but it’s renewable as long as you’re eligible.
- Takes up to 8 weeks to go through.
- You need to be sponsored by a club or organization
- You can study alongside this as long as it doesn’t interfere with your sport or coaching work.
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Student Visa
If you want to go to university in the UK, for any level of study, you’ll need a student visa. You’ll need an acceptance letter from your chosen institution to apply, so you can’t do this ages in advance of your course starting.
The facts
- If you’re studying for an undergraduate you can stay for up to 5 years.
- If it’s a shorter course, then it’s up to 2 years.
- You can work up to 20 hours per week alongside your studies.
- You can only apply a maximum of three months before your course begins.
Spouse Visas
So, even if you’re married to a UK resident or citizen, you can’t just automatically move there. If you are married, in a civil partnership, or an unmarried partner, you need a spouse visa.
The Facts
- Initial stay length is 2 years and 9 months
- Extendable up to a total of five years
- You and your partner’s combined gross annual income is at least £29,000
- This is slated to gradually rise to £38,700
- Have a genuine relationship
- At least an A1 level of English
Budget
Look, there’s no getting away from it, England is expensive and the prices are still rising. It’s not exactly the cost-effective move it once was, especially if you want to live in the major cities.
However, if you’re living in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, or Austin, you might find it a fair bit cheaper than your current living situation.
The average rent per calendar month for a one-bed apartment ranges massively in different English cities, so here are the most popular locations. To clarify, these are mostly in the city centers of these places, so of course, you can find cheaper places the further you go. To find rentals, check out Rightmove, Zoopla, and SpareRooms for houseshares.
- London: £1,280
- Birmingham: £1,000
- Manchester: £1,100
- Liverpool: £875
- Bristol: £1,300
- Brighton: £1,400
- York: £1,200
- Leeds: £900
- Newcastle: £800
Keep in mind that this is rent alone and rarely includes utilities. However, if you live in the majority of these cities, you don’t need a car and public transport is pretty good. You need to weigh up location versus cost and convenience. For example, the suburbs of Liverpool can cost around £550 for a one-bed place, which is way more reasonable, but you will have to spend money to get into the center.
When you think that on average, your rent takes up around 30-40% of your money income, you should be able to budget based on that.
It’s also worth mentioning that wages tend to be a lot lower in the UK than in the US. So, while the cost of living is lower, so is the salary. If you can keep your US wage and do an inter-company work visa situation, that might be the best way to enjoy a high standard of living in the UK.
Choosing a Location
To many people’s surprise, England isn’t just London. Although the majority of US expats live and work in London as it’s more multicultural, has more work opportunities, and more transport hubs, it is one of the most expensive places to live in the country.
If your work supports remote working, or you’re not a fan of huge cities, you might want to check out some of the smaller UK cities like Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Birmingham. These cities have all the amenities, huge international populations thanks to the universities, and travel links (including international airports) you need but without the high cost of rent of London, Bristol, and Manchester.
Finding Work
For most of us, you need to find a job before you even start looking for a visa or accommodation. Many companies sponsor Tier 2 visas and will explicitly say if they don’t on job applications.
Another way to find sponsored work is to literally Google it – “sponsored work in the UK” brings up numerous job boards that specialize in connecting overseas workers with UK jobs. It’s worth reading the tier-2 criteria (especially the minimum salary requirements) before applying, just in case it’s an ineligible role.
Remember, you can always ask the hiring manager point blank if they sponsor visas. It’s better to ask early and save everyone’s time.
The first place I’d check is your own company. If they offer intra-company transfers and have a UK office, this is likely going to be the easiest route. They don’t have to train someone new, you get to move overseas, and it’s a win-win.
Tips and Tricks for Living in England
Okay, here are some final tips and tricks for moving to and living in England!
- Stand to the left on public transport escalators, especially the Tube in London!
- Tea-making culture in offices is real – learn how to make a decent cuppa, you will have to do the rounds when you’re the newbie.
- Make a note of all the bank holidays throughout the year. They’re different to the US and you don’t want to accidentally go into the office on a shutdown day.
- Brace yourself for peak-time travel. Whether it’s the motorways, train services, or tubes, they’re all going to be busy and there is no air-con to be found anywhere.
- Find a club or two to join when you arrive. Meeting new people in a new country as an adult is hard, so use your existing hobbies and interests, like rock climbing, reading, or running!
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Vanessa Wachtmeister is a travel tech professional and the creator of the wealth & wanderlust platform, Wander Onwards. Vanessa is originally from Los Angeles, California, she is a proud Chicana, and she has been living abroad for the last 9 years. Today, she helps people pursue financial and location independence through her ‘Move Abroad’ Master Class, financial literacy digital products, and career workshops.