ashmie wrote:@AGP: you're right Britain rocks on many levels, despite the bad weather, high tax and the general publics rather downbeat outlook it could be an excellent place to live again. The people of Britain just need to stiff up a lip and realise how good a place it is so we can improve things.
I'm thinking if moving back as it goes. With it without my family for the time being until I've got a job and place set up. I love Japan but miss my own people, the jokes and the culture to be honest.
We shall see. No harm in dreaming.
Just as a point about moving back to the UK. I was looking into that recently as a student told me that they were thinking of emigrating and wanted advice about the UK.
Obviously us Brits can go there freely, but for our spouses it is another matter entirely.
First off your missus NEEDs to have a TOEIC score or similar. If you are married to a British citizen the required score is 120 points. As you can get that simply by writing your name on the test sheet and just checking all the 'A' boxes it's kind of pointless, but bureaucrats do like to make it look like they are being effective.
Second thing you need is to pay about 110,000 yen for the visa application. That doesn't guarantee you'll get it mind and it is non-refundable if you are refused.
Third thing is you need to prove that you and your wife share financial responsibility, that means either proof of a joint account or that you are both registered as renting your current property together.
Next you need to attend interviews to show that you can communicate with each other in a common tongue (English or Japanese). These may or may not involve you both being tested to see what you know about each other.
The final thing you need is an income of about 18,000 pounds a year (more if you have a child) between you. Note that this is the income you will have in the UK. Your current earnings aren't counted. So that means you have to have a job and a letter guaranteeing your salary BEFORE you apply.
Once you have jumped through all those hoops, dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's you may or may not get your Visa in between 2 and 12 weeks. (though apparently the offices in Osaka and Tokyo are fairly quick at processing stuff).
Great stuff.
Who says the UK doesn't have pointless paperwork?
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450
