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There are many reasons people choose to migrate to different countries; perhaps there are better work options or even the potential for a better life. Whatever the reason, immigration is an option that millions of people consider every year. One of the limiting beliefs of potential immigrants is that moving with a family is almost impossible – this is wrong. While having a partner and/or children may make the process of migrating more complicated, it is far from impossible for whole families to relocate to countries across the globe.
So where do you go? This is often the toughest question for would-be migrants. Your choices are largely going to depend on several factors, some of which we will look at below:
Language – does the country you are looking to move to speak the same language as you? If, for instance, you were looking to move to the UK, you would need to speak a very advanced level of English in order to not only qualify for a visa (the vast majority of UK visas have an English language requirement) but also to succeed in daily life. This will be the same story no matter what country you choose to move to and will likely be a very important factor in your choice of destination.
Quality of life – depending on your country of origin, a new country may offer a particular boost in quality of life. For instance, if you moved from a third-world country to a modern western democracy, your quality of life is likely to be significantly higher. This will likely be due to having a more settled economy and a large supply of both jobs and housing. This difference may not be quite so pronounced if you are moving between similar countries, and you may need to assess some of the downsides (such as potentially leaving your extended family behind).
Job opportunities – one of the biggest factors for relocating is work. Some people move because of a specific job opportunity such as an intra-company transfer, while others may move due to the greater availability of jobs in their target location. Whatever your reason, job opportunities are likely to be a factor in your choice.
While these are not the only three factors (and their order of importance will almost certainly be unique to your situation), they are almost certainly among the most common. When you are assessing your choices, it is important that you consider at least these three factors. If you have a family with children, you will also need to consider whether moving will be a net positive for them.
Why The UK?
One of the world’s most popular destinations for migrants to move to is the United Kingdom. This is not particularly surprising, as the country has established visa routes, high quality of life and a significant migrant population already. It also has the most widely spoken language in the world: English.
Every year thousands of migrants make the UK their home due to the quality of life that is afforded to those who reside in the country. There is also a vibrant job market with high employment levels and a universal healthcare system that covers all who live in the country (though migrants have to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge as part of their visa application in order to use the service).
As well as the plus points laid out above, there are also free schools for children and a huge variety of housing options (though it must be noted that housing in the UK is somewhat expensive compared to its European neighbours). All in all, as far as quality of life is concerned, it is easy to see why the UK is such a draw for immigrants from across the globe.
Visa Options For Families
So if you decide that the UK is the ideal target location for your new life, you are going to want to know how to get there! As we noted previously, the UK has a number of visa routes that allow families to move to the UK to live and work. Below we are going to take a brief look at some of the mainstream routes that allow visa holders to bring their families to the UK:
Tier 1 Investor Visa – the Tier 1 Investor Visa is intended for immigrants who have at least £2m available to invest in a business in the UK. This investment is normally made in the form of either a loan or the purchase of share capital.
Start-Up/Innovator Visas – while differing slightly from each other, the Start-Up and Innovator visas are both designed to allow would-be entrepreneurs the opportunity to get their business idea off of the ground.
Tier 2 General Visa – the Tier 2 General Visa is aimed at skilled migrants who are looking to come to the UK in order to take a job that offers more than £30,000 (or the so-called “appropriate salary” for jobs that have a shortage of skilled domestic workers).
Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer Visa – some global companies offer the option for their staff to temporarily transfer between countries. In the UK, the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer Visa offers the option for global businesses to redeploy staff into a UK office of their company.
Tier 4 Student Visa – this route is for students who wish to study in the UK.
These are by no means the complete list of visas available in the UK but they are by far the most applied for. All of these visas also allow the visa holder to bring their family members (known as dependents) to the UK, and a benefit of all of these visa routes is that adult dependents are also able to work, allowing you to have a second income into your household.
In Summary
The decision to move countries is often a difficult one, but by factoring in what is important to you, you can easily come to a decision on where you should choose to go. If you happen to choose the UK, there are fantastic visa options that will allow you to move yourself and your family easily and quickly to the country. Get in touch with our expert team of immigration lawyers who will be more than happy to assist your application.
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This content is sponsored by James Nwabueze.
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