Hi!
I am looking to move to Scotland from the US, but any time I seek out information on how to do this, all the information I find is about how to find a job or get a work/student visa. I am a writer, so my work can be done from anyplace and generally does not require any special permits or anything for me to do from outside the US.
I've been to the UK twice and both times the customs guys who have to stamp my passport seemed to be kind of wary at my being a writer, like they didn't trust I really made enough money to be there (it was only after telling them how much stuff I'd published they let me through -- and these were both just for 3-4 week vacations!)
So I am wondering what I'd need to do to get cleared to come in without problems... health insurance, maybe?
~~T
Moving to Scotland - no job needed
The reason the Immigration officers (not customs - that's luggage) were wary is that you are not allowed to do work of any kind on a tourist visa. If your writing is not a hobby but is the way you make your living then it is work. You cannot work without a work visa. It doesn't matter if you are self-employed or not. The only solution I can think of for your problem is to persuade a publisher to sponsor you for a visa to work on a book that requires research in the UK. That would, of course, be temporary.
There are people like writers, producers and businessmen who go to live in other countries all the time because they don't need to be in a specific location for work, so there is obviously a way to do it that doesn't require a sponsored visa.
Do you know any such people who have recently done this in the UK? I am sure there are some countries where it is possible and, no doubt, some people will get away with doing it illegally. However, it is simply not possible for a non-EU citizen to live in the UK without a visa. You could, in theory, stay in the UK for 6 months of each year on a tourist visa but the UK Border Agency would want to know how you can do that without working. If you don't believe me, consult a professional: http://oisc.homeoffice.gov.uk/how_to_fi … n_adviser/
Word of advice. I went to England on a working holiday with the appropriate visa. People with the same visa infront of the line got thrown out and sent back home. It would be advisable to stand as far back in the line as possible. There are times that they are unreasonable.The officers only check the front stretch of the line then they back off after a while.I know it sounds negative and adverse but it happened."They do ask you what you want to do in England" before you exit the gates. Just say you travelling even though you have a working visa.It works in most cases.
Kenneth Reece Morgan wrote:Word of advice. I went to England on a working holiday with the appropriate visa. People with the same visa infront of the line got thrown out and sent back home. It would be advisable to stand as far back in the line as possible. There are times that they are unreasonable.The officers only check the front stretch of the line then they back off after a while.I know it sounds negative and adverse but it happened."They do ask you what you want to do in England" before you exit the gates. Just say you travelling even though you have a working visa.It works in most cases.
they are talking about scotland kenneth not england
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