Travel questions.

[Mytical]

This is planning for the future and I am hoping somebody here knows.

Basically I need to know what all is needed (passport, visa, etc) to travel to England from the United States..chances are to stay there on a permanent basis. Any travel experts around?

[Soulstealer]

If you're just going to visit and are American you just need a passport so long as you don't stay for longer than six months. If however you plan to move permanently and aren't also a UK citizen some sort of visa will be required. It would depend if you're going via work or to be with family how you would go about doing it and which visa to apply for and how to go about doing it so more information would be required.

[Mytical]

Well it would be a personal trip (ie not visit or school or such) to visit family (future family but meh *laughs*) I also need a good idea what time is cheapest to travel if anybody knows.

[sstabeler]

your passport, and be able to prove you can support yourself while you're here.

If you plan on coming here permanently, I'm not sure.

[Gumby30]

You can visit the UK from the US for up to 6 months as a visitor. If you do want to stay longer then this page: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/vi...tion/visiting/ has some useful information regarding the visas you might need and various useful links about immigration.

[Soulstealer]

Cheapest time to travel tends to be after the holidays and summer. The link to the Border Agency will give you a general outline, especially if you want to stay permanently.

[Moirae]

I'm an immigrant to the US from Canada. You will need a valid passport to cross the border. There are also limits on what you can bring on the plane with you, ask your airport when you book.

As of 9-11, no one can come to the US for six months as a visitor unless they have a visa.

Any visa is only for a certain amount of time before it expires. I arrived on a spousal visa (I married an American in 2006 and moved to the US in 2008. My visa cleared in March 2008 and I left Canada in April). The visa was valid for 2 years, and I needed to have my green card by then or go through the application process again.

After I arrived, I had to apply for a work permit before I could get an SSN number to be able to work. I received my work permit in September 2008, and began my first job in the US in October 2008.

While Canadian citizens tend to be given a bit of leeway in coming to the US, it is not so for other countries. If you're coming here for a couple weeks for vacation, you'll probably be fine, but if it's longer, you will need a visa.

[auntiem]

Well it would be a personal trip (ie not visit or school or such) to visit family (future family but meh *laughs*) I also need a good idea what time is cheapest to travel if anybody knows.

Any chance at all that you have a Scot grandparent? If so you can get "grandfathered" in for a 6 month work visa. If not, you can stay for 6 months on a tourist visa, but I would check to see how much you need to have in your bank account. You also need to have a return ticket I think and a address for where you will be staying - if not you have to check in periodically.
I did some travel arrangements for various couples and each country has different rules about the getting married part - if I recall for the UK you will need to apply to get married from the US and wait for approval - so you may at some point to come back to the US for awhile. You can apply from within, but one couple told me it was a bigger PITA to do it that way. I don't recal if you have pets, but moving them is a bit of paperwork too.
As a general rule - ticket prices are cheapest in September and March - often for travel dates outside those months. I don't know what airport is closest to you, but keep an eye out for new routes - for example, when AirFrance started to fly from SEA the tickets were super cheap for a month or so. Or if an airline starts a new non-stop to a smaller airport those tickets are a great price for a short while. Be careful and read the rules - some of the cheap tickets you can't change at all.

[houdini]

The border agency has info on visas etc - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

And also info from the UK Gov about citizenship - https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/citizenship

I'd advise not travelling in the summer (June-September) or around Christmas. The two weeks over Easter can get busy too. Buying a plane ticket a long way in advance can make it cheaper, plus being flexible with your route.

[Mytical]

Thanks for the advice everybody, it is appreciated.

[Eireann]

Oh, of course, you and Marmalady are engaged! It may be best to have the wedding first, then apply for residency.

[Mytical]

Oh, of course, you and Marmalady are engaged! It may be best to have the wedding first, then apply for residency.

*nods* Of course I insisted I get to propose in person before we set a date or anything. I am a bit old fashioned that way. So I have to get there first