Evan, I don’t normally post comments, but I have a lot to thank you for. I discovered your videos as a sophomore in high school - I watched your US vs. UK videos religiously and took note of any information you shared about UK VISAs and the technical parts of moving to the UK or studying there full time. It became a dream of mine to get my full bachelor‘s degree in England and hopefully live in the UK for a while after graduation before prancing around Italy and The Netherlands and as many countries as I can to find a home (shocker: I don‘t want to live in the US). Thanks to your videos, by the end of my sophomore year I had developed an entire plan as to how I would obtain my student visa/tier 4 visa and move overseas. I knew more about this than anyone at my school, even guidance counselors and teachers who told me it was not possible to fully enroll in a UK university and that I should just study abroad for a semester. Luckily, I didn‘t listen to them, but then COVID happened. I got depressed and didn‘t care about my future anymore. I didn‘t think I wanted pursue higher education, so by the time I started my senior year and it was expected of me to apply for colleges, I only applied to a few schools in and around New England to „keep my options open“. Well, that went better than I thought, and I ended up getting a $60,000/year scholarship from NYU. Everyone was so excited for me, but one, it was for a program I didn‘t like, and two, it meant I gave up on my dream. Anyways, I ended up dropping NYU. I took this gap year to focus on work and applying to a ton of schools over in England. I will now be studying in Kent for a bachelor‘s in Drama & Theatre, and I‘m in the middle of the student VISA process now. If it weren‘t for your channel and the videos you posted, who knows where I would be right now. I can‘t say I would have been gearing up to move to England this September. I also would have spent LOADS more on my degree in the US, even with that scholarship. I‘m so glad you‘re still posting these kinds of videos to help more people understand how VISAs actually work and get an idea of what they should research. It’s so wonderful that you‘re now a UK citizen as well. For all of this, thank you a thousand times! Marshall
What a cool post. 😊 It's always been my dream to live in the UK but I didnt have an Evan back in the day, before I made many..."prohibitive" life choices. 😕 But ya never know, maybe I'll still get there someday. Best of luck to you! 👍🏼😁
I have also used Evan's videos as a guide for so many things since I found out I was moving to England. From visas to taxes and weird culture things. Great springboard to start my own research.
I remember first discovering your channel years ago as a Californian in San Diego who had never left the US before and thinking "it would be so cool to move to the UK one day." I watch your channel regularly and absorb as much information about the UK as possible. Last year, I studied abroad in Glasgow for a semester, graduated with my BA in California (Visual Arts). At the end of March this year, I moved to London to do my Master's in Film and TV Production and I start my course tomorrow. I actually got excited hearing you talking about the Creative Worker Visa! I plan on getting a Graduate Visa after I get my MA, and though a theoretical British Citizenship is a long ways away, watching this video has put a smile on my face and reminded me how far I've come. A lot of that is thanks to your videos (which have also inspired me to make my own and improve my photography). So, a huge thank you, Evan. :))
As someone who works as an international student advisor in the U.S., hearing about the similarities and differences between the U.S. and UK systems is very interesting.
Started following your content shortly before coming to the UK for university, I hope to one day escape the hell hole of the USA and this is definitely a help, even if I don't stay here
There's actually 1 new visa introduced last year called "Scale-up visa" that gives you the right to work in the UK for a company that can sponsor you (just like the Skilled worker visa). However, the best thing about this visa is you are only "tied" to your initial sponsorship for 6 months, so after 6 months you can leave your current employer to find a new job without needing a new visa sponsorship. I wish they implement this new visa as a revision to Skilled worker visa instead of creating a new visa category
Oh wow that looks like a good visa. I wonder is it harder to obtain than the normal work visa? Not being tied to a specific employer after 6 months sounds too good to be true
Ok I googled and it is too good to be true. Only a handful of companies are approved for the scale-up visa. So it’s almost impossible to find a job for this visa
@@nicktankard1244 yes there are some requirements to it but I think it's almost easy (might be wrong, I have never run any business). What makes me disappointed is why did the government can't just replace the old Skilled Worker visa with this beautiful visa :(
@@anthonyviriya4446 it makes nonsense to me either. Countries that do work visas tied to your employer for several years are really not great. Canada does that and Germany. Being able to work for only one employer for years is very stressful. You’re constantly in fear of losing your job and feel like a visa slave. 6-12 months is more than enough I think. 5 years is ridiculous in today’s economy when companies have no loyalty and do layoffs left and right.
I got a UK passport 10 years ago, but this topic still gives me anxiety! The new graduate visa sounds so good! Back in the day, I was so stressed when my student visa was running out, while I was looking for a company that would be prepared to go through the whole work permit palaver for me!
Evan I just wanted to thank you for creating the content you do, comparing British and American perspectives, explanations on a foreigner's insights on living in the UK, and these visa videos. I got approved for my ancestry visa last week and my flight over is tonight. Looking forward to starting a new chapter. Your videos were extremely informative and helpful for considering and planning how to go about my move. Keep making this amazing content and I'm sure we'll all keep watching!🤘
Thank you for this summary, Evan, I think it will help so many people! Just one important point of clarification on the UK Ancestry visa. There are actually two stipulations: You must have at least one grandparent (living or dead) who was born in the UK, AND you must be a Commonwealth (or British overseas territory) citizen. This is a tricky little stipulation that unfortunately excludes US citizens, for instance. Source: South African living in the UK on an Ancestry visa.
As someone born in the UK who has always lived here, I love watching these videos to educate myself on this process! I wish I could send them to my daily mail reading nan lol
Up to the middle of the process it's surprisingly similar to me in Canada. International Student (2 year permit) -> post-graduate work permit (2 year permit cuz I studied for 2) -> permanent resident (faster cuz I studied/ had work exp in 🇨🇦 ) and now I just passed the citizenship test so this year I'll do the same embarrassing swearing in while looking into The King's eyes Evan had to do.😊
People from the US especially TX and FL want to move to the UK or some other country because of what their state government is being run and some people in the UK want to move to the US for the same reasons it’s kind of ironic. 😅😊😂
Meanwhile people who aren’t supposed to be in the uk are arriving every day on rubber boats whilst left wing judges are stopping them being turned around. The only people getting rich are scum bag people smugglers Glad I got out and am living in the most boring humourless country in the world NZ. I was in Dubai for 16 years and that’s where I am going back to.
Watching this as someone born in the UK really makes me realize how lucky I am to never have had to jump through these hoops if I did end up wanting to move as a non-citizen
I started following you when you were suffering through all those visa travails. I am thinking that however awful it was for you, it did result in some extremely entertaining videos! But I am glad it is easier now. Thank you for the video!
Immigration is so frustrating. I’ve changed countries twice in the last 5 years. And both had complicated visa problems. I’ve always wanted to live in the UK but they make it very hard to move there. I am so depressed and tired of this visa hell. Can’t really feel like i belong anywhere and I can’t go back to my home country because of political reasons and I don’t really want to.
I wanted to come to the UK because my dream job was here. I got it, and I really like it, but now I've got a chronic illness and need surgery, and the last time a specialist saw me was last year, and I won't be seen again until August. I'm in pain all day every day, and life feels like hell. I've thought about getting surgery abroad like a friend did. This year, I can apply for ILR, but I'm not sure I want to, because it is expensive, and on top of that, I may need multiple surgeries and I'm not getting adequate healthcare.
@@MsBimbobear sorry to hear that. I’m actually in a similar position in Canada. Except it might be even worse over here. The wait times are insane as well and it’s very hard to find a doctor. But in order to apply for a permanent residency in Canada you need to pass a medical examination. And if they deem that your or any of your relatives(even the ones that don’t plan to come to Canada) treatment will be too much of a burden on the healthcare system you will be denied. Now I’m stressed that my application will be denied. Not very nice of them to discriminate on health. Especially for people who have been living here for a while. What am I to do if my health gets bad while I’m here? And your visa is tied to an employer so if you lose your job or can’t work you’re screwed.
Evan your videos on this subject have been so helpful and encouraging for me as an American also hopefully on the path to British citizenship, Thank you!!!
Hi! You did a very good job explaining all the visas available, but perhaps you can make a road map that really guide us through the process of getting a UK CZ from scratch
The run down on the visas was interesting. I do have to say, gbp 42,400 is not a very high salary here in the US. The median for full time workers is around usd 54,000, so if you work at the sort of company where you could transfer to a foreign office, the salary requirement is not going to be a problem.
It’s also worth mentioning that the ICT visa doesn’t grant you ilr status, so if you want to get ilr status and get citizenship, you’ll have to switch to a different visa and build up years on that to get that.
Just a note about the UK Ancestry Visa (unless they've now changed it), along with proving one of your grandparents was from the UK, you also need to be from a Commonwealth country, so wouldn't work for US citizens. I'm from Australia, and my grandpa was from Scotland, so I just had to provide his birth certificate (which was a bit of a faff to get), along with my dad's birth certificate and mine, to prove the family connection. I also had to show that I had enough finances to support myself.
This is positive news for Evan, qualified, skilled and self reliant, and last year 500k applicants that wanted to come, did their research, went through the process and moved to Britain, all legal and signed off.
As a Canadian immigrant this is pretty much exactly how the system works there. The Graduate Visa system (called something else in Canada) is so nice to have just incase you can't find a suitable job directly after graduation. Love to hear the UK has implemented it as well.
I was born in Britain to British parents who emigrated to New Zealand when I was kid, while my fiancee is an American with a British mother. So, we both know a fair bit about visas and get a lot of questions from family/friends about visa processes. The best advice I can give anyone who is in for the long haul in settling in another country permanently is: Understand that it's a privilege, not an entitlement. During covid, we had quite a few British and American friends who decided that they wanted to come to New Zealand, and were genuinely surprised to discover that they couldn't just turn up and work in their chosen field right off the bat, unless they had skills in an area that was in demand. Simply holding the passport of a certain country or being a certain age doesn't mean a red carpet gets rolled out for you (this is most relevant to Brits, as some do think the commonwealth connection means you're automatically entitled to residency in places like Canada or NZ). It also takes several years in most countries to reach a permanent status where you have full travel rights, and in the meantime, you have to think about how adverse events like family illnesses or job losses could derail your visa plan. This is to say 'don't do it' but to make sure you go in with your eyes wide open - moving countries permanently is long hard slog, but totally worth it if that's what you really want.
7:40 The US has the same sort of labor market test with the H1B visa, which is the most common visa I've seen here in tech. It also has similar equivalent salary rules.
The thing that is often misunderstood about ILR is that it really is indefinite (unless you do something heinous like murder someone). If you leave the UK for more than 2 years, your residency does expire. But you do not have to go through all that fuss to get it back. Once you've been granted ILR, you can return to the UK under a "Returning Resident" visa. This is fairly straightforward, all you really have to do is show that your visit is for the purposes of residing, not just a tourist visit (e.g. you've got a job lined up, or you've rented or bought a place, etc). There is a fee, but it's not the thousands of pounds that was originally spent getting ILR. Having said that, it's faintly absurd that it does expire after two years. But at least it's not a "start again from the very beginning" thing.
Thanks so much for this video, my partner lives in the UK and I've been searching all over for a comprehensive guide on this. We plan on staying together for quite a long time so to speak and it's been quite a confusing time researching it.
Hey, I'm in a similar boat. The path we're taking is: - Live together for 2 years on a graduate visa (you could exchange this for a student visa) - Partner visa for 5 years (you don't need to be married, just live together) - Indefinite Leave to remain
@@Atral557hello I would like to know more about this process. My girlfriend lives in the UK and we are looking for a way for me (us) to be able to stay with her. For the study visa or graduate visa what steps did you take?
@@raven5144 there's too much to explain in a UA-cam comment, but have a look at student and graduate visas on the gov UK website. Basic summary is that you need to be accepted for and study a bachelor's degree or higher to completion. 1 year master's programmes are included in this if you already have a bachelor's. To get the unmarried partner visa, you need to have lived together for at least 2 years and your combined income must be at least £29,000 a year. You could potentially reach the 2 year requirement while studying and therefore skip the graduate visa. After this, provided you can prove the above requirements (make sure both of your names are on bills, tenancy agreements etc) you can get the partner visa for 2 years 9 months and renew it for a further 2.5 years, which brings you to the 5 year requirement for permanent residence
I recall that at one time (around the turn of the century I think?), most of the "English" cricket team were not British, there were cricketers from Australia, South Africa, someone from the Caribbean, a few from the Subcontinent, etc. I'm from one of those countries and I found it amusing that England did not have enough native born sporting talent to field a competitive team made up from locals.
@@Dave_Sisson that still happens in the 21st century. Kevin Peterson the cricketer is South African but played for England, and mo farah was from Somalia before he was smuggled into the UK as an asylum seeker, now he's a multi Olympic medal winner. There are many other examples I could give. Also to note we also allow people to play for national teams if they were educated for a period of time in that country. Several Scottish footballers have done this.
This video was really clear and absolutely fascinating! I'd be really interested in more videos about your experiences with these visas and the home office
Man, those fees! I moved from the United States as a skilled worker and naturalized in Iceland for a total cost (including citizenship application) of about US$520. Of course, someone setting out to immigrate to Iceland would have a lot more barriers to overcome related to finding a skilled job here, etc. But, at least with my Icelandic passport, I can live and work anywhere in the EU/EEA or Switzerland. ;)
The graduate visa is cool! Similar to dutch visa (zoekjaar or “search year”) for finding a job after uni. Really helpful fir people wishing to stay after studies!
I knew about the Tier Skilled Worker visas but I didn't realise there were so many others. I'll definitely have to look into these. As someone who's a couple of months shy of getting their Library Technician Certification I'm very curious to know which visas I would qualify for. I of course eventually want to get citizenship but right now my main concern is securing a job and visa once I finish my certification and get some experience under my belt.
Another way to become a British Citizen, this is the route I am in the middle of taking, is joining the British Army (keep in mind, this is only for commonwealth citizens). When they opened up the applications to overseas applicants in 2019, I joined the Army, I did have to get a visitor visa until basic training started, where I then got an exemption stamp on my passport. I am now just over a year away from getting ILR. Currently applications for overseas commonwealth applicants are closed, but you can still apply, your application will be kept on file as more roles become available.
Thanks for this Evan. My wife and I have watched your channel on and off for years. We live in the US and are looking forward to moving to the UK. I'm a natural born citizen, but the Visa stuff surrounding her move is stressing us both out. Watching your journey has been awesome, and hopefully we'll be over there in the next couple of years.
Thanks for information,love the videos.Cheers from Connecticut USA.Could you do video on mortgage system and real estate terms(freehold,chain free, leases on apartment 999 yrs.Very appreciated.
Broadly correct, but two corrections. For the Ancestry visa, you must prove that at least one of your grandparents was *born* in the UK. The grandparent merely being a British citizen living in the UK does not count. Which is why the descendants of many migrants whose children moved out of the UK would not qualify. The grandparent needs a UK (including the whole of Ireland before 1921) birth certificate for their grandchild to qualify. As for the family visa, you do not need to prove a marriage for two years. You need to prove that you are either (a) legally married in a jurisdiction whose marriage is recognised by the UK OR (b) you have lived together as a couple for a period of at least two continuous years. Option B is for unmarried couples. Note that the UK has policies not recognising polygamous marriages for the purposes of visa sponsorship, even if those marriages were conducted in jurisdictions whose marriages are otherwise recognised. Love the description of ILR as "citizenship lite", because that is exactly what it is. Indeed, if you have Commonwealth citizenship (citizenship of any of the 54 Commonwealth countries), before ILR, you can legally vote in all elections in the UK. And after you get ILR, a Commonwealth citizen can be elected MP and could theoretically become Prime Minister without being a British citizen, let alone that whole "natural born citizen" American nonsense.
Another important point missed out was that for the family visa, the British citizen must demonstrate an annual income of at least £18,600 for the partner, plus additional amounts for any dependent non-British children included in the application. While that may sound cheap in the US and some other countries, ~30-40% of the UK workforce earn less than that threshold and are therefore unable to sponsor their spouses at all.
@@girish2001 this is the combined income of you and your partner, so if your partner is transitioning from a different visa, their income can also be included. Honestly I think £18,600 requirement is reasonable, you'd really struggle to support 2 people on less than that in most areas of the UK
Option B is also for when you are applying to extend your family visa - you do have to provide evidence that you have been living together for two years.
@@girish2001This is £18600 per year before tax - I think it's doable. You would have to earn more, yes, if the children are not British citizens. Also, you could be self- employed, or combine income from different jobs.
Its worth mentioning that the home office can legally take up to 6 months to decide on ILR applications and during this time you cannot leave the UK. So this is all a way to force people to pay the £500 priority surcharge, bringing the actual bill to £2904.
I had similar concerns but I talked to citizens advice and you can continue to live and work in the UK under the terms of your previous visa as long as you applied before that visa expired.
They clearly want you to pay that fee. If you have a sponsor, then likely they will be paying for the visa, except for ILR. I didn't have to pay the NHS surcharge either.
I think he explains it in one of the videos about student loans US vs UK, cant really explain it without it not making sense lol but its something to do with staying out of the country too long the country cant tax him anymore so techincally he doesn’t have student loans
Just wanted to point out something really quick - you do not need to have lived together for the Spouse or Fiancée visa (I would know!), that requirement is only for the Unmarried Partner visa. Also they do 100% need you to submit things like chat logs to prove your relationship. The website is intentionally confusing and misleading. Your UK partner also needs to earn a minimum of £18600 in order to sponsor their partner (or have a ton of savings).
Correct (no proof of cohabitation required for spouses). Clarification needed: £18600 per year GROSS - before tax - required for a sponsor to sponsor a partner or a spouse UNLESS the sponsor is in receipt of some benefits.
7:24 Well, Canada, the US, Australia are just the same. Any immigrant applying for work visa must first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment that proves the company has first tried yet failed to find suitable employees in the country itself.
Back in 2002 and 2003 the student visa was free and given out at passport control in the airport. (At least for citizens of countries that did no require getting a tourist visa)
To add on to family visas, you can also get one of you have a British citizen child or a child's been living there for sometime as long as they're under 18. So if you had a child with a UK citizen or someone with ILR but not in a relationship you can move to the UK however this route is pretty tricky
18:42 It's more of a "It's indefinite!*" The asterisk is important. If you leave the UK for 2 years or they suspect when you come back that you're coming back to visit instead of living in the UK you lose the Indefinite Leave to Remain. So only indefinite subject to Terms & Conditions.
Alright, Evan, I have to bite -- fellow US/UK dual citizen, who's been resident in the UK for the last 15 years. My initial entry was on a Student visa for graduate school. Through marriage I extended, then got ILR (before the requirement was 5 years residency; I squeaked in before the limits raised), I've *got* to ask about your comment re: student loans on the Graduate scheme (because they are exactly how I provided proof of my funding when I arrived). On *what* advice are you operating on 2:19 stating that if you get US Federal student loans, "If you plan on living permanently in the UK, you never have to pay that back"? I have ALL my student loan debt still and I can't think of any way this would be feasible unless one is intending to just not pay them back, purposely default on them, and stay incommunicado? (Which doesn't seem like a wise idea.) My loans absolutely still exist, and I have to go through the hoops every year of filing to prove level of income to make them income-based repayments (current loan freeze notwithstanding), and it is a pain in the *ass*. Apart from continuing to delay and file income based repayment paperwork every year and waiting out the 25-30 years until they're forgiven, I don't understand where this advice comes from...
As a Brit who is marrying an American next year, the family visa is going to be a massive pain. She got lucky and the graduate visa was created while she was a student too. Those yearly NHS surcharges definitely add up though and are ridiculous considering if you work you then pay taxes for the NHS. Also now all the prices are going up ugh
1:35 no self employed work makes sense from the perspective of someone providing services (and possibly taking jobs away from a UK resident). But it's far easier to say "don't work" than to draw that line. Now, can you work remotely for a US company from the UK on a visitor visa?
I wish the UK hadn't done away with the retirement visa or 'person of independent means'. I lived and worked in the UK for 6 years so I don't meet the requirement for 10 continuous years. I'm nearing retirement age and I get the UK wants to stem migration, so it seems my only avenue is to work longer than I want to in order to get a 'remain to leave' visa.
You missed out the visa for being engaged or married to a Brit. Also, I am really happy my wife got her ILR before they started charging for it... Admittedly I think the high potential individual visa looks a lot like the Top Talent visa in Hong Kong, so I'm wondering if that's where they got the idea.... Although Hong Kong uses a different list of Universities...
@@evan My bad - I missed it somehow - but I remembered the bit about breaching your human rights... But back in the day (2000), my wife got her ILR after 1 year in the UK, and it cost £0. (just involved a trip to Croydon, no life in the UK test and no English language test). - so things may have improved (for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, at least) recently, but it's still far more expensive and more complicated than it used to be...
Thank you for this video. Now I live in the UK on a "Homes for Ukraine" visa (Family Scheme for 3 years). Fortunately, it's free and I have almost all of the benefits like the right to work or NHS (I'm not sure if could I be a professional sportsman). But the future of this program is quite uncertain and despite the so long term, it doesn't lead even close to ILR.
They made me take an English test despite English being my native language. In the essay section I wrote about my frustration at having to write the test in the first place.
The SELT test is insanely difficult!! Students going to the US take the ELTiS test and usually score in the 90th percentile. Students going to the UK taking the SELT-test very often fail and have to retake it. That says something about the level of difficulty!
IELTS for UKVI (immigration) isn't trivial at all. I had to take it recently and got band 8 after 3 weeks of daily preparation. There is a high degree of randomness as with any test. If you get a ridiculously low score, you may need to retake it unfortunately. Students usually only need band 6.5-7.
2:25-2:30: everything I’ve googled involving not paying back fed loans when you live abroad overall comes up as “No matter where you live, you'll remain tied to your school debt payments.” Can you please explain how?
!!UPDATE!! Since January 31, 2024, individuals traveling to the United Kingdom have been allowed to work remotely while visiting.
0:42 Visitor Visa
2:15 student visa
5:32 Graduate visa
6:50 Skilled Worker Visa (previously Tier 2)
10:11 Global Talent Visa
Evan, I don’t normally post comments, but I have a lot to thank you for. I discovered your videos as a sophomore in high school - I watched your US vs. UK videos religiously and took note of any information you shared about UK VISAs and the technical parts of moving to the UK or studying there full time. It became a dream of mine to get my full bachelor‘s degree in England and hopefully live in the UK for a while after graduation before prancing around Italy and The Netherlands and as many countries as I can to find a home (shocker: I don‘t want to live in the US). Thanks to your videos, by the end of my sophomore year I had developed an entire plan as to how I would obtain my student visa/tier 4 visa and move overseas. I knew more about this than anyone at my school, even guidance counselors and teachers who told me it was not possible to fully enroll in a UK university and that I should just study abroad for a semester. Luckily, I didn‘t listen to them, but then COVID happened.
I got depressed and didn‘t care about my future anymore. I didn‘t think I wanted pursue higher education, so by the time I started my senior year and it was expected of me to apply for colleges, I only applied to a few schools in and around New England to „keep my options open“. Well, that went better than I thought, and I ended up getting a $60,000/year scholarship from NYU. Everyone was so excited for me, but one, it was for a program I didn‘t like, and two, it meant I gave up on my dream. Anyways, I ended up dropping NYU. I took this gap year to focus on work and applying to a ton of schools over in England. I will now be studying in Kent for a bachelor‘s in Drama & Theatre, and I‘m in the middle of the student VISA process now.
If it weren‘t for your channel and the videos you posted, who knows where I would be right now. I can‘t say I would have been gearing up to move to England this September. I also would have spent LOADS more on my degree in the US, even with that scholarship. I‘m so glad you‘re still posting these kinds of videos to help more people understand how VISAs actually work and get an idea of what they should research. It’s so wonderful that you‘re now a UK citizen as well.
For all of this, thank you a thousand times!
Marshall
Congrats and good for you. I hope you like England (Scotland,Wales etc ) so much you choose to live here.
What a cool post. 😊
It's always been my dream to live in the UK but I didnt have an Evan back in the day, before I made many..."prohibitive" life choices. 😕 But ya never know, maybe I'll still get there someday.
Best of luck to you! 👍🏼😁
I have also used Evan's videos as a guide for so many things since I found out I was moving to England. From visas to taxes and weird culture things. Great springboard to start my own research.
I’m glad you commented! What an inspiring story. I hope you’ll go on to vlog about it and inspire others in turn. You’ve got your first subscriber!
Congrats! Inspiring story. I wish you luck on your journey!
The "NO SPORTSPERSON" right across the front of my BRP makes me laugh every time 😂
Worlds best scam😂
Like at least try
YES 😂😂😂😂😂
Totally agree about this 😂😂. My favorite moment in this video 👍👍
I remember first discovering your channel years ago as a Californian in San Diego who had never left the US before and thinking "it would be so cool to move to the UK one day." I watch your channel regularly and absorb as much information about the UK as possible. Last year, I studied abroad in Glasgow for a semester, graduated with my BA in California (Visual Arts). At the end of March this year, I moved to London to do my Master's in Film and TV Production and I start my course tomorrow. I actually got excited hearing you talking about the Creative Worker Visa! I plan on getting a Graduate Visa after I get my MA, and though a theoretical British Citizenship is a long ways away, watching this video has put a smile on my face and reminded me how far I've come. A lot of that is thanks to your videos (which have also inspired me to make my own and improve my photography). So, a huge thank you, Evan. :))
I'm so happy seeing all the comments saying they got inspired to just, go for it and study abroad. Welcome to Europe! Enjoy your stay here.
This is so inspiring! I hope your Masters program is going well so far
Hi! I’m thinking of studying filmmaking in UK, can you share your experience so far? What school do you go to?
As someone who works as an international student advisor in the U.S., hearing about the similarities and differences between the U.S. and UK systems is very interesting.
Can you expand on this?
Started following your content shortly before coming to the UK for university, I hope to one day escape the hell hole of the USA and this is definitely a help, even if I don't stay here
I’m British and I want to escape the hell hole here😂
I was just looking at London videos and then you show up lol, showing love from Houston ❤
There's actually 1 new visa introduced last year called "Scale-up visa" that gives you the right to work in the UK for a company that can sponsor you (just like the Skilled worker visa). However, the best thing about this visa is you are only "tied" to your initial sponsorship for 6 months, so after 6 months you can leave your current employer to find a new job without needing a new visa sponsorship. I wish they implement this new visa as a revision to Skilled worker visa instead of creating a new visa category
Oh wow that looks like a good visa. I wonder is it harder to obtain than the normal work visa? Not being tied to a specific employer after 6 months sounds too good to be true
Ok I googled and it is too good to be true. Only a handful of companies are approved for the scale-up visa. So it’s almost impossible to find a job for this visa
@@nicktankard1244 yes there are some requirements to it but I think it's almost easy (might be wrong, I have never run any business). What makes me disappointed is why did the government can't just replace the old Skilled Worker visa with this beautiful visa :(
@@anthonyviriya4446 it makes nonsense to me either. Countries that do work visas tied to your employer for several years are really not great. Canada does that and Germany. Being able to work for only one employer for years is very stressful. You’re constantly in fear of losing your job and feel like a visa slave. 6-12 months is more than enough I think. 5 years is ridiculous in today’s economy when companies have no loyalty and do layoffs left and right.
@@nicktankard1244 totally agree, especially with the current economic climate, anyone might be out of job tomorrow and it’s not their fault
Your videos have been keeping me company on my journey to my visa and eventual citizenship, so thank you!
THIS IS SO AWESOME TO KNOW. Also, such an interesting way to learn about it. You are awesome
:)
You made this convoluted and somewhat tedious subject quite fascinating. I think you would give a great TED talk.
Aww thanks!
It's interesting to see the names of the visas updated to what they are. I like them lol. Working towards that ILR wooo!!
This is really helpful. Thank you so much. I am gonna go watch this another half dozen times now.
Thank you for this video, I’m from the USA and lived in the UK for three years as a child and plan to live there again when I’m done with college.
Bro your videos are super useful, and you are a hell of a story teller
Glad you like them!
I got a UK passport 10 years ago, but this topic still gives me anxiety! The new graduate visa sounds so good! Back in the day, I was so stressed when my student visa was running out, while I was looking for a company that would be prepared to go through the whole work permit palaver for me!
Evan I just wanted to thank you for creating the content you do, comparing British and American perspectives, explanations on a foreigner's insights on living in the UK, and these visa videos. I got approved for my ancestry visa last week and my flight over is tonight. Looking forward to starting a new chapter. Your videos were extremely informative and helpful for considering and planning how to go about my move. Keep making this amazing content and I'm sure we'll all keep watching!🤘
Hope you’re enjoying your time!
Thank you for this summary, Evan, I think it will help so many people!
Just one important point of clarification on the UK Ancestry visa. There are actually two stipulations: You must have at least one grandparent (living or dead) who was born in the UK, AND you must be a Commonwealth (or British overseas territory) citizen. This is a tricky little stipulation that unfortunately excludes US citizens, for instance.
Source: South African living in the UK on an Ancestry visa.
This was so detailed and hilarious. Thank you, lad.
As someone born in the UK who has always lived here, I love watching these videos to educate myself on this process! I wish I could send them to my daily mail reading nan lol
You are hilarious!!😂 I appreciate this video 😊
😂 your sense of humor made me laugh . Thank you so much for this content
Thanks :)
i really appreciate you buddy how each and every aspect of every kind of visa you have covered, good job boy
Up to the middle of the process it's surprisingly similar to me in Canada.
International Student (2 year permit) -> post-graduate work permit (2 year permit cuz I studied for 2) -> permanent resident (faster cuz I studied/ had work exp in 🇨🇦 ) and now I just passed the citizenship test so this year I'll do the same embarrassing swearing in while looking into The King's eyes Evan had to do.😊
You're crazy. I like your energy. Thanks for this very informative video.
This is quite interesting, thanks for explaining it!
People from the US especially TX and FL want to move to the UK or some other country because of what their state government is being run and some people in the UK want to move to the US for the same reasons it’s kind of ironic. 😅😊😂
For some people the UK's a better fit for others the US is a better fit 🤷🏾♂️
Watched an excellent interview with Ron DeSantis and a British journalist recently, he spoke publicly about his sisters death in London during 2015.
@@john_smith1471 I will look up that interview as I am definitely interested seeing it
For me I would rather to leave in UK why there’s no shooting crime in UK compared in US…
Meanwhile people who aren’t supposed to be in the uk are arriving every day on rubber boats whilst left wing judges are stopping them being turned around. The only people getting rich are scum bag people smugglers
Glad I got out and am living in the most boring humourless country in the world NZ. I was in Dubai for 16 years and that’s where I am going back to.
Watching this as someone born in the UK really makes me realize how lucky I am to never have had to jump through these hoops if I did end up wanting to move as a non-citizen
I started following you when you were suffering through all those visa travails. I am thinking that however awful it was for you, it did result in some extremely entertaining videos! But I am glad it is easier now. Thank you for the video!
Immigration is so frustrating. I’ve changed countries twice in the last 5 years. And both had complicated visa problems.
I’ve always wanted to live in the UK but they make it very hard to move there. I am so depressed and tired of this visa hell. Can’t really feel like i belong anywhere and I can’t go back to my home country because of political reasons and I don’t really want to.
I wanted to come to the UK because my dream job was here. I got it, and I really like it, but now I've got a chronic illness and need surgery, and the last time a specialist saw me was last year, and I won't be seen again until August. I'm in pain all day every day, and life feels like hell. I've thought about getting surgery abroad like a friend did. This year, I can apply for ILR, but I'm not sure I want to, because it is expensive, and on top of that, I may need multiple surgeries and I'm not getting adequate healthcare.
@@MsBimbobear sorry to hear that. I’m actually in a similar position in Canada. Except it might be even worse over here. The wait times are insane as well and it’s very hard to find a doctor. But in order to apply for a permanent residency in Canada you need to pass a medical examination. And if they deem that your or any of your relatives(even the ones that don’t plan to come to Canada) treatment will be too much of a burden on the healthcare system you will be denied. Now I’m stressed that my application will be denied. Not very nice of them to discriminate on health. Especially for people who have been living here for a while. What am I to do if my health gets bad while I’m here? And your visa is tied to an employer so if you lose your job or can’t work you’re screwed.
Just go to another country, we don't need more people... go away
Evan your videos on this subject have been so helpful and encouraging for me as an American also hopefully on the path to British citizenship, Thank you!!!
This was a tier A video Evan!!! Great work. Also, bloody amazing accent work here too!1:45 7:59
I'm a Canadian about to apply for ILR from an expiring Tier 2 visa. This video made my day! :) Haha
Hi! You did a very good job explaining all the visas available, but perhaps you can make a road map that really guide us through the process of getting a UK CZ from scratch
The run down on the visas was interesting. I do have to say, gbp 42,400 is not a very high salary here in the US. The median for full time workers is around usd 54,000, so if you work at the sort of company where you could transfer to a foreign office, the salary requirement is not going to be a problem.
It’s also worth mentioning that the ICT visa doesn’t grant you ilr status, so if you want to get ilr status and get citizenship, you’ll have to switch to a different visa and build up years on that to get that.
Just a note about the UK Ancestry Visa (unless they've now changed it), along with proving one of your grandparents was from the UK, you also need to be from a Commonwealth country, so wouldn't work for US citizens. I'm from Australia, and my grandpa was from Scotland, so I just had to provide his birth certificate (which was a bit of a faff to get), along with my dad's birth certificate and mine, to prove the family connection. I also had to show that I had enough finances to support myself.
This is positive news for Evan, qualified, skilled and self reliant, and last year 500k applicants that wanted to come, did their research, went through the process and moved to Britain, all legal and signed off.
Lol this is hilarious and actually answered all my questions. Thanks!!
I know why we're all here rn...
Yup, that motherfucker won and now we have to kiss our hopes and dreams goodbye, or take them somewhere else
As a Canadian immigrant this is pretty much exactly how the system works there. The Graduate Visa system (called something else in Canada) is so nice to have just incase you can't find a suitable job directly after graduation. Love to hear the UK has implemented it as well.
I was born in Britain to British parents who emigrated to New Zealand when I was kid, while my fiancee is an American with a British mother. So, we both know a fair bit about visas and get a lot of questions from family/friends about visa processes.
The best advice I can give anyone who is in for the long haul in settling in another country permanently is: Understand that it's a privilege, not an entitlement. During covid, we had quite a few British and American friends who decided that they wanted to come to New Zealand, and were genuinely surprised to discover that they couldn't just turn up and work in their chosen field right off the bat, unless they had skills in an area that was in demand. Simply holding the passport of a certain country or being a certain age doesn't mean a red carpet gets rolled out for you (this is most relevant to Brits, as some do think the commonwealth connection means you're automatically entitled to residency in places like Canada or NZ). It also takes several years in most countries to reach a permanent status where you have full travel rights, and in the meantime, you have to think about how adverse events like family illnesses or job losses could derail your visa plan. This is to say 'don't do it' but to make sure you go in with your eyes wide open - moving countries permanently is long hard slog, but totally worth it if that's what you really want.
Lol, we EU citizens are truly blessed. At least within the EU.
@@ApfelFlixbut do you really want to live and work in most places in the eu.
You ARE Bob the Uncle. Excellent content. To the point. No BS
7:40 The US has the same sort of labor market test with the H1B visa, which is the most common visa I've seen here in tech. It also has similar equivalent salary rules.
The thing that is often misunderstood about ILR is that it really is indefinite (unless you do something heinous like murder someone). If you leave the UK for more than 2 years, your residency does expire. But you do not have to go through all that fuss to get it back.
Once you've been granted ILR, you can return to the UK under a "Returning Resident" visa. This is fairly straightforward, all you really have to do is show that your visit is for the purposes of residing, not just a tourist visit (e.g. you've got a job lined up, or you've rented or bought a place, etc). There is a fee, but it's not the thousands of pounds that was originally spent getting ILR.
Having said that, it's faintly absurd that it does expire after two years. But at least it's not a "start again from the very beginning" thing.
Thanks so much for this video, my partner lives in the UK and I've been searching all over for a comprehensive guide on this. We plan on staying together for quite a long time so to speak and it's been quite a confusing time researching it.
Hey, I'm in a similar boat. The path we're taking is:
- Live together for 2 years on a graduate visa (you could exchange this for a student visa)
- Partner visa for 5 years (you don't need to be married, just live together)
- Indefinite Leave to remain
@@Atral557hello I would like to know more about this process. My girlfriend lives in the UK and we are looking for a way for me (us) to be able to stay with her. For the study visa or graduate visa what steps did you take?
@@raven5144 there's too much to explain in a UA-cam comment, but have a look at student and graduate visas on the gov UK website.
Basic summary is that you need to be accepted for and study a bachelor's degree or higher to completion. 1 year master's programmes are included in this if you already have a bachelor's.
To get the unmarried partner visa, you need to have lived together for at least 2 years and your combined income must be at least £29,000 a year. You could potentially reach the 2 year requirement while studying and therefore skip the graduate visa.
After this, provided you can prove the above requirements (make sure both of your names are on bills, tenancy agreements etc) you can get the partner visa for 2 years 9 months and renew it for a further 2.5 years, which brings you to the 5 year requirement for permanent residence
Evan, i love the content all over the place.
I even watched this vid to keep your numbers up, even though I don't need a uk visa.
The fact that they specifically prohibit professional sports for a lot of these visas, I definitely think there's a story behind that 😆😆
it's actually a scheme to keep the British football teams more... "british"... i wish i was joking
I recall that at one time (around the turn of the century I think?), most of the "English" cricket team were not British, there were cricketers from Australia, South Africa, someone from the Caribbean, a few from the Subcontinent, etc. I'm from one of those countries and I found it amusing that England did not have enough native born sporting talent to field a competitive team made up from locals.
@@Dave_Sisson that still happens in the 21st century. Kevin Peterson the cricketer is South African but played for England, and mo farah was from Somalia before he was smuggled into the UK as an asylum seeker, now he's a multi Olympic medal winner.
There are many other examples I could give.
Also to note we also allow people to play for national teams if they were educated for a period of time in that country. Several Scottish footballers have done this.
There is the stand alone professional sports visa so its probably to reduce those whose visa would be declined from being able to find a loophole
@@OptrixTV ❤ hold it
Exceptional video 👌
Don’t change!
Gosh this is amazing! Thank you so much!
No Mastercards here 😅. This is why Evan is the master of puns.
This video was really clear and absolutely fascinating! I'd be really interested in more videos about your experiences with these visas and the home office
Man, those fees! I moved from the United States as a skilled worker and naturalized in Iceland for a total cost (including citizenship application) of about US$520. Of course, someone setting out to immigrate to Iceland would have a lot more barriers to overcome related to finding a skilled job here, etc. But, at least with my Icelandic passport, I can live and work anywhere in the EU/EEA or Switzerland. ;)
The graduate visa is cool! Similar to dutch visa (zoekjaar or “search year”) for finding a job after uni. Really helpful fir people wishing to stay after studies!
Fantastic video! Very informative.
I knew about the Tier Skilled Worker visas but I didn't realise there were so many others. I'll definitely have to look into these. As someone who's a couple of months shy of getting their Library Technician Certification I'm very curious to know which visas I would qualify for. I of course eventually want to get citizenship but right now my main concern is securing a job and visa once I finish my certification and get some experience under my belt.
Another way to become a British Citizen, this is the route I am in the middle of taking, is joining the British Army (keep in mind, this is only for commonwealth citizens). When they opened up the applications to overseas applicants in 2019, I joined the Army, I did have to get a visitor visa until basic training started, where I then got an exemption stamp on my passport. I am now just over a year away from getting ILR. Currently applications for overseas commonwealth applicants are closed, but you can still apply, your application will be kept on file as more roles become available.
Guys please don’t do this cos it’s not worth it 🤦🏾♂️
Thanks for this Evan. My wife and I have watched your channel on and off for years. We live in the US and are looking forward to moving to the UK. I'm a natural born citizen, but the Visa stuff surrounding her move is stressing us both out. Watching your journey has been awesome, and hopefully we'll be over there in the next couple of years.
Thanks for information,love the videos.Cheers from Connecticut USA.Could you do video on mortgage system and real estate terms(freehold,chain free, leases on apartment 999 yrs.Very appreciated.
Broadly correct, but two corrections.
For the Ancestry visa, you must prove that at least one of your grandparents was *born* in the UK. The grandparent merely being a British citizen living in the UK does not count. Which is why the descendants of many migrants whose children moved out of the UK would not qualify. The grandparent needs a UK (including the whole of Ireland before 1921) birth certificate for their grandchild to qualify.
As for the family visa, you do not need to prove a marriage for two years. You need to prove that you are either (a) legally married in a jurisdiction whose marriage is recognised by the UK OR (b) you have lived together as a couple for a period of at least two continuous years. Option B is for unmarried couples.
Note that the UK has policies not recognising polygamous marriages for the purposes of visa sponsorship, even if those marriages were conducted in jurisdictions whose marriages are otherwise recognised.
Love the description of ILR as "citizenship lite", because that is exactly what it is. Indeed, if you have Commonwealth citizenship (citizenship of any of the 54 Commonwealth countries), before ILR, you can legally vote in all elections in the UK. And after you get ILR, a Commonwealth citizen can be elected MP and could theoretically become Prime Minister without being a British citizen, let alone that whole "natural born citizen" American nonsense.
Another important point missed out was that for the family visa, the British citizen must demonstrate an annual income of at least £18,600 for the partner, plus additional amounts for any dependent non-British children included in the application.
While that may sound cheap in the US and some other countries, ~30-40% of the UK workforce earn less than that threshold and are therefore unable to sponsor their spouses at all.
@@girish2001 this is the combined income of you and your partner, so if your partner is transitioning from a different visa, their income can also be included.
Honestly I think £18,600 requirement is reasonable, you'd really struggle to support 2 people on less than that in most areas of the UK
Option B is also for when you are applying to extend your family visa - you do have to provide evidence that you have been living together for two years.
@@girish2001This is £18600 per year before tax - I think it's doable. You would have to earn more, yes, if the children are not British citizens. Also, you could be self- employed, or combine income from different jobs.
Idk why I am watching this I am 17 and a british citizen
mate I'm 17 tryna figure this out for no reason
The estimated time period mentioned at 0:01 is for EU or non-EU people because the requirements for EU and non-EU people are different.
That was hilarious 😂 such fun!😊
Its worth mentioning that the home office can legally take up to 6 months to decide on ILR applications and during this time you cannot leave the UK. So this is all a way to force people to pay the £500 priority surcharge, bringing the actual bill to £2904.
I had similar concerns but I talked to citizens advice and you can continue to live and work in the UK under the terms of your previous visa as long as you applied before that visa expired.
They clearly want you to pay that fee. If you have a sponsor, then likely they will be paying for the visa, except for ILR. I didn't have to pay the NHS surcharge either.
Lol you're so 🤣 funny guy. Yay that sportsperson issue is something to get concerned about 😅. I'will be doing my ilr soon 🎉 thanks for sharing.
I'll definitely save this,
I think you missed the Religious preacher visa ahah but hey man, appreciate all the fun, i mean, info xD
2:30 have you explained this before? I would love an explanation on the IRS loophole!
I think he explains it in one of the videos about student loans US vs UK, cant really explain it without it not making sense lol but its something to do with staying out of the country too long the country cant tax him anymore so techincally he doesn’t have student loans
Have you learned any new info on this?
I love the way you do your yutube presentation...you are funny 😊and also concise. Thank you. Keep it coming.😊
Thank you!
Just wanted to point out something really quick - you do not need to have lived together for the Spouse or Fiancée visa (I would know!), that requirement is only for the Unmarried Partner visa. Also they do 100% need you to submit things like chat logs to prove your relationship. The website is intentionally confusing and misleading. Your UK partner also needs to earn a minimum of £18600 in order to sponsor their partner (or have a ton of savings).
Correct (no proof of cohabitation required for spouses). Clarification needed: £18600 per year GROSS - before tax - required for a sponsor to sponsor a partner or a spouse UNLESS the sponsor is in receipt of some benefits.
7:24 Well, Canada, the US, Australia are just the same. Any immigrant applying for work visa must first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment that proves the company has first tried yet failed to find suitable employees in the country itself.
Back in 2002 and 2003 the student visa was free and given out at passport control in the airport. (At least for citizens of countries that did no require getting a tourist visa)
To add on to family visas, you can also get one of you have a British citizen child or a child's been living there for sometime as long as they're under 18. So if you had a child with a UK citizen or someone with ILR but not in a relationship you can move to the UK however this route is pretty tricky
My wife did the English language test for spouse and was shocked how easy it was. It's clearly a harder one if you're not a spouse.
That depends - but generally spouses only need to pass an A1 test initially.
I was actually a professional athlete in my previous life, so your video has me laughing out loud.
18:42 It's more of a "It's indefinite!*"
The asterisk is important. If you leave the UK for 2 years or they suspect when you come back that you're coming back to visit instead of living in the UK you lose the Indefinite Leave to Remain.
So only indefinite subject to Terms & Conditions.
You made that hilarious to love you and the discussed subject for a foreign 😅
Nice vid! You forgot to mention however about the EU Settlement Scheme. I currently study in the UK and have pre-settled status
I just love your video. Following
Evan got such high potential, he worked a job for 2 years between 2018 and 2019
I like you!! You just got a new subscriber!!
Good info! Thank-you!
Alright, Evan, I have to bite -- fellow US/UK dual citizen, who's been resident in the UK for the last 15 years. My initial entry was on a Student visa for graduate school. Through marriage I extended, then got ILR (before the requirement was 5 years residency; I squeaked in before the limits raised), I've *got* to ask about your comment re: student loans on the Graduate scheme (because they are exactly how I provided proof of my funding when I arrived).
On *what* advice are you operating on 2:19 stating that if you get US Federal student loans, "If you plan on living permanently in the UK, you never have to pay that back"?
I have ALL my student loan debt still and I can't think of any way this would be feasible unless one is intending to just not pay them back, purposely default on them, and stay incommunicado? (Which doesn't seem like a wise idea.)
My loans absolutely still exist, and I have to go through the hoops every year of filing to prove level of income to make them income-based repayments (current loan freeze notwithstanding), and it is a pain in the *ass*. Apart from continuing to delay and file income based repayment paperwork every year and waiting out the 25-30 years until they're forgiven, I don't understand where this advice comes from...
As a british citizen whose parents were immigrants, idk why I'm here, Ig i just like the channel and puns?
keep it u Evan!
As a Brit who is marrying an American next year, the family visa is going to be a massive pain. She got lucky and the graduate visa was created while she was a student too. Those yearly NHS surcharges definitely add up though and are ridiculous considering if you work you then pay taxes for the NHS. Also now all the prices are going up ugh
make something like this for every country lol make it a series, low key, huge potential (also, if u do, make one for Canada 😂)
😂 i loved everything about thos video ❤
that was awesome bro
dude congrats, a man can only dream.
Very helpful!!
1:35 no self employed work makes sense from the perspective of someone providing services (and possibly taking jobs away from a UK resident). But it's far easier to say "don't work" than to draw that line. Now, can you work remotely for a US company from the UK on a visitor visa?
If the US company is an LLC yessirreebob
@@evan interesting. In the US if you're not work authorized, you can't work on American soil, even if for a foreign company
I wish the UK hadn't done away with the retirement visa or 'person of independent means'. I lived and worked in the UK for 6 years so I don't meet the requirement for 10 continuous years. I'm nearing retirement age and I get the UK wants to stem migration, so it seems my only avenue is to work longer than I want to in order to get a 'remain to leave' visa.
You missed out the visa for being engaged or married to a Brit.
Also, I am really happy my wife got her ILR before they started charging for it...
Admittedly I think the high potential individual visa looks a lot like the Top Talent visa in Hong Kong, so I'm wondering if that's where they got the idea.... Although Hong Kong uses a different list of Universities...
The family visa
@@evan My bad - I missed it somehow - but I remembered the bit about breaching your human rights...
But back in the day (2000), my wife got her ILR after 1 year in the UK, and it cost £0. (just involved a trip to Croydon, no life in the UK test and no English language test). - so things may have improved (for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, at least) recently, but it's still far more expensive and more complicated than it used to be...
Thank you for this video. Now I live in the UK on a "Homes for Ukraine" visa (Family Scheme for 3 years). Fortunately, it's free and I have almost all of the benefits like the right to work or NHS (I'm not sure if could I be a professional sportsman). But the future of this program is quite uncertain and despite the so long term, it doesn't lead even close to ILR.
Welcome to the UK! I hope you and your family are OK and you have the option to either settle permanently or return to a safe home someday! ❤🟦🟨❤
Congrats!
😂😂😂😂Evan is so hilarious
They made me take an English test despite English being my native language. In the essay section I wrote about my frustration at having to write the test in the first place.
The changes sound like they are looking to align with the migration options that match Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. CAZNUK might just happen
The SELT test is insanely difficult!! Students going to the US take the ELTiS test and usually score in the 90th percentile. Students going to the UK taking the SELT-test very often fail and have to retake it. That says something about the level of difficulty!
Some of the questions even brits don't know the answer to
IELTS for UKVI (immigration) isn't trivial at all. I had to take it recently and got band 8 after 3 weeks of daily preparation. There is a high degree of randomness as with any test. If you get a ridiculously low score, you may need to retake it unfortunately. Students usually only need band 6.5-7.
09:12 £24k per hour sounds pretty cute😉
2:25-2:30: everything I’ve googled involving not paying back fed loans when you live abroad overall comes up as “No matter where you live, you'll remain tied to your school debt payments.” Can you please explain how?
IRS loophole. You pay % of your USD earnings. No earnings count abroad till you make over the ~110k threshold. % of 0 is 0