Advice on moving from the states to live aboard the cut

[Visubversa]

So my wife and I are about to inherit a substantial amount of money, and it's been our dream to buy a narrowboat, and grow old on the cut. The only thing standing in our way is getting the right visa to stay long enough to apply for permanent citizenship. I've checked all the websites,and it seems the easiest way is to apply for entrepreneurial self employed work visa. My wife sells jewelry online, so I suppose we could open a shop and sell it there. Any thoughts?

[Nightwatch]

Welcome to the forum. I can't offer any advice but hope it all comes together to achieve your dream.

[Dave_P]

There's already a jewellery boat so that must be viable.  Does your wife also make the jewellery?

[70liveaboard]

I would say, come over for a boating holiday (vacation) first, there are plenty of hire boat firms around, you could take a boat out for 2-4wks if need be. Have a real feel of the canals (you'll love it, I'm sure), maybe do a little research into visa's etc whilst your here, just phone calls really, mainly to your embassy for advice.

 

Hope it turns out the way you want.

[Mike Hurley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgSHCKIMSu8&t=2s

American couple buy a narrowboat.

[Neil2]

I think you are on the right lines but a word of warning.  There was a high profile case in our locality a few years ago where a family moved here from Canada on one of these entrepreneurial  visas.  Despite having two children born in the uk whilst they were here, the family were eventually deported for allegedly breaching the terms of the visa.  As I understand it, these visas are normally granted on the basis that within a given time period the enterprise will lead to some form of employment opportunities ie you can't just be a sole trader.  The Canadian family bought a small cafe but the business never grew large enough to support any ancillary staff and the Home Office were completely intransigent on this, despite widespread protests from the community and the local MP.  There was a lot of loose talk about the government wanting to make an example of this family and of course it was in the era when they wanted to be seen as ultra tough on immigration, but I still think you need to be careful what you agree to.  

 

A Kenyan friend of ours is seemingly having some difficulties renewing his visa despite being married to a UK citizen and of course there have been other reports in the press suggesting the government are still playing hard ball these days.

 

 

[Bee]

That is a very big step to undertake in one go. We always wanted to do something similar but on the European canals, in the end a compromise worked out much better, we spend the best part of 3 months a year on them but we can manage perfectly well with a smaller, cheaper to run boat so no big problems with legislation and we don't have to endure a damp, muddy winter cooped up in a small space. Living on a boat in the UK (Or anywhere else) is not without its problems of moorings, rules, neighbours, etc. Air fares are not too much from the USA and its a days travel to here (Its a days travel for us to our boat as well but a bit cheaper) I agree with 70livaboard, take a long holiday on a hireboat. Perhaps instead of buying a long and expensive narrowboat get a campervan and a smaller cheaper boat, just a few thoughts, good luck.

[Cheese]

Check out these links if you haven't done so already:  https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-entrepreneur and https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-entrepreneur/extend-your-visa.

 

You can only apply for 'indefinite leave to remain' once you have been in the UK for 5 years.  That means you need to extend your initial visa, which is only valid for 3y4m.  But to extend you need to have created at least 2 full time jobs that have lasted for more than 12 months, amongst other requirements.

[Dave_P]

Of course, there are inland waterways in the USA with continuous cruisers too, they're just a bit more spread out.  http://www.greatloop.org/

[Ssscrudddy]

Are you part of the 1%? Are you prepared to donate millions to the Tory party?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes then I suspect you won't have any trouble getting here. Otherwise good luck.

I love living on a boat.

[Visubversa]

5 hours ago, Dave_P said:

There's already a jewellery boat so that must be viable.  Does your wife also make the jewellery?

Yes Dave she does!

[Dave_P]

23 minutes ago, Visubversa said:

Yes Dave she does!

Making small things works well on a boat.  

[Kawayuppie]

My mrs and I live on a boat and she makes and sells her own silver jewellery .... 

Waterways attracts arts and crafts. Lots of inspiration I guess.

[Dyertribe]

10 minutes ago, Kawayuppie said:

My mrs and I live on a boat and she makes and sells her own silver jewellery .... 

Waterways attracts arts and crafts. Lots of inspiration I guess.

Does she use a kiln and soldering equipment on board?

[David Mack]

5 hours ago, Neil2 said:

I think you are on the right lines but a word of warning.  There was a high profile case in our locality a few years ago where a family moved here from Canada on one of these entrepreneurial  visas.  Despite having two children born in the uk whilst they were here, the family were eventually deported for allegedly breaching the terms of the visa.  As I understand it, these visas are normally granted on the basis that within a given time period the enterprise will lead to some form of employment opportunities ie you can't just be a sole trader.  The Canadian family bought a small cafe but the business never grew large enough to support any ancillary staff and the Home Office were completely intransigent on this, despite widespread protests from the community and the local MP.  There was a lot of loose talk about the government wanting to make an example of this family and of course it was in the era when they wanted to be seen as ultra tough on immigration, but I still think you need to be careful what you agree to.  

 

A Kenyan friend of ours is seemingly having some difficulties renewing his visa despite being married to a UK citizen and of course there have been other reports in the press suggesting the government are still playing hard ball these days.

 

 

 

I great the OP searches for recent UK media stories about the "Windrush" generation to gain a better understanding of how the Home Office 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants operates in relation to those who are here legally, but may have insufficient documentation for their situation, or those immigrants who have transgressed the rules in some trivial way.

[Kawayuppie]

3 hours ago, Dyertribe said:

Does she use a kiln and soldering equipment on board?

Soldering equipment, gas torch, yes, no kiln. Anything requiring kiln is sent to a studio that has an appropriate kiln.

We wouldn’t have enough power for an electric kiln ... me thinks.

[ditchcrawler]

6 minutes ago, Kawayuppie said:

Soldering equipment, gas torch, yes, no kiln. Anything requiring kiln is sent to a studio that has an appropriate kiln.

We wouldn’t have enough power for an electric kiln ... me thinks.

I think "Pod" the glass ware boat has a kiln onboard. http://www.pod4art.com/ 

[Hudds Lad]

whatever you decide, good luck to ya

 

we enjoy meeting people from all foreign climes when on the boat ……… even those from Lancashire

[Visubversa]

Thanks everyone. It's this friendly community atmosphere that we're trying to get to!

[Dartagnan]

As you are probably of a decent, law abiding nature and not attempting to enter our country on the back of a truck or any other such illegal way and in addition attempting to do it lawfully I would say you have absolutely no chance!  ?

 

Only joking, I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

[matty40s]

The American couple featured on Cruising the Cut still haven't got a bank account, this meant that paying for work to be done to their boat was a real challenge once they arrived.

Anything done before they got here was simple, transferring an advance float to a workshop for major purchases (fridge,freezer, washing m/c etc) and installation costs.

I will find out how they are getting on this weekend.

 

[john6767]

7 minutes ago, matty40s said:

The American couple featured on Cruising the Cut still haven't got a bank account, this meant that paying for work to be done to their boat was a real challenge once they arrived.

Anything done before they got here was simple, transferring an advance float to a workshop for major purchases (fridge,freezer, washing m/c etc) and installation costs.

I will find out how they are getting on this weekend.

 

Why is a bank account such a big deal in the short term, why not just use a credit card?

[Dartagnan]

Strange world isn’t it.  You would think everywhere would be the same.  I have a bank account in South Africa despite not living there and I could open a bank account in America if I so wished.  Money laundering regs are trotted out by everyone in financial institutions who can’t be bothered and who do not even know what you can and can’t do which I pointed out to someone recently and received an apology from the company.

@matty40swhen you see them get them to enquire with Starling Bank which is purely App based.  They will need access to the internet and cam as the bank contacts you face to face so to speak for their enquiries.  

Edited May 31, 2018 by Dartagnan

[David Mack]

3 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Why is a bank account such a big deal in the short term, why not just use a credit card?

Using a US dollar credit card will incur transaction and exchange rate charges every time, which could add up to a lot more than opening a UK £ account and transfering a larger sum in one go.

[WotEver]

A Borderless account with TransferWise is simple enough to open and you get very fair exchange rates within it. 

https://transferwise.com/gb/borderless/