How to become a British Citizen in 2023 - All possible visa routes 

The "NO SPORTSPERSON" right across the front of my BRP makes me laugh every time 😂

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

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

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. 😅😊😂

The fact that they specifically prohibit professional sports for a lot of these visas, I definitely think there's a story behind that 😆😆

Your videos have been keeping me company on my journey to my visa and eventual citizenship, so thank you!

I was just looking at London videos and then you show up lol, showing love from Houston ❤

This is really helpful. Thank you so much. I am gonna go watch this another half dozen times now.

THIS IS SO AWESOME TO KNOW. Also, such an interesting way to learn about it. You are awesome

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!

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.

It's interesting to see the names of the visas updated to what they are. I like them lol. Working towards that ILR wooo!!

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!!!

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!🤘

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

This was so detailed and hilarious. Thank you, lad.

This is quite interesting, thanks for explaining it!

I love the way you do your yutube presentation...you are funny 😊and also concise. Thank you. Keep it coming.😊

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!

Bro your videos are super useful, and you are a hell of a story teller

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

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.😊

This was a tier A video Evan!!! Great work. Also, bloody amazing accent work here too!1:45 7:59

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.

😂 your sense of humor made me laugh . Thank you so much for this content

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.

You made this convoluted and somewhat tedious subject quite fascinating. I think you would give a great TED talk.

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.

Idk why I am watching this I am 17 and a british citizen

You're crazy. I like your energy. Thanks for this very informative video.

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

Exceptional video 👌 Don’t change!

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.

Fantastic video! Very informative.

I'm a Canadian about to apply for ILR from an expiring Tier 2 visa. This video made my day! :) Haha

No Mastercards here 😅. This is why Evan is the master of puns.

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.

Gosh this is amazing! Thank you so much!

You ARE Bob the Uncle. Excellent content. To the point. No BS

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.

That was hilarious 😂 such fun!😊

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.

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!

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.

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.

Good info! Thank-you!

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.

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.

I like you!! You just got a new subscriber!!

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.

Very helpful!!

that was awesome bro

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

this was helpful, thanks

make something like this for every country lol make it a series, low key, huge potential (also, if u do, make one for Canada 😂)

Congrats!

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

You made that hilarious to love you and the discussed subject for a foreign 😅

I just love your video. Following

Great explanation

Good information.

Hi Evan! Thanks for the educational video :) I was wondering, if I were to do an internship with a home office approved company for 3-6 months, would I have to obtain a skilled worker visa? My plan as of now is to work as a probation officer upon moving to the UK, which I know the MoJ could sponsor me for. Thanks in advance for your help!

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.

😂 i loved everything about thos video ❤

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

Thank you for the Hong Kong shoutout!

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. ;)

😂😂😂😂Evan is so hilarious

Evan got such high potential, he worked a job for 2 years between 2018 and 2019

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.

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

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.

Nice vid! You forgot to mention however about the EU Settlement Scheme. I currently study in the UK and have pre-settled status

16:03 As soon as you said RU-vidr and ultimate frisbee in one sentence I immediately thought of MKBHD. 🤣

Fun fact: the US has a similar program to that Graduate program in the UK. It's called the Optional Practical Training (OPT). I was studying a high-demand program at a well known American university, and applied for one. It was denied. No reason was given, I was just told to leave after graduation. I've been back in Europe for about 6 years now. I was very sad to leave my friends and the city where I'd become comfortable, but I've remade my life now (in more ways than one), so maybe it's for the best...

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.

You say "Bob's your uncle" far far more than any person i know XD I love it, it's real cute

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.

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!

09:12 £24k per hour sounds pretty cute😉

"Before breaking hisn heart!" hahahha. That's so funny, lol

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

Jus get on a small dinghy in France and sail towards Uk, free meals and hotels!

Thank you so much. I've seen your UK ceremony video it was awesome with lots of ups and down. I have a question. When can somebody apply for ILR? if someone, switched visa from a skilled worker visa (2 years ) to an Ancestry visa (3 years) So how these 5 years shall I count? Combine or separate?

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.

Other question-is the HPI visa only for certain universities or can you prove it other ways? I went to a state school, graduated first in my class in undergraduate and graduate school and the government gave me a Fulbright Grant to be a cultural ambassador to Spain. I had a lot of other academic achievements but i didn’t attend a highly elite university. Would those accomplishments be taken into account?

Evan mentioning Ultimate🤯🤯🤯 Marques and I feel seen

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).

Hey, great video! Thanks. Question, if I stay in the uk for 3 years under a skilled work visa, meanwhile graduate from a master course, which allows me to stay 2 more years, can I get the ILR, even if I get fired and don’t find a new job in my two last years? Or in this case I’m in a 10 years path?

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...

Up until this change, an EU citizen could some A1 whatever it was called to work short term (like 6 months max or so) for the company in your country of origin in home office. It's essentially a thing that makes sure your work is being registered as work for your country of origin, just with you temporarily being located somewhere else, so everything being taxed in your country of origin etc. An extended work-cation, if you will. Has this regulation remained or does this change conditions from the agreement between the UK and EU?

3:58 That's a perfect manager!!!!!!

Thank u💪

As an Indian living in Germany, I wish someone made a similar video for Germany 😁

I am a new subscriber. Your channel is one of the most interesting channels I have ever watched. Thank you. I visited the UK in 1981 amd stayed for 3 months and returned to my country on the correct date. Is it possible to do the same now? And will my last visit be a plus point when applying for visa this time?