Collaborative Post
If you have already gotten through the process of getting permission to stay, finding employment, and getting through customs, you might think that you’re already settled in your new home. However, after you’ve put down your roots, it’s time to make sure that they stick. Here, we’re going to look at some of the steps you can take to ensure that you can make your new home permanent.
Ensure your visa lets you stay long enough
There are usually multiple types of visas that can be acquired for each country, often separated into short-stay, non-immigrant, or immigrant visas. You should do your research to find out which kind of visas you can apply for, as well as which are going to give you the options down the line to make your stay permanent. You can apply for immigrant visas even after entering the country on a different visa so don’t worry about having initially made “the wrong choice.”
Start living your long-term life there
If you’re staying on a short-term visa, you shouldn’t try and make this step yet. However, if you’re able to stay for months in advance, then you should make sure that you’re taking steps to integrate yourself into the system. This can mean registering for health care, opening up a bank account there, arranging any utilities that you need to live, and even registering for a National Insurance number (or the equivalent.) This way, it can be a lot easier for you to transition to permanently living there once you have gone through the application process.
Making the move indefinite
If your visa or other qualification to move to and live in the country of your choice is long-term enough, then you may be able to become permanently settled without any immigration conditions. For instance, you may be able to apply for ILR, also known as indefinite leave to remain. In order to apply, you often have to have been a resident for a long period of time (often a year or more) without spending too much time outside the country and may have to pass a test to see that you have acclimated to life there.
Becoming a citizen
There is a difference between getting permission to live in your new home permanently and becoming a citizen. Citizens have additional rights, such as the inability to be evicted from the country they are a citizen of. Citizens also access welfare benefits, can leave and re-enter, and may even be joined by family and partners. You can either register for citizenship or become a citizen through the process of naturalisation in most countries. The rules for what criteria you need to become a citizen differ from country to country, however, so do your research with the help of an immigration lawyer.
With the tips above, you can hopefully get a step closer to turning your new country into your permanent home. It can take some work to get through the process, so be sure to get some professional help along the way.
