Moving to the UK from the US or Canada

For Americans and Canadians with a UK job offer, a British grandparent, or a degree from a top university. The routes that fit each passport, what they cost, and the settlement rules that may change.

The UK has no visa for retirees or remote workers. Almost every route needs a reason to be there: a sponsored job, a British grandparent, a degree from a listed university, or recognised talent. The good news is that the rules are published in plain English on GOV.UK, with clear fees. The routes open to you depend on whether you hold a US or a Canadian passport.

Visiting first

US and Canadian citizens can visit the UK for up to six months at a time. Before you travel, you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which costs GBP 20. Each traveller needs their own, including children. Use GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app; look-alike sites charge more. You cannot work or live in the UK as a visitor.

The main ways in

Skilled Worker visa (US and Canadian citizens). This is the main route for most people. You need a graduate-level job offer from an employer licensed by the Home Office. The salary must be at least GBP 41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. A lower floor of GBP 33,400 applies in some cases, such as jobs on the immigration salary list or new entrants under 26. You also need GBP 1,270 in savings held for 28 days, unless your employer certifies your maintenance. The visa lasts up to five years and can be extended. Your partner and children can come with you.

UK Ancestry visa (Canadian citizens). Canadians are Commonwealth citizens, so this route is open to them. You must be 17 or over, have a grandparent born in the UK, and plan to work. A grandparent born in what is now Ireland before 31 March 1922 also counts. The visa lasts five years and costs GBP 726. There is no fixed savings figure, but you must be able to support yourself without public funds. You apply from outside the UK. This route is not open to US citizens unless they also hold a Commonwealth passport.

Youth Mobility Scheme (Canadian citizens). Canadians aged 18 to 35 can live and work in the UK for up to 24 months, then extend by a year to three years in total. You need GBP 2,530 in savings. The visa fee is GBP 340. You cannot bring family on this visa. US citizens are not eligible.

High Potential Individual visa (US and Canadian citizens). If you earned a degree in the last five years from a non-UK university on the eligible list, you can live and work in the UK for two years, or three with a PhD. You do not need a job offer. The visa fee is GBP 880, plus GBP 252 for the qualification check. There is a yearly cap. This visa cannot be extended and does not count toward settlement, so most people switch to Skilled Worker before it ends.

Global Talent visa. This is for leaders or emerging leaders in academia and research, arts and culture, or digital technology. You need an endorsement from an approved body or an eligible prize. It can lead to settlement in three years in some cases.

Founders can look at the Innovator Founder visa. See every route below for the full list.

What it costs

The visa fee is only part of the bill. Most applicants also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives access to the National Health Service. It is GBP 1,035 per person per year, paid up front for the whole visa. Students and Youth Mobility applicants pay a reduced rate of GBP 776.

For a Skilled Worker visa applied for from outside the UK, the fee is GBP 819 for up to three years or GBP 1,618 for longer. A family of four on a five-year visa pays the fee and the surcharge for each person, so the total adds up quickly.

The UK taxes residents on worldwide income. A new four-year regime for foreign income and gains replaced the old non-dom rules from 6 April 2025; check the details with a tax adviser. US citizens also keep filing US tax returns.

Settling for good

Under the rules in force in October 2026, most people can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years. Citizenship then needs five years’ residence plus 12 months holding ILR, and the Life in the UK test. The UK allows dual citizenship. The naturalisation fee is GBP 1,709 plus GBP 130 for the ceremony.

Two changes are coming:

• B2 English for ILR. Most ILR applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need B2 English. This is already in the Immigration Rules.
• “Earned settlement” is proposed. The government plans to make 10 years the standard wait for ILR, with shorter waits for higher earners. It may also apply to people already in the UK. It was not in the Immigration Rules in October 2026, and the final policy and date were not published. Do not plan around a five-year timeline without checking first.

What catches people out

• Your passport decides your options. Canadians have the Ancestry and Youth Mobility routes. Americans do not.
• You cannot switch from a visit. Skilled Worker allows switching from most visas inside the UK, but not from visitor status. Ancestry and Youth Mobility applicants must apply from outside the UK.
• Medium-skilled jobs mostly no longer qualify. Since 22 July 2025, Skilled Worker jobs must be graduate level, unless they are on the immigration salary list.
• The UK is not in the EU. UK residence gives no rights in the EU, and UK days do not count toward Schengen’s 90-in-180 limit.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm each requirement on GOV.UK before you apply.