Emigrate – LONDON

#LandExpropriation: South-African farmers are now leaving SA for Canada due to uncertainty created by the South African government’s move to expropriate land without compensation

Due to uncertainty created by the South African government's move to expropriate land without compensation, several South African farmers are migrating to settle in other countries, agricultural industry association Agri SA said on Wednesday. "This is extremely serious, and the knock-on effect on the whole economy is going to be there. If you don't have confidence [in an economy], why would you invest? Something else is also happening ... we are losing young farmers. They decide they cannot do this, they don't see a future to a certain extent," said Pierre Vercueil, Agri SA deputy president who is also a commercial farmer. "We see immigration [of farmers from South Africa]. You just have to go the embassies and ask what is happening. Over the last 20 years, we have seen the decrease in farmers' numbers from something like 60 000 to 35 000, and this is escalating. On Tuesday, Parliament by majority vote adopted a report recommending that Section 25 of the Constitution be amen…

Moving to the UK: The Unmarried Partner Visa – all you need to know

Many people assume that there is a separate type of visa application for the unmarried partner. However, this is not the case. If one fulfils the criteria to be an ‘unmarried partner,’ one would apply in the same way as the spouse or dependent of the main UK visa applicant. One can thus be the unmarried partner of an Ancestral visa applicant, a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa applicant, the unmarried partner of a British citizen, Tier 4 Student visa applicant, etc. The conditions and requirements of the visa of the unmarried partner would thus basically be determined by the immigration status or type of visa the main applicant is applying for. The unmarried partner thus has the same status as the spouse or civil partner of the main visa applicant. How to qualify as an unmarried partner To qualify as an unmarried partner, an applicant will need to prove that he/she has been living together with the partner, in a relationship akin to marriage for two years or more. You will also ne…

South Africans and the National Insurance Number

South Africans who are relocating to the United Kingdom sometimes get strangled in the paperwork and red-tape involved with their relocation. One of the topics on which the consultants at Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants often get questions is the National Insurance Number. We have compiled a short article for South Africans relocating to the UK, on the issue of the National Insurance number. The National Insurance Number The National Insurance (NI) number is unique for every person. You will keep your NI number for life, and the number will only be used for one person. It consists of numbers and letters and is allocated by the Department for Works and Pensions. The NI number is used by the HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Works and Pensions to identify persons. The number also ensures that NI and tax contributions are recorded against the record of the correct person and that the correct amount of tax and NI are paid by every person. The National Insur…

Moving abroad: The top five cities South Africans should consider

As beautiful as South Africa can be, sometimes you’ve just got to fly the nest. So with the help of Nestpick, we’re looking at some of the most attractive options for those of us considering moving abroad. Compared to previous generations, we have been lucky enough to travel around the world for many different reasons, either for pleasure and curiosity of exploring what we can find behind the doors of our comfort zone or simply for gap years or educational exchanges. Whichever your reason might be and even though most popular destinations among expats include Australia, USA, UK and New Zealand, there are some top cities that definitely attract a larger audience of expats eager to live and work abroad. Nestpick, a search aggregator for apartment rentals all over the world, has analysed different factors in some of the most attractive cities for expats in order to assess the costs of renting a flat there and furnishing it. The best cities for South Africans moving abroad: Lo…

Moving to the UK? Don’t leave South Africa without tying up these loose-ends

For South Africans, the road to the UK can be a challenging one, but once you get there it’s worth it. To help you navigate through all the requirements and to ensure that your move goes off as smoothly as possible, we’ve compiled some essential advice and information based on what other Saffas have learned while making the big move. Transfer your money the easy way When transferring your money out of South Africa, you want to get as many Pounds for your Rands as you can. Banks are notorious for giving shoddy exchange rates and it’s far better to use a specialist forex agency. Forex agents build key relationships with banks from all around the world and they process all their transfers in bulk. That’s how they’re able to give you the best rates at lower fees. So forget about using your bank, shop around online and find a broker with local expertise that can help you get the most out of your money transfers. To financially emigrate, or not to financially emigrate? Financial e…