Can i move to Glasgow July 2020?

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

You can enter the UK with your Luxembourg passport under the current EU Freedom of Movement rules up until 31 Dec 2020; after that (and because of Brexit), you will have to apply to remain here; there is an online application tool available at this link.

I would advise you to get a Luxembourg passport for your 13-year old son.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

This helps a lot!  Thanks Cynic!  I appreciate your quick response and wonder if i can continue to bother you with more questions. 

Firstly, my sons already have their Lux passports and national ID cards, so we are all set there.  I'm just assuming that my son at Uni won't have to do all this,  but that may be a bad assumption?  Would love your advice here.  But I'd think that the college would be on top of this for all the international students.  Again, maybe a bad assumption. 

Next, i did click on the link and read up on how to apply for the EU Settlement scheme.  I believe i would have to go that route because  I do not have a valid permanent residence document or an indefinite leave to remain or indefinite leave to enter.  I then believe that i can't apply for settled status since i don't have 5 years of background of living in the UK.  So I believe then my only option is the non-settled status.  Do you agree?

If that is true, it seems that i have to apply before 31 Dec 2020?  right?  My question then is, is it hard to attain pre-settled status?  what is the acceptance or approval rate of that?  It seems that i really need to prove my identity (easy to do), proof of residence (will have an apartment by the time school starts in Aug/Sept), and a digital photo of my face (I think i got that one covered too). 

If all of that seems doable, my next research will be to start to look for secondary schools where my then 14 year old will be going into 3rd year.  Do i go to another forum for help there?  When i get on line, I don't find a quick IB school, but maybe I'm not researching correctly.?

When i moved to Dublin as an ex-pat, they had people help us with all of this.  I guess i didn't realize what a gift that was!  I don't mind at all doing this research though, I just don't want to get it wrong!

thanks again for your help!  This is fun and quite a learning experience for me.  Maybe someday I can return the favor to others looking for help!  I'd truly love to do that (and would be happy to help anyone going to Dublin!)

Hi again.

To answer your questions:

1st - to quote my old Drill Sgt - never assume, always check; it's always done me well.

2nd & 3rd - I agree; my wife (also a non-Brit EU citizen) got permanent residence because we have lived here for over the 5-year requirement; it was amazingly simple and quick (did it all online, she got her letter 2 days later); it helped that she had a biometric passport and I had an iPhone (it seems only an iPhone can do the passport scanning part of the biometric information).  I can only assume that the same will apply when you apply for non-permanent residence.  For what its worth, I believe the Brits want as many EU citizens to remain here as possible for both practical and political reasons.

4th - schools - pretty good in general, although they are getting a lot of flack because of a drop in results - politicians mucking about with stuff.  I personally wouldn't do what you're contemplating because you'll be bringing your son into a totally different system halfway through the key exam process; unless he's a genius, it can only be detrimental and will almost certainly affect his ability to go to Uni later on.  One last point, he will talk funny, be the centre of attention, probably be the only male not wearing a skirt.  The other side of that, I left home at 15, what do I know - you're his mother and will know him the best of all.

One last point; you should be aware that the current Scottish national government is nationalistic and are currently pushing for Independence and for Scotland to remain in the EU; there is a very real chance they will at least achieve the first, with EU internal politics screwing up the 2nd part. There are 2 schools of thought here, the first is that they will go, create a great thing from the current chaos and sail off into the North Sea without a care; the other is that the country will go to hell in a handcart without the financial support it currently gets from the UK; the answer to this conundrum is probably somewhere in the middle of those 2 extremes; you should consider what you will do if things go bad; moving across the border to England may not be an option to you at that stage.  Food for thought.

I guess I'm the new "person to help you"; if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Regarding your last paragraph; I also help out on our Ireland forum; I would love for you to poke your nose in there any time you feel like it and offer any advice you feel relevant.

Hope this has helped.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thanks Cynic!  Lots of good information here.  When we moved to Dublin there were a few schools that utilized the IB programs, (international baccalaureate).  This is recognized as a world wide standard, not an easy curriculum, but doesn't follow the Scottish, Irish or English standards.  I hear ya on coming in the middle of exams and understand that from when we were in Dublin, but always had my kids in IB schools, even when moving back to America.  There must be expats that come to Glasgow with kids in the same predicament, where do their kids go to school?

Any idea if there is an IB school in Glasgow or even Edinburgh?  I've done a lot of research on line and can't seem to find any.  Yet when i look up the ones in Dublin that i know are IB schools, don't register either, so I'm thinking it is something not so easily figured out. 

thx for the help.

Also, I'll be coming over in early March, would love suggestions on what to do.  So far I have one school visit set up.  (Kelvinside Academy).  Hillhead HS has not returned my email.  I'm assuming that an independent school will more likely teach IB than a state school? 

tx

Hi again,

I've found 4 IB schools in Scotland (link); 2 in Edinburgh, 1 in Aberdeen and 1 in Fife.  I have no idea if they are good bad or indifferent.  The locations kind of tie in with existing university sites, except for Aberdeen, which is the oil centre of the UK.

It's now confirmed that the UK is leaving the EU in 2 days time.  You will currently enjoy freedom of movement until 31 December 2020; you will have to apply for temporary residence on arrival to live there; the UK Government have promised not to ask EU citizens to leave, but that's not in writing, so whatever you do, don't put all your eggs in the same basket as politicians have a habit of doing silly things.

Advice on what to do - March is still Winter in Scotland, it's currently cold and snow up there, so whatever your interested in, it will be indoors - unless you're into skiing and walking in the mountains.  Inverness is a nice place to visit.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thanks again Cynic!  I searched the same way you did and I think that there are a few schools in Glasgow that have IB as a curriculum within their school, though they aren't an IB school 100%.  Kelvinside seems to be one of them, along with The Glasgow Academy, The HS of Glasgow, and St Aloysius.  I'll add some of the others to my list to review. 

As for weather, I'm in Michigan, we are currently at -1C, Scotland will be a nice reprieve! 

I hear ya on not putting all eggs in one basket as well and how crazy politicians will be.  Again,  with the Trump circus going on here, I TotALLY understand.  I'm keeping my house in the States for at least a year. 

Any comments on areas to live in near Kelvinside, the HS of Glasgow or The Glasgow Academy?  I want to actually be near the UofG as well since my other son is going there.

thx and I'm all ears on anything else you have to offer as advice.  You really are helping me a ton and I'm ever grateful.  I'll try to jump over to the Irish site soon. 

Kitty

Hi again.

The only part of Glasgow I'm familiar with is East Kilbride; in general, Glasgow was an industrial region of Scotland that has more recently become more cosmopolitan.  Many of the old social housing areas have been re-developed and while it's not a bad place to live, still has some places that are best avoided.

One last thing to offer you; the Numbeo organisation have a website that provides all sorts of information about places all over the world; this link will take you to the page for Glasgow; amongst other subjects, it gives details on costs, crime, healthcare, pollution, traffic, quality of life and travel.  The data is a couple of months behind the curve of reality, but it's reliable enough to give a steer and make some comparisons.

Scotland is a great place to be; I wish you and your family all the best of luck in your journey.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team