As an Aussie – and member of the Commonwealth – you may be eligible for a UK Ancestry visa. Cooper is, and he’s just received his UK Ancestry visa for a third time. This allows us to move back to the UK to pursue a work opportunity in 2023. As his partner, I can apply to go too.
In this post, we’ll share exactly how we applied and successfully secured working visas to return to the UK. We leave in Feb, and will take our dog with us!
About ten years ago, Cooper discovered that he was eligible for a UK Ancestry visa. This is because his Grand-ma was Scottish. She travelled to live in Australia during the period that now gives him the “birth right” to live and work in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The visa is flexible, allowing five years at a time with the option to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. There’s no age limit for applying, and no limit to how many times you can apply for it.
Unfortunately, the numbers of people in Commonwealth countries that this visa applies to will begin to dwindle now. This is more of a benefit for a generation of people whose grandparents travelled during the earlier part of the 1900s. British great-grandparents or parents do not allow access to this exact visa.
Background to our application: why we are applying for visas again
Travel Live Learn was born out of Cooper’s and my experience living and working in the UK.
We have actually lived in London twice before. The first time was between 2010-2012 when Cooper was first living and working there on an Ancestral Visa. I was under 30 then, and allowed to work under the Youth Mobility Visa scheme.
We returned in 2014, this time paying an immigration lawyer to help us secure Cooper’s second UK Ancestry visa and aligning me as his long-term (un-married) partner.
Cooper and I had completely settled in the UK by 2019. We fully intended to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in 2020, having almost completed the five years settled status requirement. We were preparing to study for the Life in the UK test when COVID struck.
With just three months to go before we would be granted the right to come and go more freely, a difficult change was forced upon us. Not only did COVID remove our option to live, work and travel as we had previously done, but at the same time, my Dad came to the end of a battle with Prostate Cancer. It was a dreadful period of my life, where “goodbye” took on many meanings. I’m glad to be moving past it.
Applying for UK work visas post-COVID restrictions
Now that restrictions have eased in most parts of the world, we can move about relatively freely again. An opportunity presented itself that’s meant we have decided to go back to England to live and work for a little while. We’re even taking our COVID puppy, London, with us! (if you’re looking for advice and experience around travelling internationally with a pet, we will share it all on YouTube.com/travellivelearn).
Taking London dog means a serious chunk of our moving budget is gone straight away. So, we decided to take the plunge and apply for the previous visa combination we had (Ancestral + partner visa) ourselves.
“Ourselves” = “me” when it comes to gathering all the admin and paperwork for this fairly stressful task!
Discover our full experience here:
Steps you’ll take
Apply for the Ancestry visa by following the links through the application forms on the UK Government website.
You will pay for the application and your NHS surcharge. Download and keep a copy of ALL of your answers, confirmation numbers and payment details.
Apply for the partner or dependent visa following the links on the website. Ensure your answers align with that of your partner’s Ancestry visa application. Pay for your visa and NHS surcharge.
Book in for your biometrics, where you’ll have your fingerprints and photograph recorded, as well as your supporting paperwork and application scanned through to UK Immigration. Your passport(s) will be taken from here and sent off to UK Immigration.
Wait patiently.
You will receive notification that your passports are available. Check inside for your temporary entry clearance (which means your visa was granted – yay!).
Upon entering the UK, you have ten days to collect your official biometric card – like a plastic ID card. You will have nominated a location for collection during your visa application. We chose a spot in London that we knew how to get to. It’s usually a post office.
Top tips and advice following our DIY visa application in 2023
For the Ancestry visa, you need to enter the UK within three months of being approved for your visa. If you do know when you need to be there, e.g. for work, give yourself plenty of time – apply at the beginning of the three months.
I received an email saying I had underpaid the NHS surcharge. This seriously freaked me out, because I had been undercharged during the application process. I will never know if this was my fault or a problem with the user journey on the application pages. There was no need to panic though. I paid and it all went through fine.
Stay calm. There’s no real way to track the progress of your visas so you just have to wait and expect the best. If you supply plenty of evidence to show who you are, that you intend to work and that you can support yourself, you will be fine.
For peace of mind, if you can get to a visa processing centre that offers an expediated service, we would take that option. In Australia, VFS Global – the company that processes your paperwork and biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) – offers a priority service at their Sydney, Melbourne and Perth centres.
Applying for UK work visas from Australia: resources and links
Partner visa – follow the links to apply. I selected:Join or accompany a family member, who either is already in or will be travelling to the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (and you cannot apply on any other form);Followed by: Working in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
This blog by Kat’s Gone Global is helpful too, talking about what you need to know when applying for a UK Ancestry visa.
This UK Visas and Immigration Facebook Group is a place to ask questions, but be mindful the advice you may get might be skewed depending on where someone is responding from in the world.
Any questions, please feel free to reach out in the comments below.
Discover important info on how to house sit in a foreign language destination: be prepared with safety tips for you and the pets in your care!
In this episode of Freedom and Four Paws, we share our experience around preparing for house and pet sitting in a foreign language destination – that is, for us, a place where English is not the first language spoken.
Watch on and discover some of our favourite resources, tips and tricks for learning the language, experiencing the culture, facing embarrassment, and importantly, surviving in an emergency or crisis situation.
How to house sit in a foreign language destination
Ultimately, our top five critical tips for house and pet sitting in a foreign language destination are:
Know where you’re staying. Make sure you have the address written down and with you both on your phone and on your person. This is important in case you you lose your phone or the battery dies.
Make sure you know what the emergency services number is in the country where you’re staying, e.g. 000, 111, 999.
Download key apps before you head off so they’re ready to go on the ground. For example, Google Translate, and your favourite language app.
Always ask what you should do if you get locked out, and what to do if the pet gets sick. Make sure you know what the plan is! Also that there are emergency contacts who will be able to communicate with you.
Just practice: give it a go, say hello, or hola, as the case may be.
We’d love to know what your tips and experience is in this space – let us know in the comments
Join us on our podcasting adventures as we hear inspiring stories from amazing people travelling the world. They’re living their best life, often with their pets in tow!
Subscribe now and never miss an episode featuring excellent tips on how to slow travel, successfully work remotely or as a digital nomad, and house + pet sit. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. Search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’
Freedom and Four Paws is brought to you by Travel Live Learn.com.
As a valued audience member, enjoy 10% OFF at our affiliate partner Cloudy – relieve stress throughout the day straight to a soothing sleep at night, visit trycloudy.com and use the code FREEDOM10.
And if you’re a fellow traveller and pet lover who is keen to share your story and inspire the world, visit exhalemediagroup.com and mention FREEDOM20 for 20% OFF any purchased service including personalised storytelling coaching.
Are you looking for house sitting tips? In this video, our inspiring guest, Lisa, shares awesome advice on how to score the perfect house sit and get paid to care for pets!
After stepping away from her life as she knew it to care for her elderly and sick parents, Lisa felt entirely lost on what to do next when that chapter of her life closed. She’s been an ‘animal person’ for as long as she can remember, so it seems fitting that as an adult, when she was seeking inspiration, that she should fall into her pawfect career.
House sitting tips – score great stays, get paid!
An avid house and pet sitter, Lisa’s since turned her passion into a paid job. She travels all over the States and Europe. One of the biggest joys for Lisa is her repeat customers, as well as making friends along the way on her wonderful house-sitting adventure.
In this episode of Freedom and Four Paws, meet the effervescent Lisa who shares some awesome house-sitting tips on how to score your perfect stay.
Her story is truly heart-warming and joyful – yet another example of how travel (and pets) can save you after challenges that life throws at you.
How to make money from sitting
Lisa started out like most of us, travelling Europe and America using a service like TrustedHousesitters. She made the most of her extraordinary experiences – initially in Europe – and when she came back to her home of America, she decided to keep going.
But, as time went on and she began to score repeat business, she fell into paid options.
A lot of Lisa’s paid work (and repeat paid work) has come via Rover in the USA. She was sitting at a property that is also a wedding destination. Her first ‘paid gig’ actually came out of being at this location and taking care of dogs during weddings.
From there though, she’s rolled payment into her business structure, so when she sits for friends, goes on repeat sits or on Rover, she charges.
For anyone considering this option, the next question is usually, ‘how much?’ If you’re starting out, look at the fees other competitors on your platform (e.g. Rover, Pawshake) are charging and start there. As you build experience, expertise and reputation, you can raise your fees to where they feel comfortable. As for any business, don’t be shy: charge your worth.
How Lisa finds her house and pet sits:
There’s a few key sits that Lisa has used to find her sits, they include:
Even with a lot of experience, Lisa recognises the business of house and pet sitting is competitive these days. She reminds us of the importance of maintaining great communication with homeowners, sending photos and prioritise the pets over travel. Our guests Kate and Dave gave similar advice. Find out more here
House sitting with her dog
We’ve met other sitters who travel and house sit with their own dogs. In fact, Freedom and Four Paws guest, Nicky, shared some fantastic advice for anyone considering this. Find out more here
Lisa highlights that if you want to do this, you need to make sure it’s right for your dog. Only agree to sits where your pup will feel comfortable. For example, one sit she did was on a huge farm where her dog loved it and the family there loved him! She knew her dog Ryder, was great with other dogs, so she felt comfortable with him being safe and taking charge. There was even a situation where her dog trained two puppies they were staying with – much to the amazement of the puppies’ owners!
A huge advantage she’s discovered from travelling and house sitting with her dog – admittedly, a chilled out personality – is that he kept everything calm. When she’d turn up to sits with anxious dogs (including those suffering separation anxiety or anxiety based on their upbringing, like never having had the chance to play with other dogs themselves), they were so excited to have a buddy that the dogs changed for the better!
Join us on our podcasting adventures as we hear inspiring stories from amazing people travelling the world. They’re living their best life, often with their pets in tow!
In this episode of Freedom and Four Paws, Lisa’s advice is invaluable.
She’s a true – and experienced – ‘dog person’. I’m sure you’ll enjoy her story as much as we did. You can watch on YouTube or find her episode on the Freedom and Four Paws podcast.
Subscribe now and never miss an episode featuring excellent tips on how to slow travel, successfully work remotely or as a digital nomad, and house + pet sit. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. Search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’
Freedom and Four Paws is brought to you by Travel Live Learn.com.
As a valued audience member, enjoy 10% OFF at our affiliate partner Cloudy – relieve stress throughout the day straight to a soothing sleep at night, visit trycloudy.com and use the code FREEDOM10.
And if you’re a fellow traveller and pet lover who is keen to share your story and inspire the world, visit exhalemediagroup.com and mention FREEDOM20 for 20% OFF any purchased service including personalised storytelling coaching.
If you’re keen to get back on the travel trail, but don’t want to leave your best mate behind, here, find out exactly how to house sit with your own pet! Nicky and her husband Andy travels full-time in their campervan around the UK and Europe, and their beautiful Spanish rescue dog, Gus, tags along for the ride.
They now apply for house and pet sits with their dog, which for some pet sitters, feels really complicated. But, if you’re keen to give it a go, take heed of Nicky’s invaluable advice on how they – in the first place – score sits with Gus; and also, the benefits he brings the dogs they are sitting for!
Nicky’s top tips on how to house sit with your own pet
As an avid house and pet sitter who has experienced opportunities across the UK and Europe, Nicky advises anyone coming into the business to really have a good think about what type of sits you want. She also says, start now – start in your own city. This advice echoes what past guests, Kate and Dave, shared as their top tips. Have a read here.
Rescuing a dog on the road
While sitting in Spain, Nicky came across an animal shelter that – of course – had a dog waiting for his new furever home. As it turns out, they met Gus, “the perfect dog” for them. He was two and had been born in the shelter. A black dog, he had struggled to be discovered for a new home. This happens frequently for both cats and dogs in Europe, unfortunately due to a very old superstition around black animals being unlucky.
Gus has proven to be quite the opposite: he’s their four pawed travelling best friend.
Nicky took her time introducing Gus to the lifestyle though, so he’d be comfortable. It’s an important lesson for all of us, especially anyone rescuing a dog – give them time and the proper space to understand and feel comfortable in their new environment.
House and pet sitting with your dog
Once settled, this trio picked up travelling and house sitting again.
Nicky said one of her best pieces of advice is to ensure your profile on house and pet sitting sites makes it very very clear – front and centre – that you’re travelling with your fur baby.
“The top of our profile clearly says, Nicky, Andy and Gus ”, and in her applications she reinforces, “thank you for considering all of us”.
Another great idea – she’s encouraged the homeowners writing a review to please include a reference to Gus in the review, once again, to reinforce the benefits he’s brought to the sit, and how easy it was for him to be included. This tip was also mentioned by Laura who doesn’t travel and house sit with a dog, but her family of four :) Find out more about house and pet sitting as a family.
Finding the right sit for you and your dog
Nicky says that she does do a lot more work now to choose house sits that are right for both she and Andy, and especially Gus. It’s obviously worthwhile in order to score those perfect sits though.
If a profile states that a dog doesn’t get on with other dogs, then of course she will not apply. She says, prioritise your pet when applying for sits – set your boundaries. Some homeowners are so keen to have you as a sitter, that they’ll say “Yes, come along!”, when, the match for Gus and the dogs on the ground, wasn’t right. Be selective in location and situation in terms of other animals there.
Despite the bit extra work around sifting through available house sits and applying for those that match their bigger picture, Nicky reports that they’re in demand! They’re booked 12 months in advance! In fact, they get plenty of repeat business from families whose pets loved the sits with Gus.
Travel and house sitting
“Travel is the ability to see other places and immerse yourself in a new culture”, says Nicky. But she stresses that in an application for a sit, they’ll highlight that the pets come first. Importantly, that they plan to be present, and love the pets as if they are their own.
The beautiful thing about pairing ‘travel’ and ‘house sitting’ is that you can live like a local. You can see places you might never have visited had it not been for the house sit! And, you’re constantly reminded of the good in people. That is, inherent kindness despite what we may see on the news.
It’s also wonderful to have the chance to see what the Universe presents and to go with the flow. “It’s wonderful how things inevitably align,” marvels Nicky. We agree.
Join us on our podcasting adventures as we hear inspiring stories from amazing people travelling the world. They’re living their best life, often with their pets in tow!
In this episode of Freedom and Four Paws, discover how being a dog owner yourself, can add value to applying for gigs as a house sitter where there are other dogs. Nicky is brimming with excellent advice for house and pet sitting with your own dog.
Listen for additional tips on travelling in Europe and being mindful of what visas and health certificates you may need.
Watch the episode for their complete story and advice. Or listen on your favourite podcast service, search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’.
Subscribe now and never miss an episode featuring excellent tips on how to slow travel, successfully work remotely or as a digital nomad, and house + pet sit. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. Search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’
Freedom and Four Paws is brought to you by Travel Live Learn.com.
As a valued audience member, enjoy 10% OFF at our affiliate partner Cloudy – relieve stress throughout the day straight to a soothing sleep at night, visit trycloudy.com and use the code FREEDOM10.
And if you’re a fellow traveller and pet lover who is keen to share your story and inspire the world, visit exhalemediagroup.com and mention FREEDOM20 for 20% OFF any purchased service including personalised storytelling coaching.
From homeless to worldwide travel, world schooling, and family house sitting. Meet Laura and her family from ‘Forever Family Forever Free’. They’ve been travelling, house and pet-sitting as a family of four for six years. This inspiring family has also published a book about their experience called Creatively Homeless. Their story is incredible and while they did initially find they were a little ‘judged’ by family and friends for dropping the 9-to-5, they’re now the envy of all they meet.
Family house sitting: how to
Laura shares how you don’t have to be a millionaire to take on a life of travel and freedom. They’ve dug their way out of a life of debt, to a life of adventure and free thinking. Laura wants everyone to take away from this conversation that you don’t have to wait for things to be ‘perfect’ before pursuing your dreams – go for it now!
Find our guest, Laura, online at foreverfamilyforeverfree.com and follow on Instagram
Join us on our podcasting adventures as we hear inspiring stories from amazing people travelling the world. They’re living their best life, often with their pets in tow!
Subscribe now and never miss an episode featuring excellent tips on how to slow travel, successfully work remotely or as a digital nomad, and house + pet sit. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. Search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’
As a valued audience member, enjoy 10% OFF at our affiliate partner Cloudy – relieve stress throughout the day straight to a soothing sleep at night, visit trycloudy.com and use the code FREEDOM10.
And if you’re a fellow traveller and pet lover who is keen to share your story and inspire the world, visit exhalemediagroup.com and mention FREEDOM20 for 20% OFF any purchased service including personalised storytelling coaching.
Dave and Kate share an inspired story with us about house sitting and retirement. They actually retired early and for 9 years have been living a travelling life. These two discovered house and pet sitting a year into their travels. Since that time they’ve done more than 40 house sits! Their house sits and the early retirement travel story is filled with inspiration and colour. So much so, Kate is now penning her second book on the experience!
Kate’s first book on house sitting as a way to travel in retirement, Call it Wonder, documents their decision to embrace a life on the road all those years ago. Her upcoming book, Other People’s Houses will share their experiences and tips for anyone who wants to follow in their freedom-filled footsteps.
In our exciting pilot episode of Freedom and Four Paws, discover what Kate and Dave advise is the best approach for securing your dream house sits, how to make the most of house sitting, and early retirement. Also, how to stand out as a pet sitter.
Top house sitting and retirement tips from Kate and Dave:
On their very first house sit they cared for 40 animals! They laughed hysterically and told Cooper and I that it was a great experience, but one each wouldn’t repeat. The lesson they learned (and we’ve had the same experience), is that as a pet sitter, you can be discerning about the situation you end up in. If 40 animals is too much for you, that’s ok.
Similarly, if you don’t like dogs sleeping in the bed with you and that’s a requirement of the house sit, you should feel free to say, ‘No thank you, this sit isn’t for me’, and choose another assignment. On a side note – make sure you do that before you accept – never commit and back away unless you really need to.
Discovering house and pet sits
Kate and Dave, nine years on, now use a few methods to find their next house and pet sit:
House sitting 101: safety, communication and when to take a break
During our conversation with these two adventurers, we touched on the difference between finding your house and pet sits on a paid site that includes reviews, vs. free services like on social media. Like our podcast guests, we’re very discerning when it comes to reviews, and find those helpful in determining what kind of sit it is. If there are no reviews, however, and it’s direct contact on Facebook, for example, they advised that connection is important. Find a trail of evidence to support the homeowners are who they say they are, and that their premises is legitimate.
They also advise to “think about what kind of experience you want to have”
What type of animals and works for you?
How much of your time should be involved during a sit
Ask the right questions, for example, we’ve learned to ask both ‘has your dog bitten anyone?’ as well as, ‘has your dog ever nipped anyone?’
Does the pet(s) require special medication, how is that administered?
And where do the pets sleep?”
It’s competitive out there, so start house and pet sitting in your own area to build experience and reviews before launching into international stays.
Finally, when you’re on the road, avoid booking back-to-back house sits. Remember, you are still working to an extent, so take breaks between sits. It makes it easier to travel to your next one without worrying about delays.
“Living a travelling life means we’re so much more adaptable and flexible than we used to be, and I really like that feeling. We’ve learnt to travel light and live a downsized life – it’s so freeing!
Ultimately, this lovely pair reminded us that on your house-sitting adventure, everything is about learning. There are no bad decisions: it’s just part of the journey. You should absolutely set off as soon as you can.
Join us on our podcasting adventures as we hear inspiring stories from amazing people travelling the world and living their best life.
Subscribe now and never miss an episode. Each includes excellent tips on how to slow travel, and successfully work remotely. Search ‘Freedom and Four Paws’ on your favourite podcast service.
As a valued audience member, enjoy 10% OFF at our affiliate partner Cloudy. Relieve stress throughout the day straight to a soothing sleep at night. Visit trycloudy.com and use the code FREEDOM10.
If you’re a fellow traveller and pet lover who is keen to share your story and inspire the world, visit exhalemediagroup.com. Mention FREEDOM20 for 20% OFF any purchased service.
Welcome! We are Sarah + Cooper, Aussie expats living in the UK with our Westie dog, London. We like to inspire on how to travel for longer and to live and work from anywhere. Our most popular content here is about seeing the world with your pet, remote working & digital nomadism, and house + pet sitting. Create a global life of your dreams at any age! Subscribe to find out more :)
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