Moving abroad, legally
Official sources, finished documents
Invitation letters, affidavits of support and arrival notices: which paper you need, what the official source says, and a document you can finish. Not legal advice.
- One paper at a time What the form asks for and who signs it, with a link to the government page.
- A document you can finish A filled example and a cover letter you can adapt.
- Checked, with a date Every fact links to an official source and shows when it was verified.
Posts
- UK eVisa: what replaced the card
📱 UK immigration status is now digital: eVisas have replaced physical documents. You use a share code for a new job or a rental. Is your…
- UK health surcharge quiz: 6, 9 and 15 months
🧾 Same 6-month UK visa, two surcharge bills: £0 from abroad, £517.50 from inside the UK. Think you can guess the other two answers?
- UK Student visa: the 28-day money test
🏦 UK Student visa: £1,529 a month in London, £1,171 outside, for up to 9 months, held for 28 days in a row. What does your bank balance…
- Netherlands highly skilled migrant: 2026 salary
🇳🇱 Working in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant: €5,942 gross a month at 30 or older, €4,357 under 30, for 2026. The amounts…
- Cyprus and Schengen: a one-way visa street
🗺 A Schengen visa can get you into Cyprus. A Cyprus visa can't get you into Schengen. Same EU, one-way street. How many EU countries are…
- US $10,000 cash rule: count the family total
💵 A family of 4 enters the US with $3,000 each. Nobody is over $10,000. Do they still report? CBP counts it differently than most people…
- NZeTA: from NZD $17, allow 72 hours
🥝 New Zealand NZeTA: from NZD $17, valid for 2 years, and the official page says to allow 72 hours. Do you need one, or a visa?
- UK Skilled Worker visa: add up the real cost
💷 UK Skilled Worker visa for 5 years: the fee is only part of it. Fee plus healthcare surcharge comes to £6,793, and you may need £1,270…
- Passport quiz: the two EU dates people miss
🛂 Passport valid for another 2 years, but issued 11 years ago. Can it get you into the EU? Most people look at only one of the two dates.
- Singapore EP: qualifying salary rises in January 2027
🇸🇬 Singapore Employment Pass: the minimum qualifying salary rises from S$5,600 to S$6,000 for new applications from 1 Jan 2027. It climbs…
- Canada study permit: count your funds for 2026
🍁 Studying in Canada with your partner? The living-costs figure for applications from September 1, 2026 is CAN$29,192 for 2 people,…
- Svalbard: no visa needed, and still a catch
🧊 A part of Norway where the Immigration Act doesn't apply: Svalbard. No visa from Norway to go there. So why might you still need a…
- UK Graduate visa: 18 months from 1 January 2027
🎓 UK Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. A PhD stays at…
- Canada biometrics: CAN$85, family maximum CAN$170
Canada biometrics: CAN$85 per person, CAN$170 maximum for a family applying together. Who's exempt, and how to count it for your…
- ESTA approved? Officers still decide on arrival
Approved ESTA doesn't settle whether you enter the US. CBP officers decide when you arrive. What an ESTA does, and what you check before…
- Singapore arrival card: free, within 3 days
Going to Singapore? The SG Arrival Card is free, and you submit it within 3 days before you land. It isn't a visa. Anyone charging you for…
- New Zealand: NZD $1,000 a month to show
New Zealand visitors: at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 if your accommodation is paid. Here's how to count it for your trip.
- Korea K-ETA: 10,000 KRW, apply before boarding
Korea K-ETA: 10,000 KRW, and the fee isn't refunded if you're denied. Get it before you board, not at the airport.
- Canada visitor visa: CAN$100 per person
Canada visitor visa: CAN$100 per person, or CAN$500 maximum for a family of 5 or more applying together. What goes in your cover letter.
- Layers on your computer and phone
Work with documents, chats and this channel in the Layers app: Word and Excel files open right on your computer, even offline. Mac:…