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I am an EU citizen (non-Irish) with a non-EU spouse, currently living within the EU. Here my spouse has very similar rights to myself: they can work in any type of job without needing a special visa, and they could even continue working and support me if I were to lose my job. They are covered by my public health insurance (although this may be specific to the country in which we are staying). After having worked for a sufficient amount of time, they become eligible for unemployment benefits.

I am considering to move to the UK for an academic job (indefinite contract). In short, I am trying to understand what would change for my spouse in terms of:

  • Right to work (will my spouse be allowed to work?)
  • Access to work (perhaps only some types of skilled/unskilled work is accessible to them?)
  • Access to social security (health insurance, unemployment benefits, etc.)
  • Additional costs stemming from not being a UK citizen (extra fees, different taxation, etc.?)

Please provide trustworthy references when possible. I find it difficult to get the answers to all these questions in the post-Brexit chaos.

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    Which visa will you be applying for? Also, the situation for Irish citizens is rather different from that for citizens of other EU countries. Should we assume that you're not Irish?
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 25, 2022 at 15:58
  • @phoog I am not Irish. My understanding is that it is the "skilled worker visa". I am still at the stage of trying to understand the implications of moving there.
    – Mertle
    Commented Apr 25, 2022 at 19:38

1 Answer 1

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  • Will my spouse be allowed to work? Yes, subject to being granted entry as a dependent family member of someone who currently has permission on a work route.

  • Access to work types? Unrestricted, except that a person with permission as a dependant cannot take employment as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach) unless they are a dependant of a person with UK Ancestry.

  • Access to social security? Dependent partners and children are not allowed to access public funds. A health care surcharge (IHS) is normally payable as part of the application process

Sources:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1063796/Dependent_family_members_in_work_routes_v4.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013601/public-funds-v18.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application

This may also be worth reading (no affiliation) https://immigrationbarrister.co.uk/skilled-worker-dependent-visa-application-guide/

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