Yup. Even here in Spain it’s dark late and the sun sets early. It’s always sunny and decently warm (in some was warmer than the gulf coast???) but it’s also drier and definitely not tropical
Yes, but because of weather patterns, it's not nearly as cold in most of Europe as it is in the US. I lived in Scotland for awhile, for example, and assumed because it was so far north, it would be very cold. It never got nearly as cold as where I'm from in Nebraska. (And it doesn't get as hot as Nebraska gets, either.) Hell, there's places in Scotland that have palm trees!
Okay but the highest monthly average high is 17C, it rains up to 250 days a year, it gets fewer than 1400 hours of sunshine, and due to the humidity and lack of sunshine the above-freezing winter temps are absolutely bone chilling. Palm trees don't exactly indicate much about the human experience.
I will be able to live anywhere in the world and work via Telehealth with clients in Florida
Don't assume this. You can't even do this in the US from State to State. You'd need to be licensed in whatever State or foreign country you reside in, if they even offer a similar license for that specialty. Few countries have a nomad work visa. US insurance companies don't permit foreign country payments, including Medicare. A disgruntled patient could report you and cause you to lose your license.
It’s going to be extremely unlikely that any employer is going to let you practice in Europe. Good luck with finding medmal insurance; very few companies will cover this arrangement.
Also, that older unemployed man has been living off your money for years. I really doubt he’ll be pulling out the stops for you to legally move there to rejoin him.
You need to be a little bit more realistic about this plan.
Californian here who spent 9 months in the UK — we were giving London a go and the main (basically only) reason we came back was the weather. So much gray. So much rain. Winter was BITTER cold. There are some folks who love moody, melancholy gray, and I get it… but it was just too much for me. Even when I bought all the cute rain gear, determined to be my outdoorsy self despite the rain, it was mostly the gray of it all that got to me.
I honestly prefer New England winters to (Old) England winters because despite the cold and snow, at least you get sun and it's not rainy / damp all the time.
I’m one of those people who wants to move to the UK, preferably Scotland, for the weather. I grew up in a very tropical country with lots of rain, but hot and humid, then I moved to rural North California where it’s mostly farms, dry heat, and only rains during half of the winter.
If I can manage to switch careers, get experience, skills, and the right certifications, then I can take my chance to hopefully get a work sponsorship in the UK.
Sorry, but it does not get bitter cold in London. The average low is 2c or 35f. That's not even below freezing. I get that wet cold can feel nasty, but "bitter" cold is in the negatives, and is common in places like Chicago, Calgary, etc.
My bet is for anyone who’s used to the tropics, anything sub-50°F is cold, and it was the “humid” cold that I found more biting/bitter— I grew up in Michigan where the dry, cold winter sucked (0°C was normal), but somehow the London winter felt worse to me (which I attributed to the humidity accompanying the cold— kinda felt like the cold attached to me for longer lol)
haha. I just moved to Dublin (from Silicon Valley) and everyone here complains about the cold like it's cold. I mean it's not warm, but it's not literally freezing almost ever, and it's usually well above freezing. it is damp, of course, and on average, it is colder than Silicon Valley, but the lower bound is about the same.
I dunno. In some ways, I feel like the humidity just makes you warmer? I mean, sweating doesn't do much for temperature regulation, so if you start moving you feel warm, and I've been walking everywhere since I got here.
But it is kinda funny how much people here complain about the cold, I mean, compared to how I perceive the temperature.
Yeah, I feel like Oxford in December is the coldest I've ever been (despite many winters in New Hampshire). Not by the thermometer, maybe, but the damp chill goes all the way to your bones.
If your qualifications will only allow you to practice in Florida, you will be particularly miserable, as you will also have to live your life 5-6 hours behind clock time in the UK. I would strongly suggest you start doing your research on a) whether/how you can get your qualifications accepted in the UK, and b) working conditions in the NHS.
If your husband is a schoolteacher, he may make more than in the US, and will not have to deal with the specter of taking bullets for his students. But it's still got the same problems the US does. If your husband is a postsecondary educator... the postsecondary sector in the UK is imploding, and not slowly.
Does he have a job in the UK, with a salary that will allow him to sponsor you?
he could get a job there immediately since he’s from there
Being eligible to work doesn’t mean he’ll immediately land a job. I don’t know what kind of teaching you’re looking for him to do, but given you mention PhD, I’d caution optimism for universities if that’s where you’re looking. The job market is not great at the moment, and most job opportunities will have a good number of applicants (my university recently posted an academic adjacent role that’s fixed term and part time that got 75 applicants!). If you’re talking about primary/secondary schools, I’m not sure it’s true they earn more in the UK than the US. From what I know, teachers are on pay scales that are fairly regimented (there’s some info online).
For you to get the spouse visa, he’d have to be working in the UK, earning at least £29,900 for six months before you could apply.
No offense, but if you’re almost out of money then an international move should be the last thing on your list right now. Don’t just assume that he’ll find a job bc he has the passport, there’s a lot more to it, if you want to move then at the very least he needs a job lined up before you start making big decisions. Also research your plan for work a bit more bc that sounds illegal, UK doesn’t have digital nomad visa so it’s pretty rare for USians to work for US companies from there. Not impossible bc it’s dependent on companies, assuming your company usually has nothing to do with the UK I doubt they’d have any support for that.
As for weather kiss the sun goodbye for around 300 days per year
You should look into whether you'll need license from the UK to practice from there. Many countries require local authorisation even if your clients are in another country.
Ya that's not allowed. I would urge you to understand the transmission of health information via other countries, the tax implications and what the counties you are residing in require to practice.
If you are an employee, your employer would have to ensure they are legally compliant with British employment and tax laws. Unless they already have a presence in the UK this seems highly unlikely something they would support. I work for a fully remote team and we even limit what states in the US we can work in and nothing is allowed internationally (this is IT work not medical). Contractors for us can work in any state but not internationally.
They're likely just googling averages, which are not going to be calculated the same way across countries and (assuming she means university since she specifies PhD) can include anything from lecturers to tenured professors anywhere from a community college to Ivy League. Equivalent positions (seniority and institution) in the UK definitely pay less than the US.
And as for secondary teachers, in the UK the max outside of London is just about equal to the median in the US.
The UK has shit weather and if that's a non-negotiable you can forget it. It's cold, wet, and dark. If it wasn't for Brexit though we would gladly live there. Just keep in mind that without money moving to a new country is tough. Sort out employment and housing before moving.
The US shouldn't be on the table unless you can make a ton of money. I mean big bucks where you both have a minimum of $180,000 in income. Think long and hard about going through the whole immigration process there under this administration. Have a plan for healthcare and remember you might not get coverage at first and will have to pay for your own insurance on the marketplace for some potentially eye watering amounts. How will you rent there? Do you have money for the deposit? If you don't have credit they might want months of rent paid ahead of time. Are you going to buy a car as soon as you get there?
Ok so I grew up in the Midwest but lived in Hawaii for years before moving to the UK (Scotland). Dude, the transition will be rough, especially the lack of sunlight. I wanted to experience cold again so that part was ok but I was not prepared for the dark winter and intermittent sun even during the summer.
You will have to do info gathering for your work situation. If you are working for US clients make sure your employer understands where you are and you might need certification in a specific state.
Alternatively, you can open a private practice here in the UK. Counselor is not a protected title to technically, anyone can provide counselling services though there will be insurance implications and you will not be able to work for the NHS, charities, government or statutory organisation unless you are able to gain accreditation (certification) by a UK professional body like the BACP.
Another thing to consider, there's an income threshold you fiance will need to meet before you can be sponsored on a visa.
I’m also a tropical girl. Here in the UK since July.
lol @ sunshine and warmth
Let me just say this: I’m from south Louisiana. Always, always, always complained about the blistering sun. And now? Well, when I see the sun showing herself I hurry to go stand outside for the 5 minutes she will be glorious in the garden. This happens maybe once a week if I’m lucky. Warmth? Don’t know her much these days unless I’m covered in my blanket or wearing my parka. Only thing that’s the same as back home is the damp feel and the rain. That’s about as tropical as you’ll get here.
Thanks for your reply - I know it’s VASTLY different from the climates I prefer and am used to, so was hoping to hear from similar people like you. I’m glad to hear you love it here… what was the process of getting to that point (and adjusting to the lack of sun) like?
Well, honestly, when I got here in July I wanted to die from the heat. It was harder for me to adjust to the lack of central air conditioning. It really wasn’t hard for me to acclimate to the lack of sun. What’s throwing me for a loop now is that it’s dark by 4:30. 😂
I thought the cold would bother me a lot more, but it’s really the same cold as back home. That damp, gross kind of cold. It’s just happening a lot earlier than I’m used to. But it’s fine. I keep reminding myself that there’s no hurricanes or 112° summers. Also that the British complain about the weather just like I do, so I fit right in.
Very rainy and much cooler and dark than what you're used to! Many people do remain active outdoors here, but you will need rain gear and layers for warmth. I think it will be a difficult adjustment for you. I'm not sure on your idea about doing telehealth with clients in FL whilst you're living in the UK. I don't know about the legality of that, but that's something you should make sure to investigate. You'll also want to look into the tax situation as it would relate to you working from UK. Another thing to research, if you haven't already, are the fees involved in immigrating to the UK. They are quite high--it might surprise you.
I don't have any recommendations about the weather besides suggesting that everything is a compromise. Does not having the ideal weather outweigh the positives of living in the UK? And does having the ideal weather outweigh the negatives of living in the US?
One other thing to keep in mind is that, once you are married, it will become more time consuming for you to change your mind and move to the US, since the IR1 (spousal) visa processing time can range anywhere from 1 to 2 years. If you hate it in the UK, you're going to be stuck there until the IR1 process completes and he is allowed to immigrate to the US.
Look into what it’d take to get qualified in your field in the UK, officially. It may not be too much extra once you’ve finished in the US. Would it be better to marry now and not in a year?
The only way to get tropical climate in the EU is to move to the overseas French territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Réunion, Guyane, Tahiti), they are all part of the EU (only partly for Tahiti). But maybe you would be enough hot in Greece, Malta, Spain, Italy or Portugal. Gibraltar is also partly English but given the size of the territory...
There's only 1 territory in the UK that comes close to your requirements. And it' not ideal... just close(ish).
From your post it appears you can work anywhere. You just need to meet eligibility to migrate to the UK. That in itself is not as easy as it once was... but lets just skip ahead and assume you pass that hurdle.
So that leave 2 further restrictions. Your climate requirements and your partners ability to get a local job there.
So - Im thinking of Gibraltar.
There are no immigration issues towards moving there as a British national. Or the partner of one. It totally depends on your partners ability to find work there.
It's a very small territory. There will not be many job openings. There just arnt enough people for that. But your work is remote so that wont affect you... it's down to your partners ability to secure a local job.
Iv been to Gibraltar in January before. Whilst not close to tropical weather - it was kinda fine all day long to not need a jacket. In the spring/summer/autumn months it does get very hot. So apart from a few days here and there you wont like... it's usually fine for your requirements.
Bringing pets into the UK is really expensive. It would be terrible if you hated it and then had to move again. I would say if you love sun and warm weather. It’s a big no. Among other factors, I could never live in Florida because of the weather. Visit the UK during the winter if you can.
Not to be rude or negative, but I am a licensed therapist in private practice in the United States, and I want to clarify some important practical and legal realities of this plan.
Providing telehealth to U.S. clients while living abroad is not as straightforward as it may seem. While it can be legal in certain situations, it is highly regulated and depends on state licensing laws, insurance policies, tax residency, malpractice coverage, and data privacy requirements. You must be licensed in the state where the client is physically located at the time of the session, and many insurance plans do not reimburse services if the provider is physically outside the United States.
Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans do not reimburse services if the provider is physically outside the country. If you are living abroad, you would realistically be limited to treating clients who can pay fully out of pocket. It is very difficult to build a full caseload of private pay clients, especially early in a career. Therapists who successfully operate fully out of pocket are typically highly skilled, have been practicing for years, and have spent a long time building a strong referral network. I have been in private practice for four years in a wealthy area, and even so, I have not been able to build a full caseload that is entirely private pay. About sixty percent of my clients pay out of pocket, and reaching even that level was difficult.
Building a client base requires extensive networking, professional visibility, experience, and referrals. Many of my clients came from therapist colleagues who referred to me when they lacked the specific expertise needed, were full, or could not take on additional clients. This type of referral pipeline is much harder to establish if you are living outside the U.S. and not embedded in the local professional community.
Licensure is another major factor. Most states, including Florida, require a large number of post graduate supervised hours before full independent licensure, in addition to practicum and internship hours completed during graduate school. Going directly into private practice after graduation is uncommon and challenging without supervision, mentorship, and the clinical growth that typically comes from working under an agency or group practice for several years.
It is also worth noting that in my state, many online mental health master’s programs have a poor reputation for adequately preparing counselors and therapists. While your program may be an exception, this can make it harder to build credibility and referrals early on. Becoming a fully licensed counselor as a master’s level clinician is a long process. From starting graduate school to full licensure, it often takes four to five years.
You also need to account for ongoing professional requirements after licensure. Continuing education, additional certifications, and specialized trainings are required regularly. Some are available online, but many require in person attendance, which can be difficult if you are living abroad.
Finally, the legal landscape around clinicians working remotely from outside the U.S. remains a gray area. This is not an issue that has been fully addressed by licensing boards or federal law, and regulations may change as remote work becomes more closely examined. What is currently possible does not necessarily mean it will remain permissible or insurable long term.
I am sure you are a lovely person and will make a good counselor, but this plan may not be as viable or stable as it appears, particularly if you do not plan to make the U.S. your long term home. If you are only one year into your program and already considering relocating permanently, it may be worth seriously exploring licensure in the country where you actually want to live, such as the UK.
The Cayman Islands are tropical and part of the Uk. Same with the British Virgin Islands (and right next to Florida) Not sure your fiancé’s line of work but could he get a job in either of those places?
Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that doesn’t require further work authorisation for British citizens. The others require applying for a visa/work permit.
“I love sunshine and year round warmth.”
You won’t be getting that in Portsmouth I’m afraid.
One thing many people don't realize is how northern Europe actually is.
Rome is on the same latitude as Chicago, for example.
Portsmouth? Further North than Montreal. Today, the Sun rose at 8 and set at 4.
If you want South Florida-like climate and sunshine duration, I'm sorry but you can ignore Europe altogether because you're not getting it there.
Yup. Even here in Spain it’s dark late and the sun sets early. It’s always sunny and decently warm (in some was warmer than the gulf coast???) but it’s also drier and definitely not tropical
Yes, but because of weather patterns, it's not nearly as cold in most of Europe as it is in the US. I lived in Scotland for awhile, for example, and assumed because it was so far north, it would be very cold. It never got nearly as cold as where I'm from in Nebraska. (And it doesn't get as hot as Nebraska gets, either.) Hell, there's places in Scotland that have palm trees!
Okay but the highest monthly average high is 17C, it rains up to 250 days a year, it gets fewer than 1400 hours of sunshine, and due to the humidity and lack of sunshine the above-freezing winter temps are absolutely bone chilling. Palm trees don't exactly indicate much about the human experience.
Please tell me of these places in Scotland with Palm Trees.. as a California girl who loves Scotland it sounds like a dream!
Don't assume this. You can't even do this in the US from State to State. You'd need to be licensed in whatever State or foreign country you reside in, if they even offer a similar license for that specialty. Few countries have a nomad work visa. US insurance companies don't permit foreign country payments, including Medicare. A disgruntled patient could report you and cause you to lose your license.
Who the heck told her she can be in one country and offer services in another ? No way
My therapist moved out of state and even that was enough for me to have to get a new one.
It’s going to be extremely unlikely that any employer is going to let you practice in Europe. Good luck with finding medmal insurance; very few companies will cover this arrangement.
Also, that older unemployed man has been living off your money for years. I really doubt he’ll be pulling out the stops for you to legally move there to rejoin him.
You need to be a little bit more realistic about this plan.
Californian here who spent 9 months in the UK — we were giving London a go and the main (basically only) reason we came back was the weather. So much gray. So much rain. Winter was BITTER cold. There are some folks who love moody, melancholy gray, and I get it… but it was just too much for me. Even when I bought all the cute rain gear, determined to be my outdoorsy self despite the rain, it was mostly the gray of it all that got to me.
I honestly prefer New England winters to (Old) England winters because despite the cold and snow, at least you get sun and it's not rainy / damp all the time.
I’m one of those people who wants to move to the UK, preferably Scotland, for the weather. I grew up in a very tropical country with lots of rain, but hot and humid, then I moved to rural North California where it’s mostly farms, dry heat, and only rains during half of the winter.
If I can manage to switch careers, get experience, skills, and the right certifications, then I can take my chance to hopefully get a work sponsorship in the UK.
Don't romanticize Scotland. It's truly not the paradise you think it is 🤣
I'm not really considering it as a paradise. No place is perfect for anyone. I'm slightly aware of the cons of the climate over there.
Secretarianism, racism, decline in living standards, low wages, losing infrastructure at an alarming rate, anti immigration sentiment...
I've lived here almost ten years.
Sorry, but it does not get bitter cold in London. The average low is 2c or 35f. That's not even below freezing. I get that wet cold can feel nasty, but "bitter" cold is in the negatives, and is common in places like Chicago, Calgary, etc.
My bet is for anyone who’s used to the tropics, anything sub-50°F is cold, and it was the “humid” cold that I found more biting/bitter— I grew up in Michigan where the dry, cold winter sucked (0°C was normal), but somehow the London winter felt worse to me (which I attributed to the humidity accompanying the cold— kinda felt like the cold attached to me for longer lol)
haha. I just moved to Dublin (from Silicon Valley) and everyone here complains about the cold like it's cold. I mean it's not warm, but it's not literally freezing almost ever, and it's usually well above freezing. it is damp, of course, and on average, it is colder than Silicon Valley, but the lower bound is about the same.
I dunno. In some ways, I feel like the humidity just makes you warmer? I mean, sweating doesn't do much for temperature regulation, so if you start moving you feel warm, and I've been walking everywhere since I got here.
But it is kinda funny how much people here complain about the cold, I mean, compared to how I perceive the temperature.
Ohh its cold, a different cold. The numbers do not translate.
Yeah, I feel like Oxford in December is the coldest I've ever been (despite many winters in New Hampshire). Not by the thermometer, maybe, but the damp chill goes all the way to your bones.
Humid, windy and wet at 2c feels a thousand times worse than dry and sunny at -15c.
BLUF: You will be miserable.
If your qualifications will only allow you to practice in Florida, you will be particularly miserable, as you will also have to live your life 5-6 hours behind clock time in the UK. I would strongly suggest you start doing your research on a) whether/how you can get your qualifications accepted in the UK, and b) working conditions in the NHS.
If your husband is a schoolteacher, he may make more than in the US, and will not have to deal with the specter of taking bullets for his students. But it's still got the same problems the US does. If your husband is a postsecondary educator... the postsecondary sector in the UK is imploding, and not slowly.
Does he have a job in the UK, with a salary that will allow him to sponsor you?
Being eligible to work doesn’t mean he’ll immediately land a job. I don’t know what kind of teaching you’re looking for him to do, but given you mention PhD, I’d caution optimism for universities if that’s where you’re looking. The job market is not great at the moment, and most job opportunities will have a good number of applicants (my university recently posted an academic adjacent role that’s fixed term and part time that got 75 applicants!). If you’re talking about primary/secondary schools, I’m not sure it’s true they earn more in the UK than the US. From what I know, teachers are on pay scales that are fairly regimented (there’s some info online).
For you to get the spouse visa, he’d have to be working in the UK, earning at least £29,900 for six months before you could apply.
No offense, but if you’re almost out of money then an international move should be the last thing on your list right now. Don’t just assume that he’ll find a job bc he has the passport, there’s a lot more to it, if you want to move then at the very least he needs a job lined up before you start making big decisions. Also research your plan for work a bit more bc that sounds illegal, UK doesn’t have digital nomad visa so it’s pretty rare for USians to work for US companies from there. Not impossible bc it’s dependent on companies, assuming your company usually has nothing to do with the UK I doubt they’d have any support for that.
As for weather kiss the sun goodbye for around 300 days per year
Teachers salaries in the UK are higher? Since when?
Portsmouth well even southern England is on a similar latitude to Alaska.
Does a special kind of international visa come with your diploma? Because no, you will not be able to legally live wherever you want.
Legally work (via Telehealth in the US state I’m licensed in), not live… I would be getting a spousal visa in the UK
You should look into whether you'll need license from the UK to practice from there. Many countries require local authorisation even if your clients are in another country.
Ya that's not allowed. I would urge you to understand the transmission of health information via other countries, the tax implications and what the counties you are residing in require to practice.
If you are an employee, your employer would have to ensure they are legally compliant with British employment and tax laws. Unless they already have a presence in the UK this seems highly unlikely something they would support. I work for a fully remote team and we even limit what states in the US we can work in and nothing is allowed internationally (this is IT work not medical). Contractors for us can work in any state but not internationally.
You're 37? And I'm school to be a counselor of some sort?
You're too old and (hopefully) too intelligent to have not read the UK government website about immigration. It's there in plain ol English.
“Teachers have much higher salaries in the uk than the us”. Please tell me this was a joke?!?
They're likely just googling averages, which are not going to be calculated the same way across countries and (assuming she means university since she specifies PhD) can include anything from lecturers to tenured professors anywhere from a community college to Ivy League. Equivalent positions (seniority and institution) in the UK definitely pay less than the US.
And as for secondary teachers, in the UK the max outside of London is just about equal to the median in the US.
The UK has shit weather and if that's a non-negotiable you can forget it. It's cold, wet, and dark. If it wasn't for Brexit though we would gladly live there. Just keep in mind that without money moving to a new country is tough. Sort out employment and housing before moving.
The US shouldn't be on the table unless you can make a ton of money. I mean big bucks where you both have a minimum of $180,000 in income. Think long and hard about going through the whole immigration process there under this administration. Have a plan for healthcare and remember you might not get coverage at first and will have to pay for your own insurance on the marketplace for some potentially eye watering amounts. How will you rent there? Do you have money for the deposit? If you don't have credit they might want months of rent paid ahead of time. Are you going to buy a car as soon as you get there?
US born and raised now dual UK citizen.
Ok so I grew up in the Midwest but lived in Hawaii for years before moving to the UK (Scotland). Dude, the transition will be rough, especially the lack of sunlight. I wanted to experience cold again so that part was ok but I was not prepared for the dark winter and intermittent sun even during the summer.
You will have to do info gathering for your work situation. If you are working for US clients make sure your employer understands where you are and you might need certification in a specific state.
Alternatively, you can open a private practice here in the UK. Counselor is not a protected title to technically, anyone can provide counselling services though there will be insurance implications and you will not be able to work for the NHS, charities, government or statutory organisation unless you are able to gain accreditation (certification) by a UK professional body like the BACP.
Another thing to consider, there's an income threshold you fiance will need to meet before you can be sponsored on a visa.
Good luck!
I was raised in the Midwest and spent a few years living in Hawaii as well! How have you adjusted to Scotland?
I’m also a tropical girl. Here in the UK since July. lol @ sunshine and warmth
Let me just say this: I’m from south Louisiana. Always, always, always complained about the blistering sun. And now? Well, when I see the sun showing herself I hurry to go stand outside for the 5 minutes she will be glorious in the garden. This happens maybe once a week if I’m lucky. Warmth? Don’t know her much these days unless I’m covered in my blanket or wearing my parka. Only thing that’s the same as back home is the damp feel and the rain. That’s about as tropical as you’ll get here.
That said, I really do love it here.
Thanks for your reply - I know it’s VASTLY different from the climates I prefer and am used to, so was hoping to hear from similar people like you. I’m glad to hear you love it here… what was the process of getting to that point (and adjusting to the lack of sun) like?
Well, honestly, when I got here in July I wanted to die from the heat. It was harder for me to adjust to the lack of central air conditioning. It really wasn’t hard for me to acclimate to the lack of sun. What’s throwing me for a loop now is that it’s dark by 4:30. 😂
I thought the cold would bother me a lot more, but it’s really the same cold as back home. That damp, gross kind of cold. It’s just happening a lot earlier than I’m used to. But it’s fine. I keep reminding myself that there’s no hurricanes or 112° summers. Also that the British complain about the weather just like I do, so I fit right in.
Very rainy and much cooler and dark than what you're used to! Many people do remain active outdoors here, but you will need rain gear and layers for warmth. I think it will be a difficult adjustment for you. I'm not sure on your idea about doing telehealth with clients in FL whilst you're living in the UK. I don't know about the legality of that, but that's something you should make sure to investigate. You'll also want to look into the tax situation as it would relate to you working from UK. Another thing to research, if you haven't already, are the fees involved in immigrating to the UK. They are quite high--it might surprise you.
I don't have any recommendations about the weather besides suggesting that everything is a compromise. Does not having the ideal weather outweigh the positives of living in the UK? And does having the ideal weather outweigh the negatives of living in the US?
One other thing to keep in mind is that, once you are married, it will become more time consuming for you to change your mind and move to the US, since the IR1 (spousal) visa processing time can range anywhere from 1 to 2 years. If you hate it in the UK, you're going to be stuck there until the IR1 process completes and he is allowed to immigrate to the US.
We do get quite a bit of sunshine in Portsmouth, but it’s not exactly warm…
Look into what it’d take to get qualified in your field in the UK, officially. It may not be too much extra once you’ve finished in the US. Would it be better to marry now and not in a year?
The only way to get tropical climate in the EU is to move to the overseas French territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Réunion, Guyane, Tahiti), they are all part of the EU (only partly for Tahiti). But maybe you would be enough hot in Greece, Malta, Spain, Italy or Portugal. Gibraltar is also partly English but given the size of the territory...
There's only 1 territory in the UK that comes close to your requirements. And it' not ideal... just close(ish).
From your post it appears you can work anywhere. You just need to meet eligibility to migrate to the UK. That in itself is not as easy as it once was... but lets just skip ahead and assume you pass that hurdle.
So that leave 2 further restrictions. Your climate requirements and your partners ability to get a local job there.
So - Im thinking of Gibraltar.
There are no immigration issues towards moving there as a British national. Or the partner of one. It totally depends on your partners ability to find work there.
It's a very small territory. There will not be many job openings. There just arnt enough people for that. But your work is remote so that wont affect you... it's down to your partners ability to secure a local job.
Iv been to Gibraltar in January before. Whilst not close to tropical weather - it was kinda fine all day long to not need a jacket. In the spring/summer/autumn months it does get very hot. So apart from a few days here and there you wont like... it's usually fine for your requirements.
Bringing pets into the UK is really expensive. It would be terrible if you hated it and then had to move again. I would say if you love sun and warm weather. It’s a big no. Among other factors, I could never live in Florida because of the weather. Visit the UK during the winter if you can.
I have just learned that about the cost of moving pets there! Definitely a deterrent, especially as I would be moving two.
You're absolutely not going to get a south Florida weather & climate in the UK. UK isn't a subtropical or tropical country.
If you want that kind of weather & climate, move to the Caribbean, Central/South America, Southeast Asia, or the Pacific including Australia.
Not to be rude or negative, but I am a licensed therapist in private practice in the United States, and I want to clarify some important practical and legal realities of this plan.
Providing telehealth to U.S. clients while living abroad is not as straightforward as it may seem. While it can be legal in certain situations, it is highly regulated and depends on state licensing laws, insurance policies, tax residency, malpractice coverage, and data privacy requirements. You must be licensed in the state where the client is physically located at the time of the session, and many insurance plans do not reimburse services if the provider is physically outside the United States.
Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans do not reimburse services if the provider is physically outside the country. If you are living abroad, you would realistically be limited to treating clients who can pay fully out of pocket. It is very difficult to build a full caseload of private pay clients, especially early in a career. Therapists who successfully operate fully out of pocket are typically highly skilled, have been practicing for years, and have spent a long time building a strong referral network. I have been in private practice for four years in a wealthy area, and even so, I have not been able to build a full caseload that is entirely private pay. About sixty percent of my clients pay out of pocket, and reaching even that level was difficult.
Building a client base requires extensive networking, professional visibility, experience, and referrals. Many of my clients came from therapist colleagues who referred to me when they lacked the specific expertise needed, were full, or could not take on additional clients. This type of referral pipeline is much harder to establish if you are living outside the U.S. and not embedded in the local professional community.
Licensure is another major factor. Most states, including Florida, require a large number of post graduate supervised hours before full independent licensure, in addition to practicum and internship hours completed during graduate school. Going directly into private practice after graduation is uncommon and challenging without supervision, mentorship, and the clinical growth that typically comes from working under an agency or group practice for several years.
It is also worth noting that in my state, many online mental health master’s programs have a poor reputation for adequately preparing counselors and therapists. While your program may be an exception, this can make it harder to build credibility and referrals early on. Becoming a fully licensed counselor as a master’s level clinician is a long process. From starting graduate school to full licensure, it often takes four to five years.
You also need to account for ongoing professional requirements after licensure. Continuing education, additional certifications, and specialized trainings are required regularly. Some are available online, but many require in person attendance, which can be difficult if you are living abroad.
Finally, the legal landscape around clinicians working remotely from outside the U.S. remains a gray area. This is not an issue that has been fully addressed by licensing boards or federal law, and regulations may change as remote work becomes more closely examined. What is currently possible does not necessarily mean it will remain permissible or insurable long term.
I am sure you are a lovely person and will make a good counselor, but this plan may not be as viable or stable as it appears, particularly if you do not plan to make the U.S. your long term home. If you are only one year into your program and already considering relocating permanently, it may be worth seriously exploring licensure in the country where you actually want to live, such as the UK.
The Cayman Islands are tropical and part of the Uk. Same with the British Virgin Islands (and right next to Florida) Not sure your fiancé’s line of work but could he get a job in either of those places?
Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that doesn’t require further work authorisation for British citizens. The others require applying for a visa/work permit.
Gibraltar has temporarily paused all new residency permits for UK nationals.
Do it (if what you said is true about money). You can take cheap flights to portugal from london for the sun, or spain.