My manic Spring travels are over (link) and my big trip to the Greek Islands with Brea has come to a close, but that's ok because now I am excited to start planning for my year off. I love planning, I love traveling, and I particularly love planning for traveling. I was even a bit disappointed in my own lack of preparation for some of my recent trips this Spring because I enjoy the process of planning. It's not like I have to show up to a country with a itinerary full of recommended restaurants and museum tours planned for each day. I'm happy to have lots of liberty with what I do once I'm there. I just really enjoy all the reading up ahead of time on places to go, how to best coordinate logistics and travel, what foods to look for and expect, and last but not least, what the wine situation is like there and where can I try some?
In 3 months to the day, I start my year long Leave of Absence. And I'm really looking forward to spending the rest of the summer planning it. There are plenty of things I will leave up in the air, but because I will be traveling nonstop for so long, there are a lot of things I can get organised - my computer files, my music, my online account management, making multiple copies of all my important papers, getting all my vaccines, etc. The list goes on, but I'm not afraid of it.
There is one aspect I've been somewhat nervous about though. I'm living and working in the UK by the gracious gift of a 5 year work permit and visa sponsored by my company, and like all things that sound too good to be true, there is a catch. My work permit and visa isn't the problem at the moment, but I do have my sights set on obtaining ILR, Indefinite Leave to Remain. I can apply for this after 5 years, but there are restrictions on how many days throughout the 5 years I can be out of the UK. I've done the maths, and with my time off, there is not a logical way I will meet the days in country requirement, but I had also heard about some sort of requirement to only be out of the UK in 3 month increments.
I didn't want to book my flights until I had this confirmed because while I don't want to adjust every aspect of my life to accommodate UK immigration and residency bureaucracy, I also don't want to inadvertently screw myself out of ILR, or worse, citizenship, by having traveled just a few weeks too many, for example. This is the one thing on my to-do list that I had been conveniently avoiding, afraid of the answer.
Today, I finally called the Immigration Enquiry Bureau and got a pretty clear answer. The 5 years must be a "continuous period of work permit employment" and taking a year off to travel on a LOA (even though I will technically be an employee, just an unpaid employee) doesn't fit into an allowable status. So, what does this mean? It means that once I come back from my LOA, even if I'm technically still using my previous work permit, the 5 year clock starts at zero again. Le Sigh.
This is disappointing, as it means that at earliest, I won't be able to get ILR until I'm 35 years old. Man, that seems like a long way away. But at the same time, it's also kind of liberating. I've been in the UK nearly 2 years now (feels like longer, in a good way), and I am 100% sure about my decision to take a year off. I wouldn't let an immigration policy prevent that. So much can happen in a year, and in another 5 years, and who knows - maybe I won't need or want ILR? It's weird to think this way though, as I always allow myself to go into my moves head first, always thinking, maybe this will be my last big move to a different city/country? Maybe this is where I'll feel at home enough to buy a house, stay long term and settle down? But to be honest, I haven't felt that way yet, about anywhere, so here I go again.
I am still planning to come back to London in September 2009, but as much as I love plans, they can change. And that's ok too--then I get to plan for something else :)
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