Considering taking a job in the UK: firearms lawyer? (and more)

[enfieldspares]

2.6 Where the applicant is a foreign national, a background check (criminal records check or equivalent) should also be completed in the applicant’s home country. The applicant should be required to provide a background check (such as a police certificate or equivalent) from their country of nationality and any other country where they have lived. This will be at the applicant’s expense, including an official translation into English.

This shouldn't be too onerous. My wife has a French "Bulletin No3" as a "Police Good Conduct Certificate" is called there and with the French you can even request it to be in the English language.

She also has a Nigeria Police issued one as below.



The only issue I could think of with the USA is that what would be the "national authority" that would issue such? The FBI?

 

[finnbear270]

This shouldn't be too onerous. My wife has a French "Bulletin No3" as a "Police Good Conduct Certificate" is called there and with the French you can even request it to be in the English language.

She also has a Nigeria Police issued one as below.

View attachment 436517

The only issue I could think of with the USA is that what would be the "national authority" that would issue such? The FBI?

ATF?

 

[BigT]

Having gone through the certificate process as a recent immigrant , it’s really not the end of the world.

Make sure you have medical records to give your GP when you register. I found it easier (but of course expensive ) to go through shootcert to get the medical certificate.

No idea how you could go about the proof of no criminal history from the US , may be worth reaching out to local law enforcement , or an attorney who does a lot of emigration work they will likely have dealt with it.

Finding the two referees may be more challenging depending how many people you know here.


A useful point ( and this will apply to the entire immigration process not just guns) is to turn off the whenwe part of your brain. How it worked where you come from is irrelevant where you going , no point focusing on “where I came from I could just…” because you aren’t there anymore. So the process is the process and if you’re keen you do the thing.

Joining a club not only helps with your good reason, it also gives you an opportunity to chat to people who’ve dealt with the many variables involved in the application and beyond , which can be more helpful than what the internet offers at times.

FWIW I couldn’t be happier to have made the move.

 

[royalewithcheese]

I see. I assume UK Man pays VAT?

If so, a box of 20 = £1.90/rd for Varmint Express .22-250. (is that the final price if buying in person?)

Here the cheapest I found from a reputable place is $1.12 plus shipping and tax. Say, $1.50/rd, mail order and including Minnesota tax.

Given that the exchange rate right now is $0.74 to £1.00, that strikes me as roughly equivalent buying power for UK Man and US Man.


Don’t worry, I don’t expect the UK to be like the US. I mentioned the quantities just to put things in perspective, not to gloat or cast aspersions.

Yes you will pay VAT on the purchase in the UK, you've got your exchange rates the wrong way round though. £1.00 is currently $1.35, so youre looking at $2.56 per round.
You may get a bit of a discount if you're buying 10 boxes at a time. Most things shooting related, you can expect to pay around twice what you're used to at home versus here but the cost is also why reloading is quite popular in the UK for those that shoot a lot.

If you're one to bulk buy, the good news is ammunition components are generally unlimited (there is a limit on total amount of weight of you can hold like powder/primers, but this can also be increased with an additional Explosives certificate)
But in theory for example if you have a certificate that grants you to hold 300 x 22.250 rounds, you could have for example 300 rounds in your safe, and the components (bullets, cases, powder, primers) sitting on the shelf to assemble another 2000, but you cannot exceed 300 live rounds in your possession.

 

[75]

@carbon - no idea who you work for or where you're intending to move to but if you end up anywhere near Derbyshire then I'll do what I can to orientate you to our funny old ways. I work for a big US company (but live in the UK) and have some exposure to the whole Global Mobility aspect, albeit, not specific to firearms. Happy to help any way I can!

 

[kenbro]

I just moved to the states from the UK basically the opposite of what you did.
You cannot own a gun in the UK unless you have a firearms certificate for firearms and shotgun certificate for shotguns. To get them you have to be at least a permanent resident I think (unsure on that ) you have to have a letter from your GP in the UK. You must have reasons to own guns in the UK mainly target shooting / hunting. Going clay shooting is a good reason to own section 2 shotguns. That’s is any shotgun that has maximum capacity of 2+1. Anything more than that you need a fire arms certificate. Again with fire arms certificate you must be a home office approved shooting club member. That is a reason to apply for firearms certificate. But that will be just for target shooting you cannot hunt with them. So if you want hunting then you must have a land with permission from the owner and that land must be suitable for the caliber yoi applying for. Or paid stalking is another reason if you can’t find any land permissions.There is NO public land hunting in the UK.For both FAC and SGC you must have a proper gun safe attached to a concrete wall or floor. Once you apply for either or both with valid reason you have to wait a long time with most of the forces nowadays. An officer will come and interview you check your safety measures and your reasons. Then as I said you must get a form from your GP( doctor ) regarding your mental Health and stuff.
Your handguns are a no go. Remember self defence is not a valid reason to own any guns in the Uk. There is no 2nd amendment there.suppressors are called moderators in the UK and they must be applied just like ti apply for a rifle. Again you have to have reasons to own every caliber you asking for. marrying someone will not get you any special privileges. Bringing guns back to the US is pretty simple. I just took 10 guns with me. My best advice would be leave your guns in the states and once yoi settle in the UK apply for fac and sgc and buy guns there. And if you decide to move back you can bring them guns to the states with you when you move as your personal property. Get ATF form 6 approved. I’m sure there are other members who are here with more knowledge than me.
You can donate your guns in the US to me . God bless the second amendment. I moved here last year and bought 5 hand guns and an AR

I don’t think you need to be a member of a club that is Home Office Approved.
Ken.

 

[quarrystalker]

It is interesting that the UK apparently thinks a barrel is dangerous

So does Florida too. When I was there on holiday, I was hoping to acquire a spare barrell for my remington 1100 shotgun. I had checked it was all legal to do so & had my shotgun certificate to have it entered on to, but the guys at Bass Pro were aghast that I would even try to take that metal tube back with me on the plane.

 

[GBR66]

Don't move to Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire Police Freeze FAC/SGC applications

Your MPs should be all over that, it is a disgrace.