Free of charge telephone consultation line for United Kingdom is now open MIC „Renkuosi Lietuvą“

Migration information Centre (MIC) “I Choose Lithuania” has launched a free of charge telephone consultation line for people calling from United Kingdom to get consultation regarding return or living in Lithuania.

Keeping up to date with the situation in Lithuania is not always easy: new laws and requirements are being established while cultural, social and professional environment is changing as well. Therefore, in order to reintegrate successfully and avoid further difficulties, one has to prepare in advance. This is especially true during current uncertain Brexit period.  We are hoping that this free of charge telephone consultation line +44-8000-318-521 will serve as a great tool answering the inquiries of citizens living in United Kingdom and those considering a return to Lithuania.

Since the beginning of the project in 2015, www.renkuosilietuva.lt website has attracted 230,000 visitors, who had a chance to look through and use the information regarding life in Lithuania. In 3 years of practice, almost 3,000 personalized consultations were provided for applicants from 53 different countries. In 2018 alone, almost 1,800 individual consultations were provided via email, phone, Facebook or in person. The number of consultations doubles every year.

“In this year alone, 500 consultations were provided via telephone, of which more than one-fifth were from Lithuanians or their family members living in United Kingdom. Without a doubt, consultations for citizens living in United Kingdom are essential and this is well indicated in our website attendance numbers and email inquires which are dominated by applicants from aforementioned state. Thus, we are glad to offer a convenient free of charge opportunity to enquire on subjects regarding living or returning to Lithuania. Planning the return is especially important during current transitional period of Brexit,” – says the head of Migration Information Center and chief of IOM Vilnius office Audra Sipavičienė.

She is echoed by the head of Lithuanian community in United Kingdom Dalia Asanavičiūtė. “Social network sites and conversations with local Lithuanians indicate the greater desire to return and to plan the return back to Lithuania. Parents are letting their children to Lithuanian Saturday schools for informal education, they seek information on current political and economic news in Lithuania, look for further information regarding children integration in Lithuania, search for formal education institutions and job opportunities on the Internet. This raise of interest is due to a several different factors, but United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union is one of the main. As for now, the UK and EU compromise terms are unclear. Thus, this uncertainty encourages Lithuanians to look back to the homeland, where they felt relatively safe. The availability of free of charge telephone consultation line is a solid support for those who seek information on remigration,” – says D. Asanavičiūtė.

According to the advisers of “I Choose Lithuania”, most of the inquirers from United Kingdom seek knowledge on types of documents that should be brought back upon return, also on aggregation of employment periods, social or unemployment social insurance benefits, registering children to schools and kindergartens and etc.

From now on, calling from United Kingdom these and other types of questions may be addressed through free of charge telephone consultation line +44-8000-318-521

In order to avoid uncertainties and unpleasant situations “I Choose Lithuania” crew advises you to:

• Think thoroughly about what you plan to do in Lithuania and how are you going to do it: will you work as an employee in a company or do you plan to start your own business, maybe distance working for your current employer is also an option? Think in advance about job possibilities in Lithuania. Investigate further on current job market and take into account your own qualifications regarding possible employment opportunities.Think about the place of residence: do you plan to stay it the region where you came from, or maybe you would like to try and live in completely different part of Lithuania. Are you considering renting an apartment or plan to temporarily stay with your relatives, maybe you have enough savings to buy your own apartment?  Take into account types of documents that are required upon return: documents certifying periods of employment (U1), forms transferring unemployment social insurance benefits (U2), documents proving social insurance (E 104 or the equivalent), papers certifying children’s level of education, forms issued by the employer P45/P65;
• If you receive social insurance benefits abroad (unemployment, maternity), in accordance with the local laws, explore the possibilities of transferring it to other EU member state (additional documents might be required);
• If you are returning with children, research in advance for schools or kindergartens and note the local process of application. Consider your possibilities and prepare in advance coming back with children who do not speak Lithuanian or possess poor language skills (there are various different distance learning possibilities of Lithuanian language).
• Those who come back with foreign members of family, should in advance consider the kinds of documents that your relative is eligible to in Lithuania and also think about forms required for Migration institutions, job possibilities for foreigners and Lithuanian language course opportunities. If one is returning to Lithuania after getting married or after bearing a child abroad, note that this information must be registered to appropriate institutions in Lithuania.

Migration Information Center “I Choose Lithuania”, financed by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, was established in 2015 by International Organization for Migration (IOM) Vilnius office. International Organization for Migration (IOM), being a migration agency of United Nations, is the only international intergovernmental organization specifying in the field of migration. IOM is established in 1951 and currently consists of 172 member states worldwide.