United Kingdom vs United States

Companies in the UK register with Companies House, usually as a private limited company (Ltd). Registration is quick and online; you then register for Corporation Tax with HMRC and, where applicable, VAT and PAYE.

There is no federal company registry in the U.S. — you form a company (usually an LLC or C-corporation) at the state level, most often in your home state or Delaware. Formation is fast and online in most states; you then obtain a federal EIN from the IRS for tax and banking.

The UK has established high-street banks and a strong digital-bank sector (Monzo, Starling, Revolut). Newcomers can open accounts, though proof of a UK address can be a hurdle; digital banks are often easier initially. The FCA and PRA regulate banks.

To open a U.S. business bank account you generally need an EIN, your formation documents, ownership / beneficial-owner information, and ID for the signers. Banks run KYC (identity) and anti-money-laundering checks. Requirements vary by bank, business structure and owner residency. Non-residents can often open an account, but some banks require a U.S. address, a U.S. phone number, or an in-person visit. Personal accounts follow similar identity checks but use personal ID and a Social Security Number (SSN) or ITIN.

The UK is open to foreign investment, promoted by the Office for Investment (Department for Business and Trade). Most sectors need no approval, but the National Security and Investment Act lets the government screen deals in sensitive areas. There are no exchange controls, so profits repatriate freely; incentives include R&D reliefs and freeports.

The U.S. welcomes foreign direct investment — starting a company, expanding, acquiring a business, or building manufacturing/R&D/logistics operations. There is no single federal approval office: SelectUSA promotes investment at the federal level, most incentives are offered by state and local agencies, and some deals are reviewed by CFIUS for national security. Public-company filings are free on SEC EDGAR, and FDI statistics are published by the BEA.

The UK taxes income (Income Tax and National Insurance) and levies VAT on most goods and services, administered by HMRC. UK tax residents are generally taxed on worldwide income; the tax year runs 6 April to 5 April.

The U.S. taxes federal income (IRS) plus state and often local taxes; rates vary by state and some have no income tax. U.S. citizens and residents are taxed on worldwide income — the U.S. is unusual in taxing citizens who live abroad. Businesses file federal and state returns.

Most workers use the Skilled Worker visa, which requires a job offer from a Home Office-licensed sponsor, a role at the required skill level, and a salary at or above the applicable threshold. The visa is points-based and administered by UK Visas and Immigration.

Most people work in the U.S. on an employer-sponsored nonimmigrant visa such as the H-1B (specialty occupation, capped and lottery-based), L-1 (intra-company transfer) or O-1 (extraordinary ability). Almost all routes require a U.S. employer to petition for you with USCIS; there is no general 'work visa' you can apply for on your own.

The UK Student visa (formerly Tier 4) lets you study at a licensed student sponsor. Once you accept an unconditional offer your university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), valid for six months from issue. You apply online on GOV.UK with financial evidence and usually an approved English test, and pay the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives NHS access. You can apply up to six months before the course starts.

Full-time study in the United States generally needs an F-1 student visa (M-1 for vocational study). An SEVP-certified school admits you and issues a Form I-20; you then pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, complete the DS-160 and attend a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate. You must show funds for tuition and living costs and ties to your home country.

Most short visits to the UK use the Standard Visitor route, usually up to 6 months. Visa-exempt nationals must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; visa nationals apply for a Standard Visitor visa online in advance. Visitors cannot work or claim public funds.

Short visits to the United States use the B-1/B-2 visitor visa, unless you qualify for the Visa Waiver Program — nationals of participating countries travel for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA instead. B-visa applicants complete Form DS-160 and attend an interview at a US embassy or consulate. Visitor status never permits employment.

The UK equivalent of permanent residence is Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), usually available after five years on a qualifying visa (e.g. Skilled Worker), meeting residence, English and Life in the UK test requirements. ILR allows living and working without time limit.

U.S. permanent residence (a green card) comes through family, employment, investment (EB-5), the diversity lottery or humanitarian routes. Employment green cards (EB-1/2/3) usually require an employer and labor certification, and priority-date backlogs can be long.

British citizenship by naturalization usually requires holding ILR (settlement) for at least 12 months, five years' lawful UK residence, good character, and passing the Life in the UK test and English requirement. The UK allows dual citizenship.

U.S. citizenship by naturalization generally requires five years as a green-card holder (three if married to a U.S. citizen), continuous residence, good moral character, and passing English and civics tests. Those born in the U.S. are citizens by birth.

UK employment gives workers and employees statutory rights — the National Minimum/Living Wage, 5.6 weeks' paid holiday, and protection from unfair dismissal after two years — enforced via employment tribunals, with Acas providing guidance. You should get a written statement of terms from day one.

US employment is generally 'at-will' — either side can end it — but federal law (the FLSA via the Department of Labor) sets minimum wage and overtime, and the EEOC enforces anti-discrimination rules. There is no federal statutory paid annual leave; states add their own protections, so your state matters.

UK traders move goods using an EORI number and declare them to HMRC. You classify goods by commodity code to find the duty and VAT, check any licences or controls, and submit customs declarations (often via an agent) through the Customs Declaration Service. Since Brexit, EU trade also needs declarations; binding tariff rulings come from HMRC.

US importers and exporters clear goods through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You file entries under an importer number, classify goods by HTS code to find the duty rate, meet any partner-agency rules (FDA, USDA…), and pay duties. Exports follow the Export Administration Regulations; binding tariff rulings and disputes go through CBP.

UK trademarks are registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). You search the register, file an application specifying classes, and it publishes for a two-month opposition period before registration. A UK trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; the IPO also handles patents and registered designs, with copyright arising automatically.

US trademarks are registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). You search the register for conflicts, file an application specifying goods/services classes, and respond to examination before it publishes for opposition and registers. Registration lasts 10 years and is renewable; patents go through the USPTO and copyright through the Copyright Office.

The UK's official job-search service is Find a job, run by the DWP, though much hiring happens on commercial boards and company sites. For non-UK/Irish nationals the real gate is not the job board but the sponsor: most roles require a work visa with a licensed sponsor issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship, so an employer without a licence cannot hire you however good the fit. Employers must also check your right to work, and you may need to provide a share code.

There is no single national job board for the US private sector — hiring is spread across company sites and commercial boards, so anyone looking for one official place to search will not find it. What does exist officially is split by sector: CareerOneStop, run by the Department of Labor, is the hub for job search, training and career tools, while USAJOBS covers federal-government roles. Foreign nationals generally need work authorisation in place before taking up a job, not after finding one.

A UK employer search built only around large listed companies misses the biggest employer in the country: the NHS, and the wider public sector alongside it, are among the largest employers in the UK and typically recruit through their own services rather than only appearing on general boards. On the private side, big firms are usually London Stock Exchange listed, and the GOV.UK Find a job service is the official board to search. As everywhere, applications belong on the employer's own verified careers page.

There is no official ranked list of top US employers, and the ones circulating online are commercial or editorial rather than authoritative. The reliable approach is to build your own list from three official sources: filter the CareerOneStop job board by employer to see who is actually hiring, use SelectUSA to see which sectors and regions are growing and which major investors are behind them, and treat stock listings as a proxy for scale, since the largest private employers are generally listed on the NYSE or Nasdaq. Because no central list exists, fake employer pages and fake recruiters fill the gap, so applications belong on the company's own verified careers domain.

The UK Civil Service is unusually open to non-nationals by international standards. Under the Civil Service Nationality Rules, UK nationals can apply for any post and about three-quarters of posts are also open to Commonwealth citizens and EEA nationals, with reserved posts — security and intelligence roles and similar — restricted to UK nationals. What catches people out is that nationality is only one of three separate gates: you also need the right to work in the UK and must pass the security checks the post requires, and clearing one of the three says nothing about the other two. Vacancies are advertised on Civil Service Jobs.

US federal jobs are posted on USAJOBS, and the citizenship question turns on a distinction most applicants have never heard of: under Executive Order 11935 most competitive-service positions are restricted to US citizens and nationals, while some excepted-service roles and agencies can hire non-citizens in limited circumstances. The useful question is therefore not whether foreigners can work for the federal government, but which service a specific posting sits in. State and local governments fall outside all of this and run their own recruitment under their own rules.

The UK's wage floor is age-tiered, not a single rate: the National Living Wage applies from age 21, while the National Minimum Wage covers younger workers and apprentices — so your entitlement depends on age and apprenticeship status. Rates are updated each April, which makes the timing predictable. For official earnings data the Office for National Statistics publishes two series worth knowing apart: Average Weekly Earnings and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

US pay is largely market-set, with the federal minimum wage as the legal floor — and that floor has been USD 7.25/hour since 2009, so in much of the country it is no longer the operative number. Many states and cities set higher minimums, and where they do, the higher rate applies. For earnings by occupation and area, use the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS rather than crowd-sourced salary sites. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces minimum wage and overtime under the FLSA.

The UK's flagship international scholarships are Chevening (funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, for one-year master's) and the Commonwealth Scholarships (for Commonwealth-country students), alongside GREAT Scholarships and many university awards. Explore options on the Study UK / British Council site and apply by each scheme's deadline.

There is no single US government scholarship for all international students — funding is mostly institutional (university assistantships, fellowships and merit aid) plus flagship programs like the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. Start with EducationUSA advising and each university's financial-aid office, and apply early because deadlines are often a year ahead.

To study in the UK you apply through UCAS for undergraduate courses or directly to universities for postgraduate study. Once you accept an offer, the university issues a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), which you use to apply for the Student visa (paying the Immigration Health Surcharge and showing funds). Explore courses on Study UK and apply by each deadline.

To study in the US you apply directly to each university, and once accepted the school issues a Form I-20 that lets you get an F-1 student visa (pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and attend a consular interview). Use EducationUSA advising to shortlist schools, and apply about a year ahead because admission and funding deadlines are early.

The UK places no restriction on foreigners buying property. In England, tenancies are open-ended assured periodic tenancies since 1 May 2026 — assured shorthold tenancies and section 21 “no-fault” eviction are abolished. Agents must run a Right to Rent check, and the tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent and protected in a government scheme. Buyers use a solicitor/conveyancer, register at HM Land Registry and pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, with a 2% surcharge for non-UK residents.

The United States places no restriction on foreigners renting or buying a home. Renting usually means a credit/income check and a security deposit (commonly one to two months' rent, capped by many states). Buyers use a realtor and a title/escrow company; non-resident buyers can get a mortgage but typically need a larger down payment. Annual property tax is set locally.

The UK's National Health Service is mostly free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident. Most visa holders staying six months or more pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with their visa application, which then lets them use the NHS on the same basis as residents. Some services still carry charges — prescriptions, dental and eye tests in England. Note that holding private insurance does not exempt you from the IHS.

The US has no universal public healthcare. Most people are covered through an employer plan or buy coverage on the ACA Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, with Medicare for those 65+ and Medicaid for low-income residents under state-varying rules. Foreign nationals usually rely on employer or private insurance; lawfully-present immigrants can buy Marketplace plans but typically wait five years for Medicaid or Medicare. Care is very costly without coverage.

In the UK, National Insurance contributions are deducted from your pay and fund the State Pension and certain benefits — so your NI record matters for what you can claim later, not just as a tax line. Private insurance (motor, home, life, travel) comes from firms regulated by the FCA for conduct and the PRA for prudential soundness. Two policies are compulsory: motor third-party insurance and employers' liability insurance. Check any firm is authorised on the FCA Register before buying.

US insurance has two layers that answer to different authorities. Federal social insurance — Social Security and Medicare — is funded by FICA payroll taxes and administered by the Social Security Administration. Almost everything else you buy (auto, home, life) is regulated by your state, not federally. Auto liability insurance is mandatory in almost every state, and to check an insurer is licensed you go to your state insurance department, whose directory is on the NAIC site.