finding work in the UK as an American with no visa qualifications

ok so after talking to people and doing tons of research, it seems next to impossible to find work permit sponsorship (i do web design) in order to get a visa, while still in America. I want to move to London early next year hopefully. I might just do a 3 month trial over there and just sublet my room here in NY b/c I dont know if i'll actually be able to stay there (ie find work) . I dont qualify for the HSMP and i dont have any UK ancestors, basically there's no way i qualify for a visa now.

I'm just wondering, has anyone moved over there with nothing and found a job and work sponsorship once they were there? I'm getting in touch with some places now for a week long trip in Nov over there but i'm not sure what my chances are of getting work until i live there. sorry if this is vague or weird. thanks for any input at all!

Good luck; its next to impossible. If companies in the UK wanted to hire you, they must prove that no one else in the UK and the *ENTIRE* EU can do the job that you applied for.

As a side note, if you just want to feel your way out over there and do not have a Masters, you can study over there full time and work legally part-time 20 hours per week.

Bets of luck!

yah i'm actually looking into MA programs as well. it's something i was kinda thinking about already and this has got me investigating it more.. but i wish it wasnt my only option for staying in London! thanks...

I'm not sure why you'd want to move here without a definite job opening or romantic interest here. London is no cooler (or more sophisticated) than most big cities in the States (take that from an American who's lived on both sides of the Atlantic). If you think a move abroad will change your life, maybe it will and maybe it won't--but only so far as where you live. If you're looking for an escape, remember:  No matter where you go, there you are. (You can run from yourself, but you cannot hide.)

Good luck rollerball; I think you will enjoy London alot. Studying is a great way to explore while you are there; you who knows: you could find better leads with jobs over there thru your college and if you choose to work part time. Let us know ho you get on and best wishes.

Of course, travel broadens the horizons.  Immigrants all over the world immigrate because they just don't want to be where they are.  Job or no job.  If you want to be in London and can find a way to legally (and morally) do it---GO FOR IT.  I did not move to Scotland for a job or for love.  I found both--though I was not looking.  I wanted to live there.  That was enough for me.  And if you want to live somewhere...well, as I said, that should be reason enough.

Good luck.  I fear that you may find it difficult without a job or love  interest (I'm not advocating a mail-order-spouse to get you there) but...where there's a will, there's a way....

yah i've just always wanted to live in London. i've been there many times and know i want to do this. i didnt know a love interest was kind of a requirement? but believe me, finding that and/or a job would be super. thanks for the help guys, i'll let you know how things go...

Just a reminder, though-

If you come to the UK on a visitor's visa (which you can technically do for up to 6 months) it is illegal for you to job hunt.  If you're caught, you can and will likely be deported, and coming back to the UK for any reason after that means you'll need to apply for and be granted a visa for a specific purpose.

Looks like a student visa is going to be the best option for you, I believe there are some which allow you to work a small number of hours per week, which would help you get your foot in the door work-wise.

Good luck!

Rollerball,

If you're just coming over on a visitor's visa then, as SAF said, you are not allowed to look for work while you're here.  If you're caught looking for work or working, you'll get in trouble and you'll have to answer for it every single time you want to return to the UK.

So, in my opinion, I think the best option for you is to secure your student visa first.  That way, you will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week while you're here.

Good luck!

ok so after talking to people and doing tons of research, it seems next to impossible to find work permit sponsorship (i do web design) in order to get a visa, while still in America.

You can certainly enter the UK as a visitor to attend job interviews.   Setting up a base of operations here from which to engage in job hunting, however, doesn't work. 

As a side-note, prospective employers would naturally be interested in your motivation for relocating - i.e., looking for something that substantially anchors you to the locale or culture more than wanting to live in London.  About 99.99% of the world would also like to live in London.  It might pay to spend some time thinking about a convincing rationale. 

wow ok yah it's looking like the student visa is the bet way to go for me. thanks for the info guys.

unfortunately, sometimes our dreams have small holes in them. 

so good luck with your choices!

it just seems like i'm not the only one who's wanted to do this before, there's gotta be ways to make this work? unles school is the only option for that...

no, you're not the only one.  I tried it before we got married a long time ago, tried to get my company to transfer me internally, that didn't work due to the visa and paperwork complications.  I had heads of a few companies try and help me....didn't work.

It's just tough.  But, there are plenty of people who were born and raised in the UK who can't work here, can't find jobs.  Why should we as foreigners assume just cause we want to pick up our lives and sign up for a change of pace...be able to do it.

As close as our countries are together in spirit and history.....we are still separate countries.  It sucks, and i dreampt of living in London for a long time before i met my husband...but i gave up on that dream.....until i found him. 

Anyway....good luck!

I wanted to be in Scotland.  With no job, no fiance or husband or ancestors to help light the way, I opted for school.  I was 27 when I landed in Edinburgh, a bit old for a student, but hey, it got me there (I had been attending uni on the slow route in the states, saving for a couple of years, going to school for a year...took forever that way but finally got a couple of degrees out of it), Studying in the UK for a year made me find out just how much I really wanted to be there and I made it work.  When I finished my year, I came back to the states, hurried up and got my degrees (in less than a year, full time) then went back on a BUNAC work visa (good for students and recent grads to work for 6 months in the UK).

While I was there for school, I had met my now DF, so I will soon have the spousal visa, though again, I would never suggest getting married just to live somewhere...

I guess my point is that if you choose to do a student visa to get there (and you can work 20 hours a week with one of those) it will open up other doors.  One of the doors it will open is to give you UK experience for your resume / CV, which can certainly help in future job hunts...it helped me land a great job.

Again, good luck.  There are options out there if you look for them...