US male wants to move in with UK female

Hello all.  I've been reading lots of posts and trying to get information from everywhere I can. I think I know the answers to my questions but just wanted to see if anyone had any additional tips. I'm an able body male that will be traveling to see a woman that I met on Words With Friends in the UK in the next month or two. We have been talking for quite a while and have aspirations to move in together and eventually be married. She has three children of her own and right now makes less than the 18600 £ minimum. She even receives a bit of a top off from the government to supplement her income. With her situation like it is does that mean that there's absolutely no way that I could move over there and eventually get married to her? I have no special skills. I have taught school I have a bachelor's degree I have worked in retail and customer service. We both believe the ideal situation would be that I come over and start working and living in my own separate place nearby and then eventually move in together and then be married. Are we disqualified from a fiance or spouse visa because she makes less than the minimum threshold? If I did come visit on a six-month Visa are there any jobs that I could do that would maybe help supplement the income but not qualify as work for the government? For instance here in the United States I also referee soccer but because I don't make enough money from it I do not usually have to report it as income. Is that something else that I could do over there? Maybe referee some side games to help out with bills? Any advice would be greatly appreciated thank you very much.

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She has three children of her own and right now makes less than the 18600 £ minimum. She even receives a bit of a top off from the government to supplement her income.

With her situation like it is does that mean that there's absolutely no way that I could move over there and eventually get married to her?

Unless she is unable to work much because she is disabled and is claiming the benefit DLA or its replacement PIP, or she can't work many hours because she is caring for a disabled person and claims CA, then she will not be able to sponsor you on her wages if she doesn't earn at least 18,600. If she wants to increase her hours to make the 18,600 to sponsor you then the state will help her with her childcare costs.

Do you have savings of £62.500? Or a house you can sell that will release capital of £62,500?

If I did come visit on a six-month Visa

The visitor stamp at the airport, is up to six months. You would have to show you had strong ties to the US so that you would not be a risk of overstaying your visit, such as a job to return to. You would also need to show  that you have the funds to support yourself while you visit the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents

are there any jobs that I could do that would maybe help supplement the income but not qualify as work for the government?

You are not allowed to work at all on a visitor visa. You wouldn't be allowed to work on a fiance visa either.

For instance here in the United States I also referee soccer but because I don't make enough money from it I do not usually have to report it as income. Is that something else that I could do over there? Maybe referee some side games to help out with bills?

No. No work at all on a visit to the UK.

Plus if you start helping her finacially then she will have to declare that money to the benefits agencies. I don't know how much she has told you, but with 3 children and earning less that 18k, she will be getting a lot of help from the state, not "a bit". She can't use benefits money to show she can support you for a visa unless she is unable to work many hours and is claiming DLA or PIP or CA.

Unless she is unable to work much because she is disabled and is claiming the benefit DLA or its replacement PIP, or she can't work many hours because she is caring for a disabled person and claims CA, then she will not be able to sponsor you on her wages if she doesn't earn at least 18,600. If she wants to increase her hours to make the 18,600 to sponsor you then the state will help her with her childcare costs.

Do you have savings of £62.500? Or a house you can sell that will release capital of £62,500?

The visitor stamp at the airport, is up to six months. You would have to show you had strong ties to the US so that you would not be a risk of overstaying your visit, such as a job to return to. You would also need to show  that you have the funds to support yourself while you visit the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents [nofollow]

You are not allowed to work at all on a visitor visa. You wouldn't be allowed to work on a fiance visa either.

No. No work at all on a visit to the UK.

Plus if you start helping her finacially then she will have to declare that money to the benefits agencies. I don't know how much she has told you, but with 3 children and earning less that 18k, she will be getting a lot of help from the state, not "a bit". She can't use benefits money to show she can support you for a visa, unless she is claiming DLA or PIP or CA.

No I don't own a house or have much in savings. I'm working hard to make extra money to go visit her and eventually want to stay there.  I don't want to be a burden to anyone and am obviously able to work. Right now her income comes from the father of the kids and then the top off that she receives. She wants to work but at this time by being by herself if she works she then may lose her assistance from the government yet a good portion of her wages would have to be used to get day care for the kids while she's working so it's not in her best interests to work. Ironically it seems that it is more beneficial to her to not work and take the government assistance.

So from what I am reading either she  needs to find a good paying job that gets her over the 18,600£ and in the meantime I can try to find any job that would I think the term is sponsor me. Am I right ? Any other suggestions?

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I'm working hard to make extra money to go visit her and eventually want to stay there.  I don't want to be a burden to anyone and am obviously able to work.

The problem is that it's not that simple. You can't just move to the UK because you want to and because you 'can' work. You need to get a visa first.

You also can't just come to live with your partner - you would need to get married If you were able to qualify for a fiance or spousal visa, you would either need to marry within 6 months (fiance visa) or already be married before you applied (spousal visa).

Your visa options would be:

Tier 2 Sponsored Work Visa: (https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/overview)
In order for a UK company to sponsor you for a visa to work for them, they must show that either:
a) The job is listed on the Tier 2 Skills Shortage list, at the appropriate salary
or
b) That they have advertised the job for a minimum length of time across the UK and all other 26 EU countries (that's 500 million people) and could not find a single suitable applicant before they can hire you.

With unemployment still fairly high and so many people in the EU, you're very unlikely to be able to get a sponsored work visa unless you have very specialised skills or you work in a shortage occupation.

Tier 4 Student visa: (https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/overview)
- you could come to the UK to study for another degree. However, this is a very expensive option... you would need about $30,000 available to you for the first year of tuition and living expenses in order to qualify for the visa

Fiance/Spousal visa: (https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview)
- you would need to either be getting married (and be planning a UK wedding) for a fiance visa or already married for a spousal visa
- she would need to meet the income requirement. Child maintenance can be used towards Category C: Non-Employment Income, but it sounds like it won't be enough since she has other benefits and those benefits likely can't be counted towards the £18,600
- Do you have any non-employment income in the US (rent from property you own, interest from stocks and shares etc.), or a 401K that could be used for the savings requirement?

She wants to work but at this time by being by herself if she works she then may lose her assistance from the government yet a good portion of her wages would have to be used to get day care for the kids while she's working so it's not in her best interests to work.

Neither of those statements are true.

She won't be using all her wages for childcare as the government will pay up to 70% of that cost and it is soon to be up to 80%. She claims that through her Tax Credits benefit.

Some of the childcare might already be free, depending on the ages of her children.
https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32896284

She won't lose her benefits if she worked. She would have more money if she worked.  i.e. if she works just 16 hours a week she will be able to get the benefit Working Tax Credits too. Work 30 hours a week and she will get more Working Tax Credit as there is an additional element (more benefits) for working 30 hours plus.

When she is moved on the new benefit system in two years time, she won't have a choice as she will have to work at least 20 hours a week anyway if her youngest child is age between 1 ands 12.  35 hours a week when the youngest becomes a teenager.

Ironically it seems that it is more beneficial to her to not work and take the government assistance. 

That's not true. She will have more money if she works, as I explained above. Have a play with this. The money she receives for the children from their father, does not lower her benefits. That money is extra to her benefits.
http://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/startcalc.aspx

Once her youngest child is age 5 she will have to  work anyway or will be going to the job centre and going on work experience. In about two years time she will be moved onto the new benefits system called Universal Credit and will have to start looking for work from when the youngest child is age 1.

So from what I am reading either she  needs to find a good paying job that gets her over the 18,600£ and in the meantime I can try to find any job that would I think the term is sponsor me. Am I right ? Any other suggestions?

As you have said you don't have any special skills, you won't find a company to sponsor you. it has to be a graduate job or one on the UK job's shortages list anyway for a work visa.

Either she gets a job and sponsors you or you sponsor her to the US. She can do more than 1 job to reach 18,600 and the minimum hourly wage in the UK is £7.20. You can use 3rd party sponsorship to sponsor her

You say you have taught school.  Does that mean you are a licensed teacher?  What subject?  If you teach math or science, there's a good chance you could get a sponsored visa.

She'll lose her benefits when you marry, as that is why the visa threshold is set at £18,600.  Lots for you guys to think about!

She'll lose her benefits when you marry, as that is why the visa threshold is set at £18,600.  Lots for you guys to think about!

The 18,600 is the Working part of Tax Credits. The couple rate cap for that is about 18k for that benefit, hence why, as you said, the sponsorship rate is set at 18,600.  Although that couple rate for benefits ends under the welfare reforms for most people anyway when Tax Credits is replaced by Universal Credit.

The benefits for 3 children (Child Tax Credits) won't stop unill they earn about 35k between them. That cap will be higher if they both work and have childcare costs.  Although from next April this benefit is being limited to 2 children (for any extra children added to the claim or new claims). This 2 child limit on a claim applies to that relevant part of the replacement benefit, Universal Credit, too. A change to her claim (like having a partner) will lose any transitional protection if she has already been moved onto Universal Credit.

They will be able to claim Child Benefit until one of the couple earns 60k.

Maybe some Housing Benefit too, although that benefit is one of the benefits that is being frozen for 4 years from this month.

Okay so here is the next question if she starts working and get paid the 7.2 £ per hour and works 20 hours per week because she has the kids and she wants to be there for them. Can she use her working tax credit that she would get from the government as part of the minimum requirement to get to the 18600 £ ?

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Okay so here is the next question if she starts working and get paid the 7.2 £ per hour and works 20 hours per week because she has the kids and she wants to be there for them. Can she use her working tax credit that she would get from the government as part of the minimum requirement to get to the 18600 £ ?

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No, WTC cannot be used to meet the income requirement.

Can income she receives from her ex as support for the children be used as part of the 18,600£?

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You say you have taught school.  Does that mean you are a licensed teacher?  What subject?  If you teach math or science, there's a good chance you could get a sponsored visa.

She'll lose her benefits when you marry, as that is why the visa threshold is set at £18,600.  Lots for you guys to think about!

Yes I have my bachelor's degree in education. Here in the US each state then has its own certification requirement so my Florida certificate that has since lapsed would not be worth much in UK I would imagine. So by me having a degree would that be the best way to go?

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Yes, she can count maintenance she receives from her ex towards the requirement.

If you are a math or science teacher, you may have a bit of luck finding a sponsor for a job.  Work visas are difficult to obtain, but not impossible.