Need lots of Advice! Oregon to UK by myself

Lots of people get Tier 2 visas.  Typically people with about 10 years specialised experience.  The company tends to seek them versus the employee seeking the company.  Nursing and teaching are the exceptions (only specific spealised nurses and teachers though).  And both of those professions are very tough working conditions in the UK (low pay, heavy work load).

The only students I've seen be successful to transitioning to a Tier 2 are those who work internships during their studies and make themselves invaluable to the company they are working for.  But MAN, a foreign degree is insanely expensive.  Make sure it's in a field you want to be in and that it's transferable back to the US.

Hi Meg,

Welcome to the forum.  As you can see, there is lots of helpful advice from people who've "been there done that..", so don't be afraid to ask.  The visa thing is a difficult nut to crack, but it can be done.  I wish you the best of luck.

You mentioned you like British comedies, do you have a favourite? 

garth marenghi's darkplace is my favorite.  my 7th grade history teacher was from wales. he had vhs tapes of ab fab, mr. bean, etc... that he had recorded back home.  since i was a teachers pet, and he could tell my sense of humor was more british than american, he gave me those tapes and i've loved british comedy ever since.

this whole process is so discouraging, but i have the drive to do it, cause i know the UK is where i belong.  i've known that since i was a kid and i did a course in high wycombe (probably even before that). 

so right now my two options i'm looking into are:
- applying to a course and going on a student visa (which i would need to figure out which course would give me the best chance of finding in country work, if anyone has any suggestions)
 
or

- going as a visitor for 6 months and looking for potential work, then returning to the states to apply for a work visa before moving.

advice?

You definitely need to choose a course to study that interests you.  We can't help you there!  You can always look at the shortage occupations list to give some ideas.

As education is so incredibly expensive (and you'll be looking at a September 2018 start date), I'd really encourage you to figure out what you want to be for your career, and then go from there.  What is your current field?

Oh High Wycombe, you say?? I worked at Wycombe Abbey School for two years some years back. I was on the (now defunct) Post Study Work visa. I then became a Physics teacher because a) I like Physics and b) it was on the shortage occupation list.

Remember that living is not the same as visiting. I too would recommend an extended visit, even though that will not tell you what everyday life is actually like (paying bills, weekly shop, commuting to work). Life can sound glamorous, but it isn't. If you're trying to escape, it probably won't work...

Good luck.

You definitely need to choose a course to study that interests you.  We can't help you there!  You can always look at the shortage occupations list to give some ideas.

As education is so incredibly expensive (and you'll be looking at a September 2018 start date), I'd really encourage you to figure out what you want to be for your career, and then go from there.  What is your current field?

Exactly this. If you're going to spend such high amounts of money, you'll want to pick something you enjoy as it's not a guarantee that it's a ticket to moving here and you don't want to end up going through all that if it's not the outcome you've hoped it would be. If it turned out you were unsuccessful in finding a job after your studies, you'd at least want the degree to e something you're interested in and want to pursue so you could make use of the money you spent. (Obviously hoping for the best but you need to plan for the worst just in case - at least that would be my though process). Agree that if you don't mind what you study and just want something useful, I would say to check the shortage list and go for there as a starting point - if the education route is the way you're looking at going.

well my "visit" last month was not like a vacation.  i first went to the Isle of Wight festival as "staff" (unpaid, just got the wristband for free entry and camping in the staff area).  helped set up one of the stages and such.  then i stayed with a friend who showed me normal life in the southern area (southampton, brighton, etc...).  only did one day of "tourist" type stuff. we had to buy him a new car, went grocery shopping, had to deal with some insurance stuff on the new car, etc... it was not a typical visit.

but i loved every minute of it. 

my current degree is in film production, and i have 3 years of experience in hospice care, which i loved, so either of those fields are an option for me.

well my "visit" last month was not like a vacation.  i first went to the Isle of Wight festival as "staff" (unpaid, just got the wristband for free entry and camping in the staff area).  helped set up one of the stages and such. 

Unpaid work is not permitted as a visitor either.

It is different when you live somewhere.  But that doesn't mean you won't love it.

Ksand, our resident visa guru is British and has an interesting journey in wanting to live in the USA.

Just so you don't get caught out in the future, you aren't allowed to volunteer on a visitor visa.

It is different when you live somewhere.  But that doesn't mean you won't love it.

I would agree with this as well! I think you'll still love it for sure! But it is totally different. When I would come visit my husband when we were dating, we wouldn't do all the tourist stuff all the time, we'd just do the normal "play house and enjoy each other's company and see friends" but it was different once I moved here. Was still enjoyable for sure! But definitely different so that is worth noting (just wanting to set the realistic expectation so you don't assume it will be the exact same as you last trip)

Carers are very in demand right now, but unfortunately the salaries would be too low for Tier 2.

I agree with the others: Moving to a place is always different than visiting, no matter what you do on your visit. Once it stops being an adventure and becomes just your life, then you start to notice the little things in a way you never did before.

Unpaid work is not permitted as a visitor either.

i wasn't "working".  my friend got a free staff wristband for selling tickets and gave it to me.  i happen to be there a day before the festival started and helped paint some stuff for the stage.  so at no point was i "working", just hanging out with friends painting crap   he's the one who worked to get the staff band for me.

i wasn't "working".  my friend got a free staff wristband for selling tickets and gave it to me.  i happen to be there a day before the festival started and helped paint some stuff for the stage.  so at no point was i "working", just hanging out with friends painting crap   he's the one who worked to get the staff band for me.

It doesn't matter if you were 'working' or not - any kind of work-like activity, whether paid or unpaid, is illegal on a visitor visa, including unpaid volunteering. So painting stuff for the stage at a festival while wearing a staff wristband would be considered illegal working for immigration purposes. Even something as trivial as babysitting for a friend while you're here is illegal!

has anyone ever used Aquarius Abroad here?  i just found their info.

The only students I've seen be successful to transitioning to a Tier 2 are those who work internships during their studies and make themselves invaluable to the company they are working for. 

Under present rules, students who were on a Tier 4 (student visa), can have an employer sponsored Tier 2 General (work) visa that doesn't need a RLMT (Resident Labour Market Test). We don't know how long that not needing a RLMT, wil continue and it can't be relied upon by foreign students studying in the UK. MAC has already advised the government that they should stop doing that.

The easiet route to British citizenship now, is the spouse visa. Quite a few seem to meet online.