only going to london for 3 months

hi, im planning on visiting london for 3 months but im also planning on working and finding a flat mate while im there. given the circumstances, do i need a visa or work permit since its such a short period of time? i looked on several websites and im so confused. any help would be much, much appreciated.

You are not able to work without a visa no matter how long you are staying.

Helena

so i assume the only way to go about it is to get a job in london and have my employer apply for a work permit for me? or is there a certain visa i can apply for on my own? im looking newcomer link: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/ [nonactive] and i really dont see any others that would apply to my situation.

thank you for all your help i realize answering my horribly simple questions must seem a bit tidious.

You are not able to work without a visa no matter how long you are staying.

Helena

Yep

If you're only going to be here for three months, you're not going to get a work permit.  The paperwork is expensive and no employer will front that money if they're only going to get three months' work out of you.     You would also need a work permit before entering the UK, and that can be a lengthy process.

Are you a recent college grad?  If so, you might want to look into the BUNAC program.

The process to work in the UK as a US citizen:

1) A company in the UK applies for you to get the work permit.  In order to do this, they have to prove that no one in the UK (and possibly the EU) can do the job.  There is a LOT of paperwork and it's expensive.
2)  The Home Office finally (usually after several weeks) gives them the work permit which they will forward to you.
3) Then you have to apply for an Entry Clearance to get into the UK...this is by applying to a consulate (NYC for example).  This also costs quite a bit of cash and takes about 9 days if you send it off.  It requires a bit of paperwork as well!

This is why you will have a hard time getting a work permit for 3 months to come to the UK.  In fact it's just very difficult to get a work permit full stop!

May we ask why you want to come here for 3 months?

my intention for the trip is essentially a holiday (for an indefinite amount of time, i just chose 3 months to give you lot something to work with) but it would be much easier to simply work while im there than to have to save up for my trip ahead of time.

my intention for the trip is essentially a holiday (for an indefinite amount of time, i just chose 3 months to give you lot something to work with) but it would be much easier to simply work while im there than to have to save up for my trip ahead of time.

Well, it wouldn't be much of a holiday if you were working, would it?

Plus - it would be illegal, as has been mentioned already.

If you're a Commonwealth citizen (Canda, etc) then you can apply for a working holidaymakers visa.  But I'm assuming you're American, in which case, what everyone else told you was correct.

I think I've read every possible post on this web site (and nearly every other government/official/unofficial web site there is.)  Not a professional of any sort, I can help you find the information you need.  However (to reiterate what others have said above) noting that you want to go for a relatively limited amount of time, its probably better just to save up. As another poster said,  company's wont invest in someone who will stay such a short amount of time.  If you go over there and work under the table or illegally, you could jeopardize yourself as you could be refused admittance into the UK.  If you really want to travel (and I've backpacked nearly everywhere), there are always low cost options (like hostels) and cheap ways to get by even in the most expensive of places.  Also, not working gives you the option of leaving and going from place to place of your own accord.

With that in mind, below find some information that you might find helpful on your quest.

1) Recently Delara posted an excellent summary of the different ways to get a work permit.  You cannot get a visa/work permit without:

a) a student or within 6 months of your university graduation through www.Bunac.org and this visa is only valid for 6 mo.

b) an allowed "repeat offender" to the above organisation

c) married to a UK citizen having gone through all the proper channels

d) highly skilled and have an HSMP

d.1) highly skilled in a job that is in desparate need (i.e. nurses, doctors and teachers with proper qualifications)

e) not highly skilled and get that Hospitality visa (only allowed to work low wage hospitality jobs) -- not sure if this visa is still offered

f) highly skilled and sponsored by a company

g) transfered by your present company

h) can prove you support yourself as an artist/writer/musician etc

i) have dual citizenship with a Commonwealth country and get a WHV (working holiday visa)

j) ancestral ties (parents/grandparents)

k) born in the UK but grew up in US, thus able to get a passport

l) born in any other EU country, thus able to get a passport in said country and work in UK

m) oh yeah: enrolled in university in the UK and thus given a student visa (restrictions on how much you can work)

The Home Office web site is another great source of information, though the navigation is a bit strange.  Through this link, you can get to the information on the different schemes available:  http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/schemes_and_programmes.html?

Good luck.