help i'm new and lost

Hello out there
I'm hoping that there is someone out there who can help me. First of all how do you use this site. I've never done the chat room/forum thing and am not sure how to just get a message out there? So, here's my story...hope someone is listening. This month will be 2 years since I met the wonderful brit-boy. I've just finished a four month study abroad session in spain and am now completely and totally done with university. I have 2 degrees collecting dust as i sit here in England. The stamp in my passport says i can stay for 6 months as long as i don't work. Well, i need to work and i would like to stay longer if i can. THis is not my first time to england...we've been doing this for two years now. He is in his first year of teaching and well...i'm at an in between point so it only makes sense that i chill here until we decid what's next. I'm losing hope. Is there anyway I can change my status to get a work permit....even if it is only for the 6 month duration? Customs did give me a little bit of an interrogation (i have lots of stamps from england already).  I just think that if i leave we will be done. I'm really tired and don't know how much more my heart can take! someone out there has to understand.....  Any help or advice would be fabulous. It appears to be that since i'm already in the country there is not much i can do. Say it aint so!!

the worried american bird

A personal question; you don't need to answer. What are your brit-boy's intentions? If he were to propose marriage, proper ring and set dates and everything, you could fly to New York and get a fiance visa. If he has no intention of taking things further, then you'll have to find some different options...and that might include going back to the US, I'm afraid. Sorry for incomplete answer...others can answer far better than I on this aspect.

not really sure about all that just yet. marriage is a little to much for us right now. i do have a feeling that going back home would be my only option. thanks for your help. please let me know if you hear anything else about changing or getting a work visa once someone has already entered the country.
american bird

Are you sure you're totally done with university life? If you were to get accepted on a full time course (big drawback = international student fees which are horrific) then you could stay here on a student visa and work legally for 20 hours a week. BUT (there always is one, isn't there?) you have to be able to prove to the university that you can support yourself without working. The way I did it was to take out some pretty big student loans (a Stafford loan for the total amount allowed a graduate student plus a private loan) totalling 10k (GBP) in living expenses plus tuition. Then I moved in with my boyfriend so we could decide if our long distance romance was for real and now we're getting married in October and I'll be applying for a Further Leave To Remain visa (spousal) which will allow me to work full time which in turn will allow me to finish my degree part time (and on home student rates.)

Did that make sense?

Good luck, I've been there and I know what a hard situation it is!!

LisaE and AnneG have both pretty much covered the options that I'm aware of.  Marriage is a big step, but sometimes it's an easier one then spending months apart.  Just wanted to wish you good luck.

wench

Yep just wanted to agree with what the others have said. You could look into getting an employer sponsored work visa but that is harder - you have to be outside the UK when you apply and the employer has to show they can't get anyone here to do the job. Having said that I do know someone who was able to get sponsored as a teacher of English as a Foregin Language. if that is something you might be interested in doing, you can do a short course (6 weeks I think) which gets you the qualification and then you're away! Good luck

 Hello Britwife!!!
That is actually right up my alley...rather it can be. I have just finished my second BA. I have one in Liberal Studies and another in Spanish. I have been interested in doing that sort of thing although my first choice is to teach elementary school. (don't have the qualifications for that just yet). So, if you could give me any information you have I would greatly appreciate it! It's the breath of fresh air I needed...was starting to lose hope. Just to be clear--i can do the course here in the UK and apply for the visa from here as well or does it require me to return to the motherland?
thanks again!
chrissy (americanbird)

Hi Chrissy

The course you need to do is the Cambridge TOEFL, there are lots of places here you can do it, i think it costs about £1000 and they can probably tell you how easy/hard it is to get a job/visa at the end too. I think you might have to leave the UK to get the visa though. You could try some of the language schools in your area for more detailed  info.

Liz