Planning Phase for UK stay.

 ::)Hi everyone
I am a writer and I will be coming to the UK to research my book as well as spend time getting the feel of the country and its people for that process. We have a friend in Kent, but we hope to stay 6 months to a year, depending on the how the book takes shape. That length of time is way to long to mooch off of a friend or even a relative if one can help it. Therefore we will looking for a place to rent/lease and vehicle to rent/or lease during that time so we can move about the country and surrounding. We certainly are planning for rail, bicycle, and hiking travel as well.

If you are a US citizen you are only able to visit the UK for 6 months at a time.

Hi there, and welcome to the forum .

Before you start looking into where to stay/how to get around, it's a good idea to figure out whether what you propose to do is actually legal in terms of immigration laws.

As Fruitgum has said, you can only stay in the UK as a visitor for a maximum of 6 months in any 12-month period... so your plan to stay for up to a year won't be possible.

Also, as a visitor, you cannot carry out any kind of work while in the UK, whether paid or unpaid, or for a US or UK company, so if you are a published writer and you will be making money from the book you are working on when it has been published, then it will actually be illegal for you to work on/write it while in the UK unless you have a work visa or other visa that allows you to work here.

In order for you to be allowed into the UK as a visitor for up to 6 months, you need to prove that you will leave within 6 months (return ticket), that you will not work in any capacity while in the UK, that you have enough money available to you in order to support yourself without working while in the UK (for 6 months, they would expect you to have a few thousand dollars available), and that you have a life, a home and a job to return to in the US, which will prevent you from trying to stay in the UK.

See here for information about what requirements you need to meet as a visitor and what documents you will need to show: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/general/

That won't be a problem we can come more than once in 3-6month intervals. Our friends would like that.
Money won't be a problem.
I will look into the Visa.
Thanks for the info.

That won't be a problem we can come more than once in 3-6month intervals. Our friends would like that.

That's fine, but just be aware that each time you come back to the UK, you will have to prove that you are a genuine visitor and that you haven't or won't have spent more than 6 months in the UK in the last 12 months. It's not guaranteed that you will be let into the UK each time.

If the immigration officer feels you have spent too much time in the UK or that you are not a genuine visitor (i.e. are trying to live in the UK without a visa or will be working while you're here), they can refuse you entry and send you back to the US on the next plane home.

I will look into the Visa.

Just out of curiosity, which visa are you planning on looking into?

A work visa can be almost impossible to qualify for as you need to be sponsored by a UK company in order to get one and the company must prove there isn't anyone in the whole of the UK or EU capable of doing the job before they can hire you (and there are 500 million people in the EU). With unemployment so high right now and there being so many applicants per vacancy, it would be hard to find a job that no UK/EU citizen is suitable for.

Alternatively, there are a few 'shortage occupation' jobs for which you can get a visa more easily, but they are very specific in terms of job title and salary (such as medical consultants, science teachers, research scientists, etc.), or if you work for a US company with offices in the UK, you may be able to qualify for an Intra-Company Transfer visa.

The other options for a visa would be coming to the UK as a student to study for a degree, or falling in love with and marrying a UK or EU citizen and moving to the UK to be with them (I'm assuming you're not in a relationship with a UK/EU citizen though).

Do you (or your spouse/partner, assuming that's who you mean by 'we') have any claim to UK or EU citizenship (i.e. through parents/relatives)? If you could qualify for a UK or EU passport, you wouldn't have to worry about a visa for the UK.