work first, or residency?

Just a question for those who are moving/have moved already... does it make more sense to attempt to find a job, get a work permit, and then move over, or would it be simpler to try and get some sort of residency visa, and then come over? I'm moving over in a year, and all the visa/ work permit info confuses me enough to make me wonder which is easier! It seems thework permit route is the best way to go, but does that allow you residency rights as well? In other words, I can rent an apartment, set up a bank account, even apply for citizenship! Sorry for all the questions but I really am starting from ground zero now!

If you don't apply for a work permit, what other type of visa would you want to apply for?  Are you in a relationship with a Brit, etc.?

yea my boyfriend is english, and we plan on getting an apartment together next summer when I move over, so I guess I thought my other option would be some sort or residency visa. It sounds to me as if it would be harder to just get a visa to go live there, but I am afraid I couldnt find a job right away to get a work permit...and also with the work permits, I don't know if that is enough to entitle me to legally enter a lease for a flat, etc....sorry Im just terribly confused about this!

Visas in general are not that easy to get, to be honest. There have been posts about this elsewhere, but essentially to get a work permit you need to find an employer who's willing to go through the legal hoops involved (which usually seem to have to involve a laywer) and prove that they must hire you at the expense of a British or EU citizen because you are so uniquely qualified (or apparently there are highly skilled migrant work visas as well if you're in a field that is in high demand.) For instance, I was once offered a job being a sales rep. for a company that imported a product that I was already an expert in selling to American clients that I already had established relationships with and so the lawyer said it would be simple enough to prove that I was the only one who could do the job, but the cost ended up being too dear for the small company and they gave up trying to hire me.

Residency visas are likewise complicated because you either can't work on them (fiance), have to be married, or have to have lived together for two years prior to application (un-married partners.)

My solution was to go back to school (I'd intended to do a Master's anyway at some point) and so get a student visa.... The only draw back being that I'm limited to 20 hrs of work a week which is a bit rough.

Hope that helps. And good luck to you!!!

Thanks for the info, but now I'm just scared! Honestly, I am not super-qualified for anything I can think of...I have a pretty speicialized degree on the way though. When I graduate next April I will have a political science major, international relations minor, and two certificates: one in global studies, one in Russian/East European studies. But who (or what) in England requires such a strange degree! There was a post in the job section of the forum with lots of websites to start the job search...maybe I should take a peek now to get some ideas.
As for residency, my boyfriend and I live together in a sense...He comes over and stays with me for three months at a time for 75% of the year, but its not technically a legal arrangement. As far as school, I didnt really want to go to school right upon arrival, I wanted to wait before pursuing another degree...but its starting to sound like a safer route. My boyfriend and I discussed the fiance visa, but once again, I would want to work, so thats out of the window. 
I guess I will give the job hunt a try, otherwise I may be applying to school again!

I may be reading too much into your posts, but it sounds like you're planning on moving over here and trying to find the correct visa for the situation.  Beware that you can't just move over here...you must have the appropriate visa for your situation.

If you've already been in contact with a British company and/or you are highly skilled, you'll need to look into work visas or the highly skilled migrant programme.  As AnneG says, those visas are rather difficult to get as the company in question has to prove that there's nobody else in the EU who can do your job.

If you're enagaged, you can apply for fiancee' visa, but your boyfriend must be able to prove that he can financially support you since you have up to six months to get married and you aren't able to work while you're here as a fiancee'.

Another option is to get married, either in the US or in the UK while you're on a visitor's visa.  Then, you'll need to apply for a spousal visa in the US.  Once you have that, you're clear to live and work in the UK for two years.  Then you'll apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK.

Finally, you can apply for a student visa.  Are you planning on attending school in the UK?  This visa also entitles you to work for up to 20 hours a week.

You will need one of the above visas to enter into a lease agreement with a letting agency.  I doubt any agency would allow someone on a visitor's visa to sign a lease as they wouldn't have residency clearance for the UK.  I had to show my spousal visa when my husband and I rented a house here.

When I graduate next April I will have a political science major, international relations minor, and two certificates: one in global studies, one in Russian/East European studies. But who (or what) in England requires such a strange degree!

Actually I would think that an odd/unusual degree would really work in your favor in that it may be hard to find someone with your particular knowledge. Or would you be interested in teaching? That might get you in under the highly skilled migrant programme (though I don't know much of anything about that!) Or do you have a 2nd language to go along with that Russian/East European studies certificate? That might really help as well.

lolabola, thanks for the info. In a sense, you are right in that I am just trying to move to the UK and in my paranoia of rejection, I want to apply for the visa which will be my best bet. But at the same time, I realize I need to be logical about it, and so I am keeping an open mind as much as possible. Thanks for simplifying some of my options, I get so overwhelmed looking at www.britainusa.com, even though I am probably just getting myself too wound up.
The more I look at it, the more I am starting to think I really should just go back to school and apply for a student visa. I intended on going anyways, I just didnt think I wanted to do it right away.
However, AnneG, I do have a second language, Serbian...but once again, is Serbian really in high demand in England? Also, I never really considered teaching in England, but I should have! Originally, that is one of the things I considered doing here, so it is an appealing idea. I will have to look into that. I suppose that would mean I would need to become licensed to teach in England, which to me seems like another student visa sort of thing. 
So I guess I should look into what the requirements are to become a teacher in England, and go from there!
Once again, thank you both so much for all of your help. It is an incredible relief to me to have people to talk to about this!! 

It looks like you're planning to move over within less than 6 months of finishing school - which means you would be eligible for a BUNAC work visa which allows current or recently graduated students to work inthe UK for 6 months. That would  give you 6 months to decide if you wanted to go back to school,  or get married, or figure something else out entirely, during which you'd be in the UK working and living with your bf.  You'll want to figure out ahead of time what the regualtions are for switching to other visas after BUNAC are - I''m guessing that for most , if not all of the other categories you'll have to return to the US to actually get a different visa, but that can just be viewed as a vacation back home ! :-)

Also... are you finishing a Bachelor's degree? because don't forget that a Master's degree in the UK is a a 1  year rather than 2 year time commitment. if you do decide to go back to school

thanks MadThing! I did look at some of the Masters programs at a few unis. that BUNAC thing you mentioned is definitely next on my list. It sounds like it would be a good option. Seeing as how the masters programs there are a year, a student visa is starting to sound more appealing, as it wont put me in THAT much more debt.  Thanks again!

I was going to start a master's program this coming fall, and was very excited it was only a one-year program. Then I saw that the tuition was twice as much as it would be after moving there once I am married, so I have decided to put it off! Good luck though! (I just couldn't swallow the thought of MORE debt...I am still paying for my BS.)

geally, i know what you mean. The idea of additional debt was a put off, but then I thought of it this way...its only one year, not four. its expensive, but i figure its worth it as it can only help to have a higher degree. Not to mention knowing me, if i dont go for it right away, i may never get around to it!