Staying in the UK one year

If I were to go to England for one year just to take a break between High School and College what would I need to do to go about getting over there. I would be going with my English friend and we would be staying at the house that she owns but it would be just us. I would have a job as well working at her uncles bakery. Do I have to meet any sort of criteria to be aloud to stay for a year. Any help at all in the matter would be great. This won't be for about two and a half years so I have plenty of time to get ready.
Cheers!   

Starting to get a little nervous as I look through the Visas and what not. I'm not sure that I meet any of the criteria. I fit the Working Holidaymaker but I'm not from any of the specified countries! HELP!

Im sorry to bring bad news but it sounds like the only visa you qualify for is a visiting visa and thats only good for 6 months,and working on that is a big no-no. If you show up at the airport immigrations and tell them you want to stay for 6 months be prepared to be questioned a lot. You'll need to show proof that you have enough money to support yourself here without working or claiming benefits,and you'll need proof that you will actually return home after the 6 months

Hi Karly

Sorry to say there is no working holiday visa for Americans besides the Bunac visa and that is for college graduates.  You can come to the UK for a holiday for up to 6 months but you can't work here during that time (and your friend's uncle could get into a lot of trouble employing someone without the proper visa).  Maybe you could think about just coming for a holiday this time and then coming after college on a Bunac visa unless you have British/Eurpean heritage that might qualify you for an EU passport.  The only other way you could do it would be as a student on a student visa which would allow you to work part time.

Good luck with your plans!

If I got a work permit would that help anything?

To get a work permit your prospective employer would have to show (more or less) that you have skills that are in short supply here and they have not been able to get anyone from within the UK or EU to fill the position.  It's expensive and difficult and involves having to show the position has been advertised locally etc.  It's not going to work for a job in a bakery unless you are a trained pattisier or something like that.  Sorry 

This is really frustrating! There is nothing that I can apply for. I was looking at the Gap Year visa but it requires that I work in a school. Also I would have to have college already lined up when I get back to the US. Does that sound like something reasonable?

Yes sorry there are not really any easy options for what you want to do.   I would say a student visa would be your best bet or a Bunac visa when you are a bit older.

I wouldn't be studying in the UK. Later on I had planned on looking into it but at this time I would just be visiting. Say I got a Visitors Visa valid for a year and stayed in another country for a few weeks, then came back. Would that constitute a seperate stay?

You can't get a visitor's visa for a year, the maximum time allowed in one visit is 6 months & US citizens are not required to obtain visitor's visas prior to travelling. You could come for a holiday for 6 months, then leave again for 6 months and then return again for another 6 months. Like Englandsyank says you will need to show you have the means to support yourself for the whole time, and a return or onward ticket. 

  This is seriously making me angry! What if I went through some sort of exchange program? It seems like there is a program where you can go abroad for a year to work. Heard anything of that?

I don't know what exchange programme you are thinking of sorry, maybe someone else can help with that or maybe you could contact the British Consulate and ask what your options are but I think you'll find we've pretty much covered it here. Sorry I know it's not what you want to hear, but I don't make the rules 

Thanks so much for your help! This process if very frustrating I understand what people are talking about now! Again thanks for your help I wasn't in any way frustrated with you. Crushed Dreams!!!!

Last question say I got my blue card, stayed for the 6 months and while doing so applied for a visitors visa could that work(I think tha Im really reaching here, but oh well)?

You cant apply for a visiting visa, when you come to uk to visit,  they stamp ur passport when you arrive at the airport stating you can enter for 6 months and have no access to employment or public funds