Which visa to use

I am in need of good sound advice from those that have already done this.  I am trying to figure out which visa to use.  Here is my situation.  my girlfriend is a UK citizen and I am from the USA.  I want to move to the UK and be with here but we do not want to get married right away.  I have looked at the spouse visa already and they say to get married within 6 months.  That maybe a bit to early for us.  What other visa should I apply for?  I have been to the offical site and need information that is  straight forward and easy  to understand (IE layman's terms).  Can anyone help me with this?  Thanks

I believe that your options are:

1) You could enter on the tourist visa waiver program (just go over and visit) for up to 6 months.  You have to be able prove that you have funds to support yourself and that you have every intention of leaving before 6 months if you are questioned at immigration.

2) If you are currently enrolled in or recently out of college/university you could get a BUNAC visa, which would allow you to live and work in the UK for 6 months.
http://www.bunac.org/usa/workinbritain/

How the Program Works

The Student Exchange Employment Program Blue Card provided to Work in Britain participants acts as an entry visa and allows US university students and recent graduates to work in Britain for up to six months. The program is approved by the British Government and is a reciprocal work/travel exchange program. The Blue Card is available to eligible US citizens or permanent US residents, aged 18 and upwards.

3) Depending on your qualifications you may qualify for the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) visa. 
http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/schemes_and_programmes/hsmp.html

What is the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme?

The programme is designed to allow highly skilled people to migrate to the United Kingdom to look for work or self-employment opportunities. The scheme has a separate assessment for applicants aged under 28 as well as an assessment for those 28 and over.

The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme is different from the work permit scheme because you do not need a specific job offer in the UK to apply.

It is different from business routes such as the Innovators scheme or other business categories because you do not need a detailed business plan; you do not need to create jobs; and you do not need to invest in the UK.

4) If you work for an international company with offices in the UK you may be able to get a transfer to the UK.

5) If you are uniquely skilled you might be able to get a work permit (but I believe that company has to prove that they advertised the position, held interviews, and were unable to fill the position with any candidates from the UK or the EEA - European Economic Area). 

If you tell us a bit more about your situation, I'm sure others on the site will have recommendations for you.

I have applied for the HSMP  and am waiting for a reply on that.  We are searhing everwhere that we can think of to find the answers and get confused with the ins and outs of it all.   

I have applied for the HSMP  and am waiting for a reply on that.  We are searhing everwhere that we can think of to find the answers and get confused with the ins and outs of it all.   

Did you do a self assessment for the HSMP and how many points did you have?

I have applied for the HSMP  and am waiting for a reply on that.  We are searhing everwhere that we can think of to find the answers and get confused with the ins and outs of it all.   

An HSMP is a pretty intensive process that requires a lot of documentation.  Did you gather all the necessary info or just apply for it, hoping you'd get it?