A little lost ^_^

Hey there ^_^
I'm completely new to this site. I was searching for information on what i need to do to move to the UK permanently. I'm a little confused, there's so much information. I'm only 17 turning 18 in a month and that is where i want to live by the end of this summer. I just need some guidelines as to where I should look. As I said, I'm completely new to this, so basically I have no idea about the laws there or what is required to move there or anything :/
I'd really appreciate any advice you have. Thank you ^_^

Welcome   I would suggest that you have a good read through the Visa and Citizenship section of the forum.  There's a lot of info there and it would be a good place to start.

In short, you need a visa in order to live here; it's not possible to just pack up and move.

Welcome to the site .

We have lots of useful information here about moving to the UK .

Not to be a downer, but I do want to point out that it's going to be very difficult for you to be able to move to the UK by the end of the summer . There are a lot of rules and regulations in regards to visas etc. to get past to be able to relocate. It's not impossible to move over, but it can take a lot of time and planning (and possibly a few years of hard work/getting qualifications) in order to qualify for a visa.

Unfortunately, unless you are highly/specially qualified (i.e. master's degree/PhD) or work in an in-demand profession, you will probably not be able to get a work permit for the UK. You could try to come over to the UK on a student visa to persue a degree (probably the easiest way), but international fees are expensive (around $20,000 per year) and the time spent on the visa will not count towards becoming a UK citizen. Or another way to move to the UK is if you are engaged or married to a UK citizen.

One option is to try the BUNAC scheme which allows you to spend a maximum of six months working in the UK. However, you do have to be enrolled in a US university or have just graduated from university within the past few months in order to qualify. Also, it is by no means a permanent move - you must return to the US after 6 months.

To give an example, I have wanted to move to the US since I was a teenager (I'm British) - but like moving to the UK, the process is by no means easy. It's taken me 8 years and 2 university degrees to finally be able move to the US on a non-permanent student visa (I am allowed to stay here until I finish my studies, but after that must return to live in the UK)! If I wish to be able live here permanently in the future, I will either have to secure a work permit after I've finished my PhD (in 4 or 5 years' time) or marry an American citizen.

Thank you, this information is very helpful
  So it would be easier if I married a UK national? That's basically why I want to move, but would it be easier to marry them first? Wow, I didnt know it would be so difficult. If i choose to marry approximately how long would it take to receive a visa?

Thank you, this information is very helpful
  So it would be easier if I married a UK national? That's basically why I want to move, but would it be easier to marry them first? Wow, I didnt know it would be so difficult. If i choose to marry approximately how long would it take to receive a visa?

It's easier in that you don't have to go through the long process of obtaining work permits etc., but at the same time, it's not something that you should just 'do' so that you can live in the UK. It's also expensive - over $1000 for a fiance or marriage visa. You can enter the UK on a fiance visa, but you have to marry within 6 months and then pay another $1000 for the marriage visa or you can marry in the US and then enter the UK on a marriage visa. Plus, the visa applications require a lot of preparation and paperwork (prove of relationship, budgets, bank statements etc.) and can be refused if not properly put together with all the correct information.

However, I will say that it is probably not advisable to try to marry someone just to be able to move to the UK - the immigration officers can tell when the relationship is not genuine and can refuse to issue a visa if they don't believe you qualify.

What I would suggest is to maybe find another way to spend some time in the UK (student visa, BUNAC, maybe even just go for a short vacation to the UK to get a feel for the place etc.), see if you like living there and if you meet someone special, then maybe in the future you could get married. After all, you're still young - you have your whole future ahead of you to make this happen, so why not take the time to really research your options and if you're really serious about moving, find out what you need to do to make it a realistic possibility - maybe enroll in college in the US, take some classes, do a study abroad year in the UK during your time at college etc.?

Also, I would definitely advise visiting the UK first (if you haven't already) before you decide to move - after all, what happens if you hate it when you get there? My decision to move to the US this year was based on 6 months' worth of vacations to the US over a 12 year period (staying with relatives in the Deep South, so I got an idea of living in the US as opposed to just staying in a hotel and being a tourist) and 10 months of living here on a exchange student visa in 2003 - and I still spent the first couple of months feeling homesick and wanting to go home!

However, I will say that it is probably not advisable to try to marry someone just to be able to move to the UK - the immigration officers can tell when the relationship is not genuine and can refuse to issue a visa if they don't believe you qualify.

I think she means she's met an English person, wants to move to be with them and would consider marrying that persp rather than saying she wants to go to England so much she'd enter into a sham marriage

I'm in the reverse situation, boyfriend was american, he's over on a student visa right now, which is complicated but very far from impossible to obtain

Loads of good advice on here to help you decide what to do

thank you
yes that is what i meant. Would it be easier if he came here to marry? or if i go over to marry?

But... you're only 17!!! 

(i obviously dont know anything about you, but as someone who married at 17 and divorced at 23... think carefully, pet!)

Good luck. 

thank you
yes that is what i meant. Would it be easier if he came here to marry? or if i go over to marry?

Ahh, sorry - I misinterpreted what you meant  .

It's ok, I'm taking your advice seriously either way I guess I will apply for a visitor's visa meanwhile ^_^

But... you're only 17!!! 

(i obviously dont know anything about you, but as someone who married at 17 and divorced at 23... think carefully, pet!)

Good luck. 

What Genau said!!  Get a student visa and go to university.  If your bf is the one, he still will be when you have a degree.  17?!  Geez.

Gads, I remember when I was 17 and would've done just about anything to have been able to live in the UK.  Took me 30 years, even though I had a British parent.     At least this young lady is asking questions...hopefully she will follow advice and do some reading to figure out what's best for her - sounds like she already plans a visitor visa.  Then, maybe after that, a student visa will work out for her.  If only I'd had the Internet way back when...

In my case, there was no man involved, just my British family, but none of them were very encouraging and I didn't know what resources to use to get the information I needed, so I just buried the dream for years and years. 

So hang in there Marya, do the research, and I will third what Genau and Kristi have said, and add a note of my own...if it's meant to be, you'll make it happen, but do use the resources that are available to you to do it the right way.  Good luck!

are you in the position to go to university over here?
how are your grades in high school, have you got someone who would sign as a guarantor for a loan?
it's a good way to come over, be independant, make new friends and see if it works out with your boy.
Marriage is so...drastic!
What about him? What's his situation, would him coming to the US as a student be a possibility?

Hehe, thank you all for the great advice, I really appreciate it He's a college student in his last year, and we are still talking about him coming over here, but this whole process is very confusing, so we decided he will come for a few weeks and we will talk about it then and investigate what is best for both. We are a little rushed about all this because my father opposes what I'm doing, so he isn't supporting anything I do at the moment and is thinking about making me leave the house but anyway, thanks again