frustrated american, wanting in UK

 More of a rant i guess, maybe not the place for it. I just got back from london for second time. I am frustrated at how it seems everyone around the world but america can easily just pick up and go, and seek work. EU, common wealth, this YMS that doesnt include us.

 
i dont have a degree, i am at a community college part time, work full time in the states, so lot of other tier options dont apply for me, im screwed! Ive been thinking of taking out a student loan to do a semester abroad(lot of money though!) or bunac just opened up a internship program in britain. Id have to do a full time semester though to qualify, and seems hard, being you have to find the internship on your own.

I just dont understand why its so hard for a yank to have the chance to live abroad and work, i dont have many outs in my favor, any advice? if not guess im venting!!

The immediate question in situations like these is:  why do you want to be here?  As opposed to over there?  It's my experience that getting to the root motivation often illuminates the path.

For myself, for example, I like English cuisine and English weather.  But I know that doesn't suffice for everyone.

well orginally on my first visit i just fell in love with england. The diversity, the feeling, the feeling of actually being a part of the world for the first time...the landscape, architecture, history, the people, transportation, being the minority. I then met a girl, and just got back from england again yesterday, spending more time with her. So now i have an extra reason for wanting to be there, and closer to her.

I can understand the frustration when it seems like a lot of red tape is in the way of something that's *really* important--I'd give anything to hop on a plane and go back with my husband to the UK, I'd do it in an instant if I was able to.

But with that said, this is how I keep everything in perspective--in reality, it's much easier for Americans to get visas to the UK than people of some other nationalities. Of course it all depends on each person's situation as to how simple or complex getting a visa is, but we live in a country that has a pretty decent relationship with the UK, and the British consulates in the US are by in large pretty professional and are staffed by some pretty decent ECOs (again, there are exceptions to this rule, but I hope you get my point). Sometimes the burden of proof that an American has to provide can be slightly less than someone from some other part of the world just because we are Americans and come from the US.

It can seem impossible, or just downright daunting when having to sort out the UKBA rules, and it can be frustrating when you either meet the criteria of a tier visa, or you get married in order to get a visa. But in the end I think we as Americans can have a slight advantage over people from other countries, who have hurdles to jump that we don't just by virtue of where we're from and where we live.

It may seem more difficult when compared to those in the EU who can exercise treaty rights within the UK, but I find it helps to remember that in this arena there are many advantages to being an American as well, as well as having a solid case on which to file your visa.

It's really down to deciding how badly you want to be in the UK, and for what reasons--everyone has their own. For me it's to be with an amazing bloke for the rest of my life, and thankfully enough I like the UK enough to miss it as well. For many people on these boards it's for a significant other, or because of an awesome job or school opportunity. Like Garry said, finding the real reason why you want to move is a really important step, and it has to be a really solid reason as well, and a girl could probably count as that if things work out between you two

thanks for the replies. I have to disagree with we have it easier then some though. I dont understand how the UK and US are "greatest allies" yet we cant work over there(or extremely hard, unless your highly skilled with a degree). We've fought wars together, great relations yet everyone else has first dibs in the UK and jobs.

Personally i think it should go something like this, british citizens should have top immgration priority in the US, and we should in the UK, or at least to some degree. Apparently it use to be easier to get over to the UK with a work visa, until the recent change in UK immigration the new tier point system, which doesnt really seem to favor us.

Tier 5, lets aussies, kiwi's, japan, and canada gain a 2 year work visa, does not includ us, bunac closed down. They did however just introduce a program to intern in the UK(however im not a full time student). I dont have a highly skilled job, or something they need, nor a degree, so really i dont have many outs. Id love to do school abroad, yet again that cost lot of $ i dont have neither. I am gonna try to do a full time semester, so hopefully january i may be eligible for that 6month internship.

I just would have thought with UK, US relations we would be able to get over there easier, and just from being over there and meeting all walks of life currently working over there, just coming over, working with no problem, baffles me.

I just seem stuck, i love england, and now want to be closer to my beautiful english woman, and theres a brick wall in front of me!

oh and also yes we can easily get a tourist visa, or a visa for school, but a work visa(which i would need) thats what im getting at. if i was rich i would do school route there or just tourist visa, but need $ for that lol

Obviously I don't know who you spoke with, but these people 'working with no problem' probably fall into one of the following categories:

- they're EU citizens.

- they have a UK/EU passport based on their parents/grandparents being citizens.  

- they're non-EU students working as allowed by their student visas.

- they're non-EU people who are intra-company transfers from an overseas company to the UK branch.

- they're non-EU people who got work permits because of their skills.

- they're married(/are on a visa that's like being married so far as the HO is concerned) to EU citizens.

- they're working illegally.

I'm sure I'm leaving out some valid categories, but it's really not easy to 'just come over and work with no problem.'  Chances are that very few people you met haven't jumped through quite a lot of visa hoops and/or proved to the HO that they deserve to be here because of something they can contribute to the UK, either workwise or through building a family.

As for giving US citizens top priority in the UK and vice versa - while I do know plenty of people on both sides of the Atlantic who would love this to be the case, why would either country find this beneficial?  The UK can't say no to the EU immigrants and have far more than they assumed would come in (if that Hansard debate I read today is to be believed), so why would opening up to a population of 300 million serve them well?

Hi,
Are you by any chance an entrepreneur, artist or writer?  I don't know the details, but I would check these out
http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/general/applying/initialapplications/

Otherwise, I would look at either coming for just 6 months (no visa needed) or as a student.  You never know, 6 months might be enough for you to hook up with a university to sign on to take some classes.

Hi,
Are you by any chance an entrepreneur, artist or writer?  I don't know the details, but I would check these out
http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/general/applying/initialapplications/

AFAIK, to enter as a writer, you need to be a published author for at least 3 years.  I'm not sure on the others, though.

It is also equally, if not more, difficult for a Brit to come to the US to work. I had a much easier time getting a visa as an American to move to the UK to live with my fiance than he did getting a visa to move back to the US with me - and this was after we were married and had a baby. So it isn't just hard for Americans to go there, it goes both ways.

I'm not saying it's drop dead easy as an American to get into the UK, or that it automatically grants you anything. What I am saying is that we are pretty lucky that in most cases people with clean immigration histories who can satisfy entry requirements to the UK as a visitor don't need prior entry clearance, as where people from many other nations are forced to get those visas before they step on UK soil. In the US we can be reasonably certain that the consulates here are decent and run by professional ECOs who are generally good at following the rules and correctly issuing visas. But I don't think being a Yank (or a Brit when it comes to US immigration) should ever in a way automatically guarantee someone the right to enter a foreign country long-term just by virtue of their nationality.

Each country has high standards out of necessity--just because our countries are friendly doesn't mean they can just allow citizens to float back and forth on that basis. People generally need to show that they could benefit either the US or UK before being allowed in, or that they have some familial relation to a citizen. It may seem like someone needs tons of cash or skills or education or whatever to get in, and it should be like that--the UK (and the US I suppose) are looking for highly skilled people to add to their society. Or, they'll allow families to be together (within reason of course, being married to a citizen or whatever doesn't automatically allow you to enter the UK but it can be a strong case for a visa certainly). They may seem to want people with 'lots of money' because they want someone contributing to society, not possibly taking from it--hence why with visas you also have to prove you can support yourself without recourse to public funds.

It sucks, and I can understand how it's frustrating. I don't have a ton of money, nor do I have anything more than a degree to be a medical assistant from a vocational school, so I can understand kinda about definitely not being able to file for any of the tier visas really. But it is what it is I guess, and you either deal with it and find a visa that works for you, or you accept the fact that you don't have the skills nor the money

Syntax, as a Jamaican passport holder, I can sympathize with your frustrations, and at the same time tell you with absolute certainty that as an American you have it MUCH better than the vast majority of countries in world with regards to emigrating to another country.

As for giving US citizens top priority in the UK and vice versa - while I do know plenty of people on both sides of the Atlantic who would love this to be the case, why would either country find this beneficial?  The UK can't say no to the EU immigrants and have far more than they assumed would come in (if that Hansard debate I read today is to be believed), so why would opening up to a population of 300 million serve them well?

Exactly.  The US and the UK may be superficially similar, but we've been separate countries for more than 200 years now, and in that time fundamental differences have developed.  I doubt a massive influx of Americans would be welcomed any more warmly than the massive influx of Polish workers was. 

Personally i think it should go something like this, british citizens should have top immgration priority in the US, and we should in the UK, or at least to some degree.

We would have to rescind the Treaty of Rome 1957 to do that.  And once that's done, we would have to strike the Race Relations Act 1976 from the books.  And once that's done, it's likely we would be frog-marched out of the Common Wealth.

There are certainly people in the UK who want to do those things, but they are only progressing local council seats in any great number.

I suggest a rethink...

Personally i think it should go something like this, british citizens should have top immgration priority in the US, and we should in the UK, or at least to some degree. Apparently it use to be easier to get over to the UK with a work visa, until the recent change in UK immigration the new tier point system, which doesnt really seem to favor us.

Umm...I think you might need a refresher on the circumstances under which US and UK stopped being so very close.

When one country celebrates separation from another as a national holiday, I'd say expecting preferential treatment is a bit unrealistic.