Visiting the UK for the summer

This is my first post here (I should drop something in the welcome wagon later maybe) so I apologize if I haven't put it in quite the right spot, but I was hoping for a little bit of help. An answer to a question. I live in the US, Florida to be specific, and my boyfriend is in Scotland. We've been planning on me staying with him for the summer, but the problem we're having is determining how long I should stay and whether or not I'll need a visa. We seem to be getting conflicting and confused information everywhere we look. I've been told that with a US passport alone and no visa I can stay in the UK for 6 months, and I've also been told 3 months, and I know the general visit visas are for 6 months at a time. However I've also used the gov.uk "check if you need a visa" feature that tells me with an American passport I don't need a visa. That's all. It doesn't tell me how long I can stay without one.

So I'm not sure what all factors into whether or not I need one. I was hoping someone would be able to tell me "You can stay in the UK for exactly this long without a visa" or "No, you don't need one as long as you're only staying for 6 months." or "whether or not you need one depends on this and this and this." I just need to know where to start so I can plan this out and buy my plane tickets. Thank you for your time!

- Victoria

If you entered today, you could be granted a six month visa if you show:

You have a return flight
You have a job or course that you must return to
Evidence of a home that you will be paying for and maintaining while you are away

However, from March, the IO will be able to stamp your visa for a specific length of time (likely the duration of your trip).  I had heard they were looking to reduce the entry to 90 days but unsure if that's true.

You do not need to apply in advance, just make sure you have all your evidence with you.  You then should be out if the UK for as long as you were here before returning.

When I was a student, I used to come spend a couple of months visiting my boyfriend in the UK without applying for a visa in advance.  I always had a return flight and had evidence of my enrollment in school (though I was never asked to show them).  I would often be asked how I could afford to spend a summer abroad, who paid for my ticket, how I supported myself in the US, etc.  The IOs that I had accepted that we were staying with our parents who would assist us with any financial issues but YMMV.  Just be prepared to show that you can support yourself and absolutely will be returning to the US at the end of your stay and you shouldn't have any issues. 

Welcome to the forum!

As a US citizen, you have two options in regards to a visa for visiting the UK.

1.  You apply for a visitor visa in advance of your travel.
 
2.  You book your flight, show up at the UK border, and after a very short landing interview (about 5 minutes), you get a visa stamp that permits you entry.

For the majority of Americans visiting the UK, it's the second option.  When you land, the immigration officer (IO) will ask you questions like:

How long are you staying?
Where are you staying?
What is the purpose of your trip?
How will you financially support yourself during your trip?
What do you do back in the US?

If the IO does not believe you to be a risk of violating the visitor visa terms, s/he will give you a stamp in your passport that permits you entry.  This stamp is essentially your visitor visa (but unlike applying for one in advance, you get it issued at the border upon arrival).  The IO can stamp you in for a maximum of 6 months, but has the ability to stamp you in for less than that.  (ex. 3 months, 1 month, the exact duration of your trip according to your flight tickets, etc)

You can apply for a visa in advance of travel if you wish; however, this is usually for people who have previously refused visas, have been bounced, and so on.  But if you are concerned about getting the visa stamp at the border, you can apply in advance for your peace of mind. 

As a general rule of thumb, the longer you wish to stay in the UK, the more ties you must show to the US.  The IO must have sufficient evidence that you will return to the US after a long UK visit, especially when there's a UK significant other involved.

If you fly to Ireland and enter the UK from Ireland (known as the Common Travel Area) then it is only 90 days.

I had heard they were looking to reduce the entry to 90 days but unsure if that's true.

That wouldn't surprise me as that would fit in with Ireland and the Common Travel Area. It would also fit in with the rest of the EEA countries who only allow visitors 90 days. Even EEA citizens visiting the UK are only allowed 90 days under EU law.  The UK is out of sync with the rest of the EEA.

Thank you so much for your replies and help. I know I'm responding late but I do have my tickets now, and you all really contributed to my peace of mind and working out how long to stay and what to take with me once I'm ready to leave. Thank you thank you!