How can I possibly move to the UK by next year?

You have a point actually, if I'm being honest I'm mainly doing the move for a friend I met here that isn't doing so well (lonely ect) and I am very close to this person so of course I care enough to consider moving there

Is this friend a potential partner?

Moving over as a family member (ex. spouse) is much easier than trying to move over on a work sponsored visa.

You have a point actually, if I'm being honest I'm mainly doing the move for a friend I met here that isn't doing so well (lonely ect) and I am very close to this person so of course I care enough to consider moving there but the thought of living in England is pretty exciting since I myself am not very happy with my situation in the U.S. I guess you can call it a fresh start, and I do think England itself it's breath taking with the architecture and all. I wouldn't mind living there and when I really think about it I actually do wanna live there and I'm not expecting it to be 100% perfect but it's more of a breath of fresh air if you get me

I'm British and when I was a teenager, I was desperate to move to the US. I have relatives there and between the ages of 12 and 18 I spent 4 months in the US on vacations, visiting my relatives.

I considered studying for a degree in the US, but decided it was a bit of a gamble, as the education systems are quite different. Instead, I chose to study for a degree at a UK university which offered a year of study abroad in the US.

In my third year of my undergraduate degree, I spent 1 year studying at the University of New Mexico, then I returned to the UK to finish my degree. I loved it there and 4 years later, I applied to study for a PhD at the same university.

I moved to the US again on another student visa, but strangely enough, the second time around it wasn't nearly as good or at all the same. I was 5,000 miles from all of my friends and family, the workload was crazy, I wasn't enjoying my research... and silly little things started getting to me. The food was different (US milk, bread and cheese just weren't cutting it for me), I couldn't get to grips with cooking with US ingredients, the TV commercials were frustrating, the politicians annoyed me, the healthcare/health insurance system worried me, and all in all, I just wasn't at all happy, so I moved back home to the UK after 8 months.

It's been 7 years since then, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. I still love visiting the US, but I don't think I could live there again.

My point is that, as has been said, living in a country on a long-term basis is very different from visiting or just living there temporarily. My advice would be to try something similar to what I did - visit the UK, maybe try to get a study abroad visa to live here short-term.... see how you like it, see if you can see yourself living somewhere which, although it may seem similar to the US (same language spoken etc.) can actually be very different.

You have a point actually, if I'm being honest I'm mainly doing the move for a friend I met here that isn't doing so well (lonely ect) and I am very close to this person so of course I care enough to consider moving there but the thought of living in England is pretty exciting since I myself am not very happy with my situation in the U.S. I guess you can call it a fresh start, and I do think England itself it's breath taking with the architecture and all. I wouldn't mind living there and when I really think about it I actually do wanna live there and I'm not expecting it to be 100% perfect but it's more of a breath of fresh air if you get me

Doing something for someone else or for something outside your control, like the ever changing immigration rules, run the risk of developing bad feelings, in my opinion. I'd really think about what it is you want to do. If you truly want to do, for example, games design, then great. If it happens to also be where you friend is, fab. But if there's no work permit at the end and your relationship changes and you are okay with that, then that would be an experience worth going for, in my opinion.

I'd really consider a way to test the waters that is not so expensive or committed. It may not be the experience you expect and likely, it will be a mixed bag of ups and downs.

What do you want to study? In what city / state do you reside? Exchanges are often quite affordable and can be up to a year.   

I'm British and when I was a teenager, I was desperate to move to the US. I have relatives there and between the ages of 12 and 18 I spent 4 months in the US on vacations, visiting my relatives.

I considered studying for a degree in the US, but decided it was a bit of a gamble, as the education systems are quite different. Instead, I chose to study for a degree at a UK university which offered a year of study abroad in the US.

In my third year of my undergraduate degree, I spent 1 year studying at the University of New Mexico, then I returned to the UK to finish my degree. I loved it there and 4 years later, I applied to study for a PhD at the same university.

I moved to the US again on another student visa, but strangely enough, the second time around it wasn't nearly as good or at all the same. I was 5,000 miles from all of my friends and family, the workload was crazy, I wasn't enjoying my research... and silly little things started getting to me. The food was different (US milk, bread and cheese just weren't cutting it for me), I couldn't get to grips with cooking with US ingredients, the TV commercials were frustrating, the politicians annoyed me, the healthcare/health insurance system worried me, and all in all, I just wasn't at all happy, so I moved back home to the UK after 8 months.

It's been 7 years since then, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. I still love visiting the US, but I don't think I could live there again.

My point is that, as has been said, living in a country on a long-term basis is very different from visiting or just living there temporarily. My advice would be to try something similar to what I did - visit the UK, maybe try to get a study abroad visa to live here short-term.... see how you like it, see if you can see yourself living somewhere which, although it may seem similar to the US (same language spoken etc.) can actually be very different.

Spoken from the heart from someone who has been there! 

Doing something for someone else or for something outside your control, like the ever changing immigration rules, run the risk of developing bad feelings, in my opinion. I'd really think about what it is you want to do. If you truly want to do, for example, games design, then great. If it happens to also be where you friend is, fab. But if there's no work permit at the end and your relationship changes and you are okay with that, then that would be an experience worth going for, in my opinion.

I'd really consider a way to test the waters that is not so expensive or committed. It may not be the experience you expect and likely, it will be a mixed bag of ups and downs.

What do you want to study? In what city / state do you reside? Exchanges are often quite affordable and can be up to a year.

Yeah. I don't really have many options left anyway and it would not be worth going through so much trouble to move here if I don't like it. I will go on a 6 month trip there, if I don't think it's for me I will just stay in the states. If I think it's probably better there and do want to move though, cause deep down I honestly do, then I'll do what I have to do. I never imagined moving to the uk would be this hard but all your answers were an eye opener, unless I'm some filthy rich Harvard student with great working skillsme or a European citizen there's not much of a chance from what it seems. I can't really picture myself staying in America though cause I'm not happy here at all tbh but maybe there's other places I can go where it's much easier, who knows but thank you for all your help honestly

I thought doctorate meant PhD level.

Dentistry is Bachelor degree / Masters degree / some are combined Bachelor and Master degrees. 

Really?  I looked into becoming an orthodontist when I was in high school (nearly 20 years ago now!), which is a specialization after dental school.  It was an 8 year program to be a dentist, plus 2 more years for orthodontics.  Is that a US thing and the UK is bachelors plus masters?

Yeah. I don't really have many options left anyway and it would not be worth going through so much trouble to move here if I don't like it. I will go on a 6 month trip there, if I don't think it's for me I will just stay in the states. If I think it's probably better there and do want to move though, cause deep down I honestly do, then I'll do what I have to do. I never imagined moving to the uk would be this hard but all your answers were an eye opener, unless I'm some filthy rich Harvard student with great working skillsme or a European citizen there's not much of a chance from what it seems. I can't really picture myself staying in America though cause I'm not happy here at all tbh but maybe there's other places I can go where it's much easier, who knows but thank you for all your help honestly

So today was June 2nd.  I had to wear a coat and a scarf today.  IN JUNE!!!!!  I would have used an umbrella but the winds were so strong it would have blown inside out.

Yeah. I don't really have many options left anyway and it would not be worth going through so much trouble to move here if I don't like it. I will go on a 6 month trip there, if I don't think it's for me I will just stay in the states. If I think it's probably better there and do want to move though, cause deep down I honestly do, then I'll do what I have to do. I never imagined moving to the uk would be this hard but all your answers were an eye opener, unless I'm some filthy rich Harvard student with great working skillsme or a European citizen there's not much of a chance from what it seems. I can't really picture myself staying in America though cause I'm not happy here at all tbh but maybe there's other places I can go where it's much easier, who knows but thank you for all your help honestly

There's lots of ways to experience a dream that require flexible thinking.

If you don't want to stay in the US, you know, depending on what you study, you could get a work permit in Canada via NAFTA (does not lead to permanent residence, though). Alternatively, studying for a degree in Canada may be cheaper than some US universities and there are post study work visas (also does not lead to permanent residence, though).

Really?  I looked into becoming an orthodontist when I was in high school (nearly 20 years ago now!), which is a specialization after dental school.  It was an 8 year program to be a dentist, plus 2 more years for orthodontics.  Is that a US thing and the UK is bachelors plus masters?

That is interesting. 

I think it does sound like a US thing to me. That being said, I have no idea about what the process would be in Canada.

So today was June 2nd.  I had to wear a coat and a scarf today.  IN JUNE!!!!!  I would have used an umbrella but the winds were so strong it would have blown inside out.

I was blown down the hill to my bus stop today with almost Dutch-like gales.   

So today was June 2nd.  I had to wear a coat and a scarf today.  IN JUNE!!!!!  I would have used an umbrella but the winds were so strong it would have blown inside out.

Hahaha we're having the opposite problem here in California, it's a little too hot for my liking! Good excuse to be out at the beach though . 

Really?  I looked into becoming an orthodontist when I was in high school (nearly 20 years ago now!), which is a specialization after dental school.  It was an 8 year program to be a dentist, plus 2 more years for orthodontics.  Is that a US thing and the UK is bachelors plus masters?

In the UK, both dentistry and medicine are 5-year undergraduate degrees, though you can also enter a shorter programme if you already have a bachelors degree in a difference science.

To become an orthodontist in the UK, it appears to involve a 3-year MSc training programme, for which you need a bachelors in dentistry plus at least 2 years of postgraduate experience... so that would be about 10 years in total (5 years undergrad, 2 years experience, 3 years orthodontics training).

So today was June 2nd.  I had to wear a coat and a scarf today.  IN JUNE!!!!!  I would have used an umbrella but the winds were so strong it would have blown inside out.

Yeah, the winds were strong today, but it was 20 degrees here in Lincolnshire.

The next few days should be even nicer though, with warm air coming up from Spain and temperatures in the 20s .

I don't really have many options left anyway and it would not be worth going through so much trouble to move here if I don't like it. I will go on a 6 month trip there, if I don't think it's for me I will just stay in the states.

Just keep in mind if you intend to come to the UK for 6 months, this is going to make the Immigration Officers (IOs) ask more questions. You'll need to prove your intent to return to the US at the end of your stay-- this is most easily demonstrated by showing significant ties to the US (A mortgage, job, etc.).  As you're a young person, whom (I assume), lacks these significant ties, it will make the IO suspicious that you will overstay.  You will not be eligible for work. You will not be able to volunteer. You'll need to prove you have sufficient funds for the entire duration of your stay.

This isn't intended to scare you or put you off coming, but just to point out that these questions will be asked.  You will need to assess the practicality of visiting for an extended time, as those are the things the IO will be looking for, else you risk being turned away and put on the next flight back to the US.  You can apply for a visitors visa in advance, but I do not have experience with that, and you still won't be able to work/volunteer/etc.

It also sounds like you're undecided on what you want to study -- dentistry, game design, and IT are all very different.  Further education would be a great idea, but be aware that the UK university system is quite different from the US. In the UK you choose a specific course (major), and only take classes on that specific subject.  Studying in the US would give you a bit more freedom to pursue a wider variety of subjects before ultimately choosing your major.  If further education is a viable option, I would definitely do an exchange as MLG had suggested.  I originally came to the UK on a student exchange for 6 months.  I returned 3 years later and will celebrate my 5 year "immiversary" in September.

Obtaining residence isn't necessarily a simple task; I get the impression that you just think it would be cool to have two passports, and I can understand this, and kind of agree--  but it's a very time consuming and expensive process; one subject to constant changing of rules and legislation.  I guess my intent is to point out that you may not necessarily be able to come and live in the UK forever straight off the bat.  It takes time, and you should be prepared for unexpected changes and regular fee increases, but it is possible.

Just keep in mind if you intend to come to the UK for 6 months, this is going to make the Immigration Officers (IOs) ask more questions. You'll need to prove your intent to return to the US at the end of your stay-- this is most easily demonstrated by showing significant ties to the US (A mortgage, job, etc.).  As you're a young person, whom (I assume), lacks these significant ties, it will make the IO suspicious that you will overstay.  You will not be eligible for work. You will not be able to volunteer. You'll need to prove you have sufficient funds for the entire duration of your stay.

This isn't intended to scare you or put you off coming, but just to point out that these questions will be asked.  You will need to assess the practicality of visiting for an extended time, as those are the things the IO will be looking for, else you risk being turned away and put on the next flight back to the US.  You can apply for a visitors visa in advance, but I do not have experience with that, and you still won't be able to work/volunteer/etc.

It also sounds like you're undecided on what you want to study -- dentistry, game design, and IT are all very different.  Further education would be a great idea, but be aware that the UK university system is quite different from the US. In the UK you choose a specific course (major), and only take classes on that specific subject.  Studying in the US would give you a bit more freedom to pursue a wider variety of subjects before ultimately choosing your major.  If further education is a viable option, I would definitely do an exchange as MLG had suggested.  I originally came to the UK on a student exchange for 6 months.  I returned 3 years later and will celebrate my 5 year "immiversary" in September.

Obtaining residence isn't necessarily a simple task; I get the impression that you just think it would be cool to have two passports, and I can understand this, and kind of agree--  but it's a very time consuming and expensive process; one subject to constant changing of rules and legislation.  I guess my intent is to point out that you may not necessarily be able to come and live in the UK forever straight off the bat.  It takes time, and you should be prepared for unexpected changes and regular fee increases, but it is possible.

I understand I wouldn't be able to live there off the bat, I just want to know what I CAN do to live there and I don't know how I can get residency but afford it at the same time if I can't work for not being a citizen. I search endlessly for clear answers as to what steps I should take if I want to stay longer than six months and eventually work my way into getting citizenship but all I get are vague answers. I have however been told my best bet is to study in the UK or get a job off the shortage list (which is risky) but if I do study in the UK I just want to know if I could also apply to regular college courses or would I only be able to apply to big universities? And I understand as well you can't take different college classes in the UK I was bringing up game designer cause it's one of the jobs in the shortage workers list But the only thing I want to know is, how can I make living in the UK possible that is it I understand it's hard I just want to know what visas to apply for and If I have to study in the uk what happens after I get sent back but wanna come back to the uk I'm not sure if I made myself clear enough

Okay, so in regards to options for UK visas:

Tier 1 visa.  If you have a good deal of money to set up and/or run a business or invest, you could move to the UK with a Tier 1 visa.  After living in the UK for 5 years with this visa, you could apply for permanent residency in the UK called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).  After that, you could apply for UK citizenship.  The main hurdle with this visa is that you need a LOT of money to qualify, and most people do not have the sort of funds needed.

Tier 2 visa.  If you can find an employer to sponsor you to come work for their company, you could apply for a Tier 2 visa.  After living in the UK for 5 years with this visa, you could apply for ILR and later, UK citizenship.  The main hurdle for this visa is that the employer has to be licensed to sponsor foreign workers and in order to sponsor you, must demonstrate that no one in the UK and EU can fill the position first (called the resident labor market test).  So typically, positions where sponsorship is feasible are those at high level management level and/or niche fields.  The exception to needing to perform the resident labor market test is if the job/skill is listed on the shortage list.  Be aware though that the list can change, and a job that's in shortage now may not be in shortage in 6 months. 

Tier 2 intra-company transfer visa.  If you work for an employer with offices in the UK, you could seek out an intra-company transfer from a US office to a UK office.  The main downside for this visa is that it does not lead to ILR.  It's temporary only - but would give you a sense of living in the UK for a while and help you get a sense of whether you really like it or not so much.

Tier 4 visa.  If you want to pursue further education in the UK, you could get a student visa.  The main hurdle for this visa is that tuition fees as an international student can be very expensive.  Having said that though, it may be about equal to tuition fees at a pricey US school, like maybe one of the Ivies.  Another thing to note is that this visa does not lead to ILR.  Once your studies are done, you need to return to the US or get another visa to remain in the UK (ex. another student visa for another degree, or a work visa).  You may find it easier to get employment in the UK and qualify for a Tier 2 visa once you graduate a UK university, but this isn't always the case. 

Family visa.  If you have a fiance(e) or spouse in the UK, you can apply for a family visa to move to the UK if all the requirements are met (ex. your partner meets the minimum income threshold, you'll have a place to live, etc).  After 5 years, you could then apply for ILR and then citizenship.

If attending a university/college in the US, they may have study abroad programs in the UK.  Obviously, these do not lead to ILR, but would give you a taste of living in the UK and help you get a sense if the UK is somewhere you wish to move to.

These are essentially the options at the moment.  As has been mentioned, the UK is currently very anti-immigration and it is becoming harder and harder to move here.  Even for spouses of UK citizens.  If you visit a few times, and still decide you love it, you can work towards finding a way over.  It will be difficult considering the current climate, but not impossible.  And it's definitely more of a long term goal.  Immigration changes though, and be aware that by the time you angle yourself to apply for a visa, you may no longer be eligible.  So with that in mind, if you're going to choose a career you think will help you get to the UK, make sure it's something you would still enjoy doing in the US if it all falls through.

Okay, so in regards to options for UK visas:

Tier 1 visa.  If you have a good deal of money to set up and/or run a business or invest, you could move to the UK with a Tier 1 visa.  After living in the UK for 5 years with this visa, you could apply for permanent residency in the UK called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).  After that, you could apply for UK citizenship.  The main hurdle with this visa is that you need a LOT of money to qualify, and most people do not have the sort of funds needed.

Tier 2 visa.  If you can find an employer to sponsor you to come work for their company, you could apply for a Tier 2 visa.  After living in the UK for 5 years with this visa, you could apply for ILR and later, UK citizenship.  The main hurdle for this visa is that the employer has to be licensed to sponsor foreign workers and in order to sponsor you, must demonstrate that no one in the UK and EU can fill the position first (called the resident labor market test).  So typically, positions where sponsorship is feasible are those at high level management level and/or niche fields.  The exception to needing to perform the resident labor market test is if the job/skill is listed on the shortage list.  Be aware though that the list can change, and a job that's in shortage now may not be in shortage in 6 months. 

Tier 2 intra-company transfer visa.  If you work for an employer with offices in the UK, you could seek out an intra-company transfer from a US office to a UK office.  The main downside for this visa is that it does not lead to ILR.  It's temporary only - but would give you a sense of living in the UK for a while and help you get a sense of whether you really like it or not so much.

Tier 4 visa.  If you want to pursue further education in the UK, you could get a student visa.  The main hurdle for this visa is that tuition fees as an international student can be very expensive.  Having said that though, it may be about equal to tuition fees at a pricey US school, like maybe one of the Ivies.  Another thing to note is that this visa does not lead to ILR.  Once your studies are done, you need to return to the US or get another visa to remain in the UK (ex. another student visa for another degree, or a work visa).  You may find it easier to get employment in the UK and qualify for a Tier 2 visa once you graduate a UK university, but this isn't always the case. 

Family visa.  If you have a fiance(e) or spouse in the UK, you can apply for a family visa to move to the UK if all the requirements are met (ex. your partner meets the minimum income threshold, you'll have a place to live, etc).  After 5 years, you could then apply for ILR and then citizenship.

If attending a university/college in the US, they may have study abroad programs in the UK.  Obviously, these do not lead to ILR, but would give you a taste of living in the UK and help you get a sense if the UK is somewhere you wish to move to.

These are essentially the options at the moment.  As has been mentioned, the UK is currently very anti-immigration and it is becoming harder and harder to move here.  Even for spouses of UK citizens.  If you visit a few times, and still decide you love it, you can work towards finding a way over.  It will be difficult considering the current climate, but not impossible.  And it's definitely more of a long term goal.  Immigration changes though, and be aware that by the time you angle yourself to apply for a visa, you may no longer be eligible.  So with that in mind, if you're going to choose a career you think will help you get to the UK, make sure it's something you would still enjoy doing in the US if it all falls through.

This was by far the most helpful and clearest information I got thank you very much I will screen shot this and keep it in mind and follow the UP immigration sites for any changes this is all I wanted to know thank you: )

I understand I wouldn't be able to live there off the bat, I just want to know what I CAN do to live there and I don't know how I can get residency but afford it at the same time if I can't work for not being a citizen.

As you saw with Aquila's great advice, there are various routes, some of which allow you to live in the UK for anywhere up to 5 years, but do not lead to permanent residence, and some do lead to permanent residence.

I think the main thing for you though will be the cost of doing what you want to do.

For a student visa, for example, the visa fees aren't that much ($500-700), but you're looking at a cost of something like $25,000-30,000 per year - about $15,000-20,000 per year for international tuition fees, plus about $10,000-15,000 per year in living costs. In order to get a student visa, you need to show you have access to the first year of fees and living costs upfront (about $30,000), either in your bank account or from a US loan, before they will grant you the visa.

As another example, in terms of fiance or spousal visas though (if you were in a relationship with a UK citizen), it would be on the UK citizen to prove they met the income requirement, but just the visa fees alone to get to permanent residence and citizenship are likely to be close to $10,000 over 5 years ($1,500-2,000 per visa, 3 or 4 visas over 5 years, plus citizenship at the end).

Work visas don't have such a financial burden as often the company will pay for the visas and sometimes will help you to move, but in that case, it's being eligible to be sponsored for a visa in the first place that is the difficult part.

I have however been told my best bet is to study in the UK or get a job off the shortage list (which is risky) but if I do study in the UK I just want to know if I could also apply to regular college courses or would I only be able to apply to big universities? And I understand as well you can't take different college classes in the UK

College and university in the UK are very different things and are not the same as college vs. university in the US.

College in the UK is essentially the last 2 years of our high school... it is approximately equivalent to AP or college prep classes in the US, or equivalent to 'continuing education' or 'adult education' in the US.

College is Further Education (pre-university) and University is Higher Education.

Many UK students usually attend college at age 16, either in order to gain the necessary further education qualifications to be able to apply to university to study for a degree, or they decide they don't want to get a degree so they leave academics and instead go to college in order to study vocational, non-academic courses.

In the UK, the education system is generally as follows:

- Primary School: age 4-11
- Secondary/High School: age 11-16
- College: age 16-18/19
- University: age 18/19-21/22

So, someone might leave high school at 16 with GCSE qualifications and decide they want to become a physicist. The entry qualifications to get into university to become an physicist are: A level qualifications in Maths, Physics and one other subject (generally A or B grades are required). A levels are further education (college) courses, so that student would then go to either an FE or a Sixth Form college to take 2 years of A level courses in Maths, Physics, and maybe Chemistry too. Then they would apply to specific physics courses at UK universities to study for a degree in physics.

It is possible to get a student visa for a Further Education College course, but it would depend what your educational plans were and whether the courses offered would be what you were looking for and if they will help you in your long-term education goals.

If I have to study in the uk what happens after I get sent back but wanna come back to the uk I'm not sure if I made myself clear enough

If you were to get a degree in the UK, and were able to secure a sponsored graduate job after graduation but before your student visa ran out, it would be relatively easy to stay in the UK - due to you having a UK degree and being in the UK legally, your employer would NOT need to pass the resident labour market test, which means they could employ you without needing to prove they couldn't find a UK/EU worker and without the job being on the shortage list.

However, if you returned home to the US after the student visa, in order to move back, you would either have to apply for a new student visa to study for another course (i.e. a postgraduate degree), or if you wanted a work visa your UK degree wouldn't help - the job would either need to be on the shortage list or they would have to pass the resident labour market test first before they could hire you.