Need lots of Advice! Oregon to UK by myself

ok, working on getting everything together to apply for a 6 month visitor visa... will probably have a few more questions, but for now i have two:

1- i need to list the address of where i'll be staying on the application.  i am under the impression i can't rent a room under a visitor visa; however, can i rent an AirB&B and list it as the address?

2- my mother is funding this trip (payment for being the family's caretaker for 3 years).  there is a requirement of bank statements for the past 6 months to ensure i can fund myself while there.  can this be her bank statements, since she is funding it?

thanks!

1- i need to list the address of where i'll be staying on the application.  i am under the impression i can't rent a room under a visitor visa; however, can i rent an AirB&B and list it as the address?

Sure - if you were coming as a regular tourist, you would just put the address of your hotel down.

2- my mother is funding this trip (payment for being the family's caretaker for 3 years).  there is a requirement of bank statements for the past 6 months to ensure i can fund myself while there.  can this be her bank statements, since she is funding it?

You don't necessarily need 6 whole months of bank statements - that's just a suggestion... usually you would show that many if you have a steady income which will support your trip.

If your mum has the money as savings/a lump sum in her account, then, you would just provide her most recent bank statement or two. Or alternatively, if she plans to give you the money, she could deposit it in your account (and then you provide your bank statement) and write a letter explaining that it's a gift to fund your trip.

Not sure if you've seen the suggested supporting documents list in addition to what's listed on the main UKVI webpages:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/549692/Visitor_Supporting_Documents_Guide_-_English_version.pdf

anyone heard of or used this service?

http://www.jobsandinternshipsabroad.com/en/jobs-uk

anyone heard of or used this service?

http://www.jobsandinternshipsabroad.com/en/jobs-uk

I've never heard of it myself, and personally I'd be very wary of it... considering it says you don't need a visa for a work placement or internship in the UK!

Only EU citizens do not need a visa to work in the UK, so I find it worrying that they say you don't need a visa, but they don't mention anything about what nationalities/passports they accept.

Either they only allow EU citizens to enroll in their UK programmes, or they are promoting illegal working in the UK! Since the company is based in France and prices are in Euros, I'm inclined to think it's the former.

Also, if you look at their pages for working in Australia and the US, they mention helping you to apply for the visa you need, but for the UK programmes they say you don't need a visa... which again indicates it may be aimed at EU citizens.

I did write to them and ask if they offer job placement in the uk for us citizens. they said yes and the link they sent me to does mention help through the visa process

I did write to them and ask if they offer job placement in the uk for us citizens. they said yes and the link they sent me to does mention help through the visa process

Ah, okay - that's more reassuring .

Most people here on the forum are applying for/have been granted fiancé/spouse visas. A few are on Tier 4 student visa and Tier 2 work visas, but for the most part, there isn't really anyone currently active on the forum who has done something similar to what you're looking at (i.e. short-term work/internships), so we aren't that familiar with what is available and how the process works.


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Hey, I get the dream of moving to somewhere like the UK! 
I kept applying for jobs in Europe in 2007 and one day, I actually didn't get rejected.  This was a job in Scotland.  Scotland became my home and I love it so much.

But it was hard in 2007 to get a work permit (now it's a Tier 2 visa), and almost impossible now.  So you will have a hard slog ahead.  Still lots of good options provided on this thread. I hope you can find a way to make your dreams come true!

quick question about a 6 month visitor visa... do I have to do an application at all? I didn't for my last trip (only 10 days); however, the stamp in my book says "leave to enter for 6 months". so can I just book my trip? or is there some process I need to do?

It depends - how long are you planning to stay this time?

In theory, you don't have to apply in advance because you can be given a 6-month stamp at the border (like when you visited for 10 days)... however, there's no guarantee that you will be allowed into the UK and given a stamp if you want to stay for the whole 6 months.

The longer you try to stay in one trip, the more scrutiny you will be under when you arrive at the border, and the more likely you will be refused entry and sent straight back to the US.

A 2-week trip won't cause suspicion as many people can and do visit the UK for a 2-week vacation. However, not many people can afford to take 6 months off work to be a tourist. So, the immigration officer at the border will need to be sure you are a genuine tourist and that you aren't trying to use the visitor visa to essentially live in the UK.

The longer your trip, the more evidence you'll need to show of ties to the US which mean you must return to the US within 6 months. You'll need to be able to show:
- enough money to support yourself for 6 months without working
- a job/home/strong ties to return to in the US which means you won't be tempted to try to stay in the UK.

If you are worried about being allowed in for a full 6 months at the border, then it might be an idea to apply for a visitor visa in advance, so that you will already have confirmation that you have been approved to enter as a visitor, and if it does happen to be refused, you will only have lost the cost of the visa (about £90) and you won't have wasted time or money on flights.

If you apply in advance you should not book any flights until you have the visa in your hands. But if you 'apply' at the border you will need a return ticket.

See here for how to apply for a visitor visa in advance:
https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/overview


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I will have my return ticket. however, at the border they never asked me how long I was staying or asked to see a return ticket.

I will have my return ticket. however, at the border they never asked me how long I was staying or asked to see a return ticket.

You may be fine and not get asked anything, or you may be questioned and asked to provide evidence of how long you're staying, how much money you have and your ties to the US. It really depends on the immigration officer you see on the day and what they decide to ask.

The visitor visa rules have been tightened up recently and they are now allowed to stamp you in for any length of time they like, up to 6 months - most people do get the 6-month stamp but if they feel you are an overstay risk, you might only be stamped in for a couple of weeks or even as little as 48 hours.

You need to be prepared for them to ask and have proof of your money and ties. And if you are coming for 6 months, you'll need very strong ties to the US.

From the UKVI website, regarding entering the UK (red highlighting my own):

You’re from a non-EEA country

Your carrier will give you a landing card - fill this in before you arrive at border control.

Your passport, landing card (and visa if you have one) will be checked.

You’ll usually be asked why you’re coming to the UK.

Keep documents that show the reason for your visit in your hand luggage, so you can show them if asked, eg your travel itinerary, work permit or university letter.

The immigration rules for visitors:

Genuine intention to visit
V 4.2 The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor.
This means that the applicant:
(a) will leave the UK at the end of their visit; and
(b) will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home; and
(c) is genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes (these are listed in Appendices 3, 4 and 5); and
(d) will not undertake any prohibited activities set out in V 4.5 – V 4.10; and
(e) must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment.

I would advise attempting a shorter trip than 6 months to start with, maybe 2 or 3 months, and then gradually working up to a longer trip, rather than going straight for the 6 months, to show you know the immigration rules and have always left within 6 months in the past.

I will have my return ticket. however, at the border they never asked me how long I was staying or asked to see a return ticket.

The landing card you will have to fill out asks how long you are staying.

The landing card you will have to fill out asks how long you are staying.

Can confirm (just landed yesterday after a trip home to the US and still have to fill it out as I'm not a UK/EU citizen). They didn't ask me any questions going through customs, but they do have all that info on the landing card (like where you are staying and how long).

I will have financial records, my airb&b address, return ticket, and millions of pics of my dog back home that I have to return to cause he's my baby hopefully that's enough to prove I'm not an overstay risk nor planning to use public funds

millions of pics of my dog back home that I have to return to cause he's my baby hopefully that's enough to prove I'm not an overstay risk nor planning to use public funds

I'm not sure that your dog will be considered a strong enough tie to the US, but it's a start, though I might include just one photo and then anything you have that proves he's your dog (i.e. ownership papers (if there are such things), vet bills, etc.). You mentioned before that your mum will be taking care of the dog... can you get her to write a letter to that effect and that she is expecting you to return home to her and the dog on X date?

What about a home in the US to return to? In your first post, you mention you bought a condo... you should include the deeds and your latest mortgage statement to show you own property and are continuing to maintain/pay for it while you are in the UK.

Any job or studies in the US that you will be returning for?

What about any other commitments you have to get back for? Things like weddings, graduations, parties, holidays, interviews, appointments, events you have tickets for... anything like that will help.