For Americans considering a move to the UK, understanding the available visa options is essential. This guide outlines all major long-term UK visa routes available to U.S. citizens, including work, family, study, and entrepreneur pathways, along with eligibility requirements, challenges, and routes to settlement. Whether you're moving for a job, joining a partner, or starting a business, this article will help you understand the options.
If you're an American citizen considering relocating to the UK beyond a few months, you will need a visa and your visa options will depend on your reason for coming, whether for work, study, family, or simply a visit. While some visa routes are straightforward, others can be more complex or require significant planning, financial evidence, or sponsorship.
This guide provides a clear overview of the main UK visa options available to American citizens, who they're best suited for, and what challenges may await.
If you're an American citizen visiting the UK for less than six months, you won’t usually need a full visa.
However, from 2024, the UK introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visa-free nationalities. Americans must now apply for an ETA before arrival, even if they’re just passing through on a layover.
An ETA costs around £10-£16 ($15-$25) and is valid for two years. Once granted, it allows multiple entries into the UK for short stays.
It covers tourism, short-term business trips, visiting family or friends, or enrolling in courses of up to six months.
If your visit involves more specialised activities, such as receiving private medical treatment, undertaking a specific paid engagement, attending court, or getting married, you may instead require a Visitor Visa. While Americans are still technically visa-exempt, choosing to apply for a visitor visa grant you permission to engage in these specific activities.
For Americans seeking to work in the UK, most routes require a formal job offer from a UK-based employer who holds a sponsor licence.
The primary route is the Skilled Worker visa, which replaced the old Tier 2 (General) system. This visa is available to people working in eligible roles across health, technology, engineering, finance, education, and dozens of other sectors.
The job must appear on the government’s official list of eligible occupations, each with a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and a salary threshold.
From July 2025, the minimum salary for most skilled workers is £41,700. However, a reduced threshold of £33,400 applies in certain cases, such as jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, new entrants under 26, or applicants with PhDs relevant to the role.
All applicants must also meet the English language requirement at CEFR level B1 and be sponsored by an employer who has been authorised by the Home Office to issue Certificates of Sponsorship. US nationals will qualify for this automatically.
One common misconception is that any UK job offer is enough, but that is not the case.
The employer must be on the official sponsor list, and the job must meet both skill and salary requirements. That means freelance or self-employed work isn’t permitted under this visa, nor are lower-paid roles that don’t meet the occupational criteria.
A Skilled Worker visa can lead to permanent residence (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after five continuous years in the UK, provided other requirements, such as salary progression and continuous lawful status, are also met.
Although the Skilled Worker visa typically requires a UK job offer from a third-party business, a growing number of Americans are exploring the self-sponsorship model to meet this requirement through a company they establish themselves.
This involves:
The process is entirely legal and recognised by the UK Home Office, but it involves strict compliance. Your business must be genuine, trading, and capable of paying the required salary (usually £50,000 – £80,000). You must also meet the usual English language and skill requirements as previously mentioned.
This route can be ideal for American professionals who:
The self-sponsorship pathway is complex and often requires legal and accounting support, but it provides flexibility and a route to Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years. It is increasingly popular among consultants, tech professionals, and other specialists.
If you're an American working for a U.S. company that plans to open a UK branch, the Expansion Worker visa could be a viable route. This visa allows overseas businesses without a UK presence to send senior employees or specialists to establish operations in Britain.
To qualify, the U.S. company must demonstrate a genuine plan to launch a UK branch or subsidiary. Applicants must:
This visa does not lead directly to settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain), but it can be a first step. Once the UK entity is operational, individuals may switch into longer-term visas like the Skilled Worker visa, which do lead to permanent residency.
It’s a strategic option for U.S. entrepreneurs, executives, or senior managers who are expanding operations into the UK, provided the business can meet the compliance and sponsorship requirements.
Not all work visas require a job offer.
The UK also provides specific routes for individuals who demonstrate exceptional talent, leadership, or academic pedigree. Two such visas, the Global Talent Visa and the High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa, are especially relevant for Americans.
The Global Talent Visa is aimed at individuals recognised as leaders or emerging leaders in fields such as science, research, digital technology, the arts, and humanities. To qualify, most applicants need to secure endorsement from an official UK body, such as the Royal Society, British Academy, or Arts Council England. Once endorsed, applicants can work freely in the UK without being tied to a specific employer or job.
This route offers a fast track to permanent residency, with settlement possible after just three years for endorsed leaders. It’s particularly useful for professionals who work across borders, such as academics, tech founders, and creative professionals, who value the ability to move between employers or projects.
Meanwhile, the High Potential Individual Visa is designed for recent graduates from top-ranked global universities.
If you’ve earned a degree in the past five years from a university listed in the UK’s global institutions list, many of which are in the United States, you may qualify.
This visa doesn’t require a job offer or sponsorship, but it does not lead directly to settlement. It’s typically used as a stepping-stone in that it allows you to live and work in the UK for up to two years (three for PhD holders), during which you can transition into another visa route, such as Skilled Worker or Global Talent.
Americans looking to start their own business in the UK can apply under the Innovator Founder Visa route, introduced as a replacement for the older Start-up and Innovator schemes.
This visa is intended for entrepreneurs launching new, scalable businesses with a genuinely innovative model. It’s not suitable for people buying into existing franchises or copying established services.
Unlike other work visas, the Innovator Founder visa does not require a minimum financial investment, but it does require endorsement from a UK government-approved endorsing body.
These organisations assess your business plan to determine whether it meets the three core criteria: innovation, viability, and scalability. Endorsed applicants are granted a three-year visa, with regular check-ins required at 12 and 24 months to demonstrate progress.
Successful founders can apply for permanent settlement after three years, provided they meet the economic impact and growth requirements set out in the endorsement guidelines. Importantly, applicants can also take on secondary employment in skilled roles outside their business for up to 20 hours per week.
The endorsement process is rigorous, and only a handful of endorsing bodies are currently authorised to approve new applications. Full details are listed on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/endorsing-bodies-innovator-founder-and-scale-up-visas/innovator-founder-and-scale-up-visas-endorsing-bodies.
If you plan to study at a UK university, college, or independent school, you’ll likely need a Student Visa. To qualify, you must first receive an offer from a licensed institution, which will issue you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You’ll also need to prove your ability to support yourself financially and meet an English language requirement.
Student visas are typically granted for the duration of the course, with limited work rights, up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during breaks. Unlike the short-term study visa, which only allows English language courses for 6–11 months, the main Student Visa supports full degree-level education.
After graduation, many Americans use the Graduate Visa route to remain in the UK and work for up to two years (three for PhD graduates), providing a natural bridge into longer-term visa routes.
If your partner is a British citizen or holds indefinite leave to remain in the UK, you may be eligible for a Spouse or Partner Visa. This allows Americans to live and work in the UK for 2.5 years initially, extendable, with a route to settlement after five years.
The UK partner must meet a financial requirement, currently set at £29,000 per year, and both parties must prove their relationship is genuine and subsisting. Supporting documentation is essential and often extensive, including cohabitation evidence, joint financial commitments, and communication records. The applicant must also pass an English test at CEFR level A1.
For Americans planning to marry their UK partner in the UK, the Fiancé(e) Visa is another option. This visa lasts for six months and requires that the marriage take place during that time. After the ceremony, the applicant must apply for a Spouse Visa from within the UK.
There are also routes for dependent children and adult relatives, though the latter is highly restricted. The Adult Dependent Relative Visa is available only in rare cases where the applicant requires long-term personal care and cannot access it in the U.S., and where their UK-based family member is willing to fully support them.
Most long-term visa holders, i.e. Skilled Workers, spouses, entrepreneurs, can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five continuous years in the UK (or three years in specific routes like Global Talent or Innovator Founder).
ILR grants the right to remain in the UK without immigration restrictions and is typically the final step before applying for British citizenship.
ILR applicants must meet residence and good character requirements, avoid excessive absences, and pass both the Life in the UK Test and an advanced English test.
Once granted, ILR removes the need for visa renewals and unlocks full access to public services.
Some Americans will find the UK system more difficult to navigate.
If you’re hoping to move to the UK without a job offer, sponsor, or strong academic or financial profile, options are extremely limited. There is currently no retirement visa or long-term stay route based solely on savings or property ownership.
Similarly, working holiday schemes like the Youth Mobility Scheme are not available to Americans.
Even within the main visa categories, careful planning is critical. Failing to meet income thresholds, submitting incomplete evidence, or applying under the wrong category can result in lengthy delays or outright refusal.
Yes, but only through certain visa routes. Most work visas, such as the Skilled Worker visa, require a job offer from a licensed UK sponsor. However, Americans may qualify without a job offer through the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, Global Talent visa, or Innovator Founder visa, provided they meet the strict eligibility and endorsement requirements. These visas are based on qualifications, international recognition, or viable business plans, not employment.
To live and work in the UK long-term, the most common route for Americans is a Skilled Worker visa. This requires:
Not under the standard work visas. The UK does not offer a general self-employment visa. However, the Innovator Founder visa may apply if you're starting a genuinely innovative, scalable business and receive endorsement from a Home Office-approved body. Freelancers or contractors without endorsement or business structure will not qualify.
No. The UK does not offer a retirement visa or long-stay route based solely on age, income, or property ownership. Americans cannot move to the UK permanently just because they wish to retire there. Retirement in the UK typically requires qualifying under a different visa category, such as a family visa (spouse/partner) or through investment or business routes.
You need a Spouse or Partner visa. The requirements for this include:
The Skilled Worker visa and Spouse visa are the most common routes to permanent settlement for Americans. Both lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years, assuming you meet residency and financial requirements. Some other visas, like Innovator Founder and Global Talent, can lead to ILR faster (after 3 years) if conditions are met.
In many cases, yes. If you're in the UK on a valid visa that allows switching—such as Student, Graduate, or HPI—you may switch to a Skilled Worker or Spouse visa without leaving the UK. However, you cannot switch from a visitor visa or short-term route like the ETA.
Most long-term visas allow dependants. For example:
Family members must show financial support and meet visa requirements, and dependants usually receive the same length of stay as the main applicant and can work or study in the UK.
If you’ve spent 5 continuous years in the UK under a qualifying visa (e.g. Skilled Worker, Spouse), you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This grants you the right to live and work in the UK without further visa restrictions. After 12 months with ILR, you can apply for British citizenship (provided you meet residence, character, and language criteria).
We can connect you with a trusted UK immigration specialist who understands the unique challenges faced by Americans moving to the UK. Request your free, no-obligation introduction today and see if you are eligible for a free discovery call with one of our partners.
