Services for US Citizens
We often advise Americans on how to obtain a visa that allows them to stay beyond the six-month visa-free period. If you’re a US citizen, we can clearly explain all your options, and help you navigate the system.

US citizens can visit the UK visa-free for up to six months at a time. Staying for longer requires a visa, but there are many ways to achieve this. Here are the most commonly used ones.

Marriage/partnership with a British citizen

This doesn’t automatically entitle you to live in the UK. But marriage does open up the possibility of a spouse visa, and if you’ve been in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years you can apply for an unmarried partner visa. In either case you’ll have to demonstrate that you meet several requirements, including a minimum income or savings.

Work sponsorship

A UK company with a sponsor licence can offer work sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. There is a minimum salary requirement here too, which is lowered under certain circumstances. Care workers are currently prohibited from bringing dependant family members, but others are permitted to bring a spouse or unmarried partner and any children under the age of 18.

Student visa and Graduate visa

Getting a Student visa is straightforward if you have been accepted into an eligible UK education programme. Only those doing a postgraduate research degree or PhD at a UK university can bring dependants with them, however. After completing studies, you can apply for a Graduate visa to remain in the UK with the right to work. Currently, the Graduate visa is valid for a maximum of two years, though at the time of writing there are proposals to shorten that to 18 months.

Global Talent visa

The Global Talent visa is aimed at exceptionally talented or promising people in academia and research, digital tech, or arts and culture. It gives an unrestricted right to work and leads to permanent residence in either three or five years. You can bring dependant family members with you. For full details, read our dedicated page.

Ancestral British citizenship claims

The law on this changed in 2022. Now, if you were born in the USA (or any other non-Commonwealth country) before 1988 and have a UK-born grandmother or maternal grandfather, you may be able to make a claim for British citizenship. Unfortunately, people with a UK-born paternal grandfather cannot benefit from this law change. Read more on this route here.

High Potential Individual

People who have graduated from top universities in the past five years can apply for a two-year working visa, and bring their family. The list of acceptable universities changes frequently, but it invariably includes many American ones.

Parent of a Child Student visa

If a child under the age of 12 obtains a Child Student visa to study at an independent school in the UK, one of the child’s parents is permitted to accompany them on a Parent of a Child Student visa. This visa prohibits work and study, and is conditional on just one of the child’s parents coming with them. Depending on your particular circumstances, it might be worth considering.

If you would like to discuss visa options in more detail, or believe you have a claim to British citizenship but don’t know where to start, contact a member of our team to arrange your initial fixed-fee consultation.

Tax and wealth management

Many of our US clients also ask us to advise on their UK tax liability, and on ways to manage this effectively. Our colleagues in the Private Wealth and Tax team can help with this, and on many other things that might be relevant, such as buying residential property or amending wills. We also have a large network of external professional advisors, who provide other expert services such as wealth management and tax accounting.

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