Has anyone with a GED been successful in moving to England? I've had a series of unfortunate events in my life that have hindered my high school career. I'm 18 years old and it's been my dream to live in England for as long as I can remember.
Moving to England with my GED?
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GED is usually seen as equivalent to 5 GCSE passes but no A levels. No uni here is likely to accept you onto a degree course with GED alone. You need in addition 2-3 A levels or Int Bacc. Or you can do a foundation degree or uni access course first.
Now to do any of this you need a Tier 4 adult student visa. You need to be accepted onto an appoved course, and show you have the means to pay the tuition fees and all living expenses. There is very little financial help available to overseas students, and you aren't eligible for grant and loans UK home students get. You either need to have big savings, or being supported by your parents. You can work for limited hours in term time and full time at weekends and in vacations, but jobs are hard to come by in the recession-hit Britain, and in any case any money you hope to earn cannot be taken into account to show financial ability.
If there is a British Council near where you live, they can give you a rundown on studying in UK.
What if I was not to attend uni? My plan is to work when I move there... I am working on becoming a certified Travel Associate at the moment, I was also going to take a simple bar tending course so I have at least a couple options.
I have friends (who are professionals) that live in England so I'm not going to be entirely on my own. Opinions?
I have friends (who are professionals) that live in England so I'm not going to be entirely on my own. Opinions?
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Neither is a shortage occupation and it will be next to impossible to get a sponsored work visa. It really is very difficult for young Americans to live and work in UK, unless you have an EU passport or are or going to be married to or enter into civil partnership with a British or most European citizen, and even this route is being tightened and restricted. No working holiday visa (called youth mobility scheme) is open to Americans, but is available to Canadians (because of reciprocal programme for young Britons there). If it's any consolation, the reverse is true for Britons moving to US - very difficult.
All you can do is to save enough and come as a visitor for up to 6 months and enjoy everything UK has to offer, and then return home and make some serious long-term plan to relocate. You can enter uni with a year abroad program (if you can afford it). Or working for the military and asking for European posting, diplomatic service with Dept of State, career in a large corporation with subsidiary or branch in UK, or hope you meet a nice British or European person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Wow.. This is tough news but I'm determined to make it work... I may take the uni route even though I don't want to go. Anything that will get me over there, really... My best friends live there and so does my boyfriend, so any task is worth it. Thank you for your help!
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