What options are available to me after finishing my masters?

[NMC]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and I'd really appreciate any advice you could give me regarding what options are available to me once my student visa expires in June. I'd really like to stay and hopefully work in the UK for at least the next few years but I'm not sure exactly how realistic that is based on my current situation.

Here are the basics of my situation:
-22 year old male
-United States Citizen
-Mom= New Zealand citizen and UK citizen by descent
-Masters student (finish at the end of the next term)
-Live with long term girlfriend (Danish citizen)

My hope to continue living here after finishing my masters. Even though I'm an American citizen, I feel London is just as much my home as Chicago. Due to my parents jobs, I spent a good portion of my school years in the UK and, to this day, most of my closest friends are here. My long term girlfriend (4 years, one of which living together) is a Danish citizen but also lives here. She is currently in a PhD program that will probably last several more years and has told me that she doesn't plan on leaving the UK after finishing. I love the US, but I'm honestly not ready to go back in just a few months and leave everything here behind.

There is a possibility that I'll also pursue a PhD after my master's program finishes. In that case, I assume that I could continue living here on a student visa as I have been. Ideally, however, I'd like to enter the workforce but my masters is in the humanities and the job market is still far from ideal.

Sorry for the massive set up, it's just the immigration system seems to be extremely complicated and I'm honestly not sure exactly what visa options (if any) are available to me. As of now these are my most pressing questions:

-If I don't do a PhD, is there any way I could stay while I look for a job?

-If I do find a job, could I switch to a work visa from my current status?

-How would my options change if I married my girlfriend? I obviously would never want to get married just for this reason but we've been talking about marriage for a while now. We were planning on having a big wedding after she finished her PhD but recently we've also been discussing the possibility of having a small civil ceremony in the coming months. If I understand correctly that would mean that I could stay and work after my student visa expires, allowing me to find a job and save up for a bigger ceremony that our families would attend after she finishes her doctorate.

-Do my UK two British grandparents affect my situation? My mom was born in New Zealand to British parents and she is a British citizen. It is my understanding, however, that British citizenship doesn't transmit past the first generation born abroad but I am considering going to the necessary steps to acquire New Zealand citizenship through my mother because that would make me a commonwealth citizen. That would mean (I think) that I could apply for a UK ancestry Visa or the youth mobility scheme. Does anyone know exactly how these programs work?

-Would switching visa types mean having to leave the UK? I wouldn't mind going back to the US for a few months but I'm concerned that once I'm there I won't be able to come back and I would much rather spend that time working/looking for a job.

[CR001]

You would qualify for a UK Ancestry visa, valid for 5 years, if you grandparents are British. Has to be applied from USA though as not possible while you are in the UK. This would allow you the freedom to work for whoever you choose. It is a working visa but not tied to a particular employer. Fairly easy to get one of these if you meet the requirements and have all the documents.

The other option would be EEA Family Permit if you are in a durable (min 2 years living as 'akin to marriage') unmarried relationship with your Danish girlfriend and she is exercising treating rights (working, self sufficient etc) in the UK. This would be the cheaper option. Durable relationship of two years not all that necessary if you are married though.

[NMC]

You would qualify for a UK Ancestry visa, valid for 5 years, if you grandparents are British. Has to be applied from USA though as not possible while you are in the UK. This would allow you the freedom to work for whoever you choose. It is a working visa but not tied to a particular employer. Fairly easy to get one of these if you meet the requirements and have all the documents.

The other option would be EEA Family Permit if you are in a durable (min 2 years living as 'akin to marriage') unmarried relationship with your Danish girlfriend and she is exercising treating rights (working, self sufficient etc) in the UK. This would be the cheaper option. Durable relationship of two years not all that necessary if you are married though.

Thanks! I'm actually at a conference in Miami at the moment so I might try to stop by the consulate and maybe get more information about the Ancestry visa. Do you happen to know if I would also have to apply for the family permit from outside of the country?

[NMC]

Looking at the UKBA's website, it seems to suggest that the UK ancestry visa requires commonwealth citizenship. I don't currently hold the citizenship of any commonwealth country, but I'm almost certainly entitled to New Zealand citizenship. I guess I could apply for New Zealand citizenship in order to apply for the UK ancestry visa, but it seems like that process will take a long time and be quite expensive (especially if I have to go to New Zealand to apply.

[CR001]

Have a read through the link below for info on the EU partner route. You would need to prove 2 years cohabitation though and could apply within the UK.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/eea-ro ... lications/

Were you born in USA?

Are you not New Zealand by descent and could you not apply for a passport directly? (not familiar with NZ laws, sorry)

Sorry your post was long and I forgot about the Commonwealth requirement for Ancestry.