How to stay in UK beyond WHV ...

...aside from marriage, does anyone have any ideas how to legally remain in the UK after one's WHV expires?

I've heard some people talk about applying for leave to remain after a certain period of time residing in the UK (of which I think the WHV period would apply)...of course, during this time I'd still need to have some sort of income to support myself.

The only potential way I can see of doing it (since I'm not a highly skilled worker or one of the shortlisted occupations) is to perhaps apply on a student visa (taking a course for 15 hours a week which would allow me to work 20 hours a week, as well) and then from there could I apply for leave to remain after I've fulfilled the residency requirement?

Any advice anyone has is appreciated! My WHV expires at Christmas and I really don't want to leave the UK anytime soon.

You'd have to pay foreign rate fees for the course so you'd need the 20 hours just to be able to live

It would help BTW to know a) nationality b) ancestry & c) qualifications as there are various visas

You could also do a WHV in Ireland

Oh and a Student Visa DOES NOT lead to "indefinite leave to remain" otherwise every Johnny-come-lately on a 4 year course would be close to qualifying for that status

You need to get a work visa of some form

Thanks for the replies.
I'm 32, Canadian, and have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English. No professional qualifications beyond that.

Ireland WHVs are available till age 35 (last time I checked, which was a few months ago) so Ireland is definitely my next plan, however London is where I'd love to stay longer term. Ireland is great, but for me, it's no London.

My parents and grandparents were born in Canada so I have no hope for an ancestry visa or an EU passport (thereby letting me into the UK).

Good points about the foreign fees for courses...and the students here longer term wanting to apply as well.

Hmmm...it's looking more and more like marriage is the only option but that might be a little too long-term of a solution for me. ;)

The only other option is a sponsored work visa, if you are working at the moment it may be worthwhile approaching your employers and seeing if they'd be prepared to do that for you. Although with the influx of workers from the new EU states it getting harder to find a company preapred to do this.

Wait a while, the UK is going to a points system for immigration - having a degree will virtually guarantees a work visa. In the mean time, there's always Ireland

Hey alanR, sent you a PM - do you have any more info on this points system, in particular the time frame for it's introduction? I'm starting to consider illegal options lol, as every legal one seems to end in a brick wall for me!!!

Meanwhile, MelanieBC, if you have the money to afford to study on o/seas student fees (I thought I did and used this to extend my WHV stay into a student visa but ended up running out of cash rather quickly and having to go home) you could try studying in Scotland. O/seas students graduating there are eligible for the Fresh Talent scheme which allows you to live in Scotland for 2 years after your degree (giving you time to find a sponsored job).

London schmundon, btw.