one day off...

I don't know for sure if this is a real problem or not...please advise?
I have been granted a Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa, valid from 23 May.
A mixup in memory and calendar-reading means that I have a plane ticket that arrives in Glasgow mid-day on 22 May.
13 hours before my visa becomes valid.
I tried to work with the visa-issuing people, who told me I would need to apply for a new visa ($750).
I tried to work with the airline, who told me my flight is non-changeable or cancellable, so I'd have to book a new flight (at least $500).
I spoke to someone at the main Border Force office who told me this happens at Heathrow all the time and if I were arriving there, he'd just make a note for the officers to watch for me, explaining the situation, they would likely let me in and then I could just take a day trip to France a few days later and get my visa stamped then. "But I don't want to speak for Scotland." (aside: this is wise, lol)
I spoke to a Border Force agent at GLA who said "we wouldn't be able to stamp your visa, but that's probably fine." I asked if that would invalidate my visa and she said no...I asked if I would be sent back to the US, and she said no...I asked if I would be allowed to enter and work legally and she said "probably." .....
It seems some airlines won't let you on a flight before your visa is valid, so that is also a risk?

?? Any suggestions? Assessment of risk?

Welcome to the forum .

Personally, I wouldn't attempt to travel on May 22nd... it's risky because you can't enter the UK on your visa until after midnight on the 23rd, so if they did let you in on the 22nd, it would be as a visitor only, which means you could not work (it's illegal to work as a visitor) and so you would have to leave the UK and come back in again (i.e. go to France) before you could start working on your visa.

I would suggest that your safest option would be to cancel your current flight and change it to a later date.

Thanks!
My job doesn't begin in until 1 June, so theoretically I could run over to Paris (or Ireland, I suppose? I'm not sure...) for a night before then, and that would be less expensive than a whole new flight. But if they won't let me in (or if the airline won't let me board) then the whole venture becomes much more expensive than a new flight, I suppose. gah. Who would have thought a calendar would provide so much drama? :-)

If you book a flight to elsewhere now with someone like easyjet or ryanair, it will be dirt cheap.

Thanks!
My job doesn't begin in until 1 June, so theoretically I could run over to Paris (or Ireland, I suppose? I'm not sure...) for a night before then, and that would be less expensive than a whole new flight. But if they won't let me in (or if the airline won't let me board) then the whole venture becomes much more expensive than a new flight, I suppose. gah. Who would have thought a calendar would provide so much drama? :-)

You couldn't go over to Ireland because there are no immigration controls between the UK and Ireland, so you will not go through UK immigration on your way back and therefore your Tier 2 visa will not be stamped... which means you will remain a 'visitor' in the UK and will still not be allowed to work. You would have to travel to the continent (i.e. France) in order to get your visa stamped on the way back in.

However, I think the problem you may run into is that in order to be allowed in as a visitor you have to show:
- you have a return ticket to leave the UK
- you have no intention of living or working in the UK
- you have enough money to support yourself for your visit without working
- you have a job and a home to return to in the US

And if you are moving to the UK on a Tier 2 visa that starts the next day... how will you prove you are a genuine visitor who is not trying to live in the UK and has a job to go back to in the US?

Who would have thought a calendar would provide so much drama? :-)

Well, there is a reason they advise you not to book any flights until AFTER you have your visa in your hands... to prevent this exact situation from happening.

true. I had an email confirming my visa was approved, but not the actual hard copy in my hands. sigh.

Thanks for the clarifications about Ireland and about visitor requirements. It would indeed be hard to prove I had a job or home elsewhere since...well...I won't. :-)

I understand the rules, obvs, and why they exist. I'm frustrated that mere hours separate my flight arrival and visa validity and that is going to cost so much to remedy.

Thanks for the clarifications about Ireland and about visitor requirements. It would indeed be hard to prove I had a job or home elsewhere since...well...I won't. :-)

I understand the rules, obvs, and why they exist. I'm frustrated that mere hours separate my flight arrival and visa validity and that is going to cost so much to remedy.

Yeah, it's frustrating... I mean, you could be fine and be let in early, but there's no guarantee... and it's just whether you want to take that risk or not.

Is there no way to pay a fee to change your flight to a later time, or the next day? Most airlines will let you do it for about $200 plus the change in fare - I've been able to do this for non-refundable tickets before.

Depending on where you are from you may also be able to get a flight for cheap with a whole new airline. Norweigian is fantastic and usually no more than 200 for a one way flight out of a major city.

You could then change your other flight to a much cheaper time to travel(yours is so expensive because it's a bank holiday that weekend) and use it when you come back to see family or friends for a visit?

Just curious, but would the border control people let someone wait in the airport for the 13 hours until their visa becomes valid before stamping them in? It would be horrendously boring, but just wondering if that's ever a possibility.

What is the start date on your certificate of sponsorship?  You should be able to enter up to 14 days prior.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-minister-of-religion-visa/overview

Your time in the UK must start no more than 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.

What is the start date on your certificate of sponsorship?  You should be able to enter up to 14 days prior.

newcomer link: https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-minister-of-religion-visa/overview [nonactive]

Your time in the UK must start no more than 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.

1 June. This is partly why I got into this, I think...because when I last needed a visa (17 years ago) it was dated at the beginning of the month I was beginning to work, not the actual day I'd applied for. So it didn't occur to me that they would date it from the "likely date of travel"...

I already spoke to both airline and travel agent and changing the ticket isn't possible due to the type of ticket, I guess? (I'm traveling as a pastor, so...) It's on Iceland Air, and I'm coming from Chicago. The best I could do is book a brand new one for the next day, and just let the current ticket be a loss.

1 June. This is partly why I got into this, I think...because when I last needed a visa (17 years ago) it was dated at the beginning of the month I was beginning to work, not the actual day I'd applied for. So it didn't occur to me that they would date it from the "likely date of travel"...

I already spoke to both airline and travel agent and changing the ticket isn't possible due to the type of ticket, I guess? (I'm traveling as a pastor, so...) It's on Iceland Air, and I'm coming from Chicago. The best I could do is book a brand new one for the next day, and just let the current ticket be a loss.

How long is your layover in Iceland?  Could you "accidentally" miss your connection?   

Just curious, but would the border control people let someone wait in the airport for the 13 hours until their visa becomes valid before stamping them in? It would be horrendously boring, but just wondering if that's ever a possibility.

This was my first thought. Wait it out in the terminal and only go through immigration after midnight. Boring, but cheaper than a new flight. Maybe you could get into one of the lounges to have food, drink, comfy chairs and entertainment.

Or, just hope for terrible weather in Chicago and pray for a delay. 

1 June. This is partly why I got into this, I think...because when I last needed a visa (17 years ago) it was dated at the beginning of the month I was beginning to work, not the actual day I'd applied for. So it didn't occur to me that they would date it from the "likely date of travel"...

Ah, for clarification of how they determine the start date of the visa, just found this in the Tier 2 Policy Guidance:

Entry Clearance
i. Entry clearance will be granted with effect from 14 days before the start date of the job you are being sponsored to do in the UK as stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
If entry clearance is being granted less than 14 days before the start date of your CoS it will be granted with immediate effect.
Alternatively, if you state the date you intend to travel to the UK on your visa application, entry clearance can be granted with effect from 7 days before this date.
However, your intended travel date can be no later than 14 days after the start date of your CoS.

ii. Entry clearance will be granted for whichever is the shorter period as stated for that category

How long is your layover in Iceland?  Could you "accidentally" miss your connection?   

Icelandair also usually offers no extra charge to stay in Iceland for a few days on holiday.  Can you rebook just the second leg of your flight and stay in Reykjavik or Keflavik for a night?