Getting a second US passport to use while waiting on a UK visa

Hello!

I am in the process of applying for the first renewal of my UK visa. However, I would like to travel back to the US this fall to see family, and according to the link below, if you book a ticket, the American will give you a passport good for two years for travel use while you wait on the visa to be processed.

Has anyone ever gone this route? I just wasn't sure how it would go when I tried to re-enter the UK. I figure my temporary second passport wouldn't mention anything about my having a pending visa app and if the border control people start questioning me, I worry they might think I am lying and just trying to sneak in, and then they might turn me away. I also think they might find a US passport issued for just two years funny if they haven't encountered one before.

Would I essentially be entering on a tourist visa and then waiting for the visa to come through? Could this present problems?

Basically, I just don't want someone going "You're applying for a visa and you only have this weird two-year passport? Likely story! Go back to the US."

Any thoughts on avoiding such a scenario would be most appreciated....   

Hello!

I am in the process of applying for the first renewal of my UK visa. However, I would like to travel back to the US this fall to see family, and according to the link below, if you book a ticket, the American will give you a passport good for two years for travel use while you wait on the visa to be processed.

Has anyone ever gone this route? I just wasn't sure how it would go when I tried to re-enter the UK. I figure my temporary second passport wouldn't mention anything about my having a pending visa app and if the border control people start questioning me, I worry they might think I am lying and just trying to sneak in, and then they might turn me away. I also think they might find a US passport issued for just two years funny if they haven't encountered one before.

Would I essentially be entering on a tourist visa and then waiting for the visa to come through? Could this present problems?

Basically, I just don't want someone going "You're applying for a visa and you only have this weird two-year passport? Likely story! Go back to the US."

Any thoughts on avoiding such a scenario would be most appreciated....   

What is your current status in the UK?  Which visa are you currently on?

You should be able to apply in person for a same day decision, and therefore only have a couple of days wait for your new visa to come through.

You cannot leave the UK while your application is pending.

I am currently on a spousal visa, issued in December 2012, and now we're renewing it.

As for speeding things up by applying in person, we considered it, but the cost is an extra £400    so it's not really in the cards and I think we'll have to do it all by mail.

So, I can't get the second passport to go home and then come back and wait on the visa? Then what do people use them for? Thank you!

Why not pay the extra for a premium visa appointment for a same-day decision? You would have your visa decided on the day and your passport and BRP back within a week.

You can't leave the UK while a visa application is processing - that's the whole point of them having your passport during the process... so that you can't leave. If you were to get a second passport and leave the UK, it could potentially invalidate your visa application.

See this Freedom of Information request asking exactly what you are asking about: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/travelling_on_2nd_passport_while

From that page (reply from UKVI):

If someone submits an FLR(M) application and subsequently travels outside the UK on a second passport, before a decision has been taken, the application is considered void.  Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1971 sets out general provisions for regulation and control of immigration.  By virtue of section 3(1)(b) of the 1971 Act, an applicant may only be given leave to remain when already in the UK.

You should note that as this is a matter dictated by primary legislation,
it is not an area in which discretion can be exercised.

Edited to add: I believe FLR(M) applications are only taking about a month to be processed at the moment, so if you applied now, you could potentially have your visa by mid-September anyway (http://www.immigrationboards.com/immigration-for-family-members/flr-m-waiting-times-t77192-3680.html)

Ahhhhhhh! Alright then. Thank you to everyone for the helpful info! I have considered paying more to speed up the visa, but the cost is already so high and I think we're just going to have to save some money by waiting longer, unfortunately. 

Ahhhhhhh! Alright then. Thank you to everyone for the helpful info! I have considered paying more to speed up the visa, but the cost is already so high and I think we're just going to have to save some money by waiting longer, unfortunately. 

As I just added to my post above, though you may not have seen it yet, processing times for FLR(M) are pretty fast at the moment - two people in the link I posted have received their visas within 1 month and 1 day, and 1 month and 6 days respectively.

Well, that's better than I thought it might be! Cheers!