FAQ tip for girlfriends/boyfriends pond-hopping this summer

It's the immigration officer's call...and it's not always an easy call to make.  Plenty of people who have jobs waiting for them back home enter the UK with the intent to stay permanently.  The fact that your employer is expecting you back or that you have booked a return flight isn't enough evidence to prove that you're not here to stay....

I guess your right but what a crazy world we live in!!!

I had all of those things but she said SHE didn't think it wasn't enough money. She wanted me to prove that I could afford to pay for a place to stay for 5 1/2 months if Peter stopped supporting me. Even though, for $100 I could just get a flight home earlier. I had plenty of money, but obviously not enough to pay for a hotel for 5 1/2 months.

ahhhhh - God I would be going insane, what a total cow. I presume there is no way to appeal either is there ?

Anyway, that mess is over now that I'm married and here on my settlement visa!

Congrats

ahhhhh - God I would be going insane, what a total cow. I presume there is no way to appeal either is there ?

They took away the right to appeal a visitor refusal in 1991.

Then, midst howls of outrage and protests - mostly from the Asian community, they created a new class FAMILY VISITOR, and gave that visa the right of appeal.

Everything was quiet for the next 10 years, and then in 2001, the Home Office R&D unit published a very damning report which basically said (albeit between the lines) that non-visa national women (e.g., Americans, Canadians, etc) tend to lie when they enter the UK if they are in a relationship.  Which is basically true.  And the report essentially said that this was the source of massive abuse.

It's not really realistic to say that every year 1,500 American women came to the UK on a totally innocent holiday and then fell in love and got married to someone they never met before.  But that's what those women were saying.  Maybe it could be 5 or 6 fell into a whirlwind romance and got married, but *ALL* of them?  No way.

The report was also a damning indictment of the IS, which got hammered, and subsequently reorganized underneath the IND.

The next year they changed the rules about in-country switching and it went into effect in April 2003.

A further outcome of the reorganization was that IND sharply limited the authority of the IO.  And the IS has been *VERY UNHAPPY* about it.  And all the abuse that went on with boyfriends and girlfriends lying to them has got a sore spot.

One interesting limitation IND imposed is the IO's latitude to challenge an entry clearance.  It's good to know.  That's why I wrote the article that started this thread, right? 


Forgot to add: 
My own viewpoint is from the advocacy side, which says that boyfriends and girlfriends need the time to form a relationship without having immigration law act as the "Sword of Damocles" hanging  over their heads.  Otherwise instead of trial relationships, we run the risk of hasty and ill-formed marriages taking place, which is *worse* in society than the problem they are trying to prevent!  But there's no hope for that viewpoint any time soon...

I nearly had heart failure when I went to England in March.  I had no idea what to expect, had no idea I could even be asked questions.  I was stopped and asked a ton of questions.  When the officer found out we met on the Internet, he really quizzed me.  When I told him I had NO intentions of staying in the country and I do have a very good job to return to, that seemed to help.  He asked if we met in a chat room or singles site - and I said NO!  We just happened to meet on a Catholic message board, it was not a singles site at all.  He laughed, stamped my passport, and sent me through.

My entire body was shaking, I could hardly stand up.  (this was at Heathrow) Then I walk out into the sea of people waiting for arriving passengers to see my Simon face to face for the first time!!!  Talk about overwhelming!!!!  OMG - it was beyond.

So now I know what to be prepared for.

Now - to reverse this a bit - what sort of problems (if any) has anyone had bringing their Brit into the US?  We are so afraid of the same thing on this end since he will be the one doing all the back and forth visiting.

~Liza

Now - to reverse this a bit - what sort of problems (if any) has anyone had bringing their Brit into the US?  We are so afraid of the same thing on this end since he will be the one doing all the back and forth visiting.

~Liza

Oh my god.... when I left the UK my husband (boyfriend at the time) flew back to the US with me. We were so nervous about him going through immigration. I couldn't believe what happened. He said, "I'm coming over to stay with my friend for two weeks. She just spent a month with me in the UK." He pointed to me in the other line, the immigration officer told him to have fun, stamped his passport and he was through! I couldn't believe it after the hell I went through getting into the UK! lol

He had planned on staying for the full three months but we bought him a return ticket for a two week stay, then when he got into the country we changed his tickets for 3 months later. This is what I ended up doing when I came over to the UK the second time. It worked much better than saying how long I was really planning on staying.

I've been in and out of the US a LOT both on business and to see Andrea and to be honest, I generally don't like the immigration people.  

If its your first time in the US expect a LOT of questions but if you answer honestly they will be fine.  If you lie they will probably find out by asking other questions and you will end up slipping up cause your nervous.  Always remember that they are trained to watch for people stretching the truth so if you are they will find out eventually.  After the 1st time you have been in you shouldn't have much of a problem but others might of had other experiances.

The most annoying part is the amount of time you have to queue, I have waited anything from 10 min to 3 HOURS to get through.  The ONLY saving grace is that they also make US citizens queue to which I have to say makes me chuckle every time.  Can you imagine if our immigration people questioned and made us queue everytime we came back into the UK.

Anyway as I said generally you will have nothing to worry about, just tell the truth, try not to be funny (as none of them have a sense of homour) and you will be fine, Oh and tell your BF to expect to have his photo and fingerprints taken - its standard US policy now for all visitors.

Steve

That's good to know.  He was just here about a month ago.  He did get pulled aside for the very thorough search of his baggage and stuff.  But it worked out fine.  We NEVER have any intention to be anything but totally honest with immigration on both sides.  We know the law, we know that I can't be there married without a spouse visa, and he can't be here to get married without a fiance visa.  We will be totally honest if we are asked our plans, and if we are detained - oh well.  I can't do anything but be honest, and if that's not good enough for them well there isn't anything we can do about it is there.

We will just hope for the best, and in the mean time I'm so very grateful for this site to at least know what to expect and how to be prepared for it.

Amazing how much more I know now than I did in March!!!!!  What an experience this is!  I feel like Alice falling through a rabbit hole sometimes!!

~Liza

Amazing how much more I know now than I did in March!!!!!  What an experience this is!  I feel like Alice falling through a rabbit hole sometimes!!

OMG - I can't agree more, I mean 8 months ago I knew nothing about visa's and from today Andrea has her Visa  and in exactly 5 weeks we will be starting our life together - how cool is that.

I'm surprised he got searched, I'm probably tempting fate here but I have never got searched at immigration, security yes but never immigration.  I'm glad it worked out (BTW I never meant to infer you wouldn't tell the truth but you would be surprised how many people lie cause they are scared, I apologize if I offended you in any way).

Steve

Steve - not at all!!!  I didn't even think that.  I was just sayin'. 

We think the reason Simon got searched was because of a number of factors:  he was on a flight where the vast majority of passangers where returning Americans on some sort of tour or something, he had only one back pack with him so hardly any clothing.  They mainly wanted to know how could he come over for almost two weeks with no bagage.  He told him that his fiancee said that the Memorial Day sales are good right now, and with the exchange rate he intends to take full advantage.  Why pack when you can shop.  They laughed, said he is totally right, and sent him through.  Oh, and they did ask him if we were getting married, and he said no, not until he has a fiance visa next year.  Besides, he was one of the few non-Americans for them to check, and I'm sure they have to do a certain number of in depth searches per flight, so he got picked.  No worries though, he is always very cooperative and professional so it all went well.

~Liza

I got sent back as  well and the worse part is  because i have a  mark on my passport  I STILL get asked  questions even now..  I am married and have a spousal visa  but I still shake every time we go through  to see the evil ones!!    IO!!      at least DH is with me and he is cooler than  me..  can't wait to get a new passport..

Did they tell you why you got sent back??

Ash

her final  story was  that I didn't have a return ticket  which i did.. it was an e ticket and she could have checked online..plus she was able to use THAT  non existant ticket to send me back which we  thought was quite  convenient"..

I got sent back as  well and the worse part is  because i have a  mark on my passport  I STILL get asked  questions even now..  I am married and have a spousal visa  but I still shake every time we go through  to see the evil ones!!    [Grin]  IO!!   

Same here - was granted a Fiancee Visa, 2 years of FLR - and I got questioned about the entry refusal of August 2002 when I came home from visiting my mother in March 2005.
 

The guy asked me when I was getting my ILR as my FLR was up soon, and I told him - "In about 3 hours - I have an appointment at the Home Office in Croydon I have to get to."  He smiled and sent me on my way. (The Home Office adventure is a whole other thread    )

I'm probably tempting fate here but I have never got searched at immigration, security yes but never immigration. 

Never?  Dang, I'm American and have been searched so many times I lost count.  I'm not on any 'no fly' lists, either - my Congressman checked that out.  Just the luck of the draw, which never gives me winning Lotto numbers, tho  :\\\'(.  Some of my pals have been searched nearly every time they fly. 

I was stopped once entering the US because I was born in Iran but after the big cheese guy saw my British passport  and asked me a few questions ('when were you last in Iran?' '1968') they let me through.  The only time I've been searched has been at customs or during routine security checks prior to check in and that includes all my travel the world over.