FAQ tip for girlfriends/boyfriends pond-hopping this summer

Some Jewish pals of mine say even the worse US routine security search has nuthin' on the ones in Israel.  Two them had their bags searched with a rifle.     Yikes! 

some people i know always pack their dirty undies on top in case they get searched. 

some people i know always pack their dirty undies on top in case they get searched. 

My mom tried that in Columbia - along with boxes of feminine hygiene products.  The soldier must have jumped back about 10 feet when he saw that!  It worked.

The only time I had a bag searched was flying from London to Belfast - a random search in Heathrow. It was good news for me; I had done some serious shopping in the States and was coming back with 3 bags mostly full of new purchases. At the time Belfast had 2 carousels, one for international luggage and the other for stuff from the EU. My 2 unsearched bags came into the international carousel, I smiled sweetly at the customs guy, then went to the other one to collect my third bag. No problem!

some people i know always pack their dirty undies on top in case they get searched. 

I was particularly satisfied the last time we were traveling around the US, and had a bag searched by TSA (they leave a paper ticket in the bag saying it's been searched).  The bag they picked to search, as it happened, I had packed entirely FULL of our dirty clothing & nothing else (and this was warm weather season in the USA).  Hee hee!  It was my dream come true!  Finally -- small justice for the time they ransacked my luggage & broke some of my stuff (when I was moving over here).  I may put off doing laundry for weeks before I travel next time in the US -- and pack all my bags full...

Looking for some advice... I'm an American and have an English girlfriend.  We've maintained our relationship by flying back and forth for about 2 years.  We don't want to rush into marriage just to fix our visa issues; we'd rather let our relationship evolve more naturally.  But, I'm starting to run into problems entering the UK on the traditional visitor visa.  I haven't been flagged yet (or at least not that I know - no strange entry in my passport), but the grilling at the airport immigration desk gets longer and more intense each time. I have 5 UK visitor entry stamps within the past 2 years.

I'm in the UK visiting her right now for 3 months (until Aug).  My problem is that I'd like to come out again in Sept/Oct for another 3 months.  I'm terrified of going through airport immigration again, so I'm very intrigued by the entry clearance visa that some of you have recommended bf/gf obtain before travelling (even though it's not technically required for Americans).  What's the best way to go about this?  Mail in the application?  Go in person (I'd go to the L.A. consulate)?  Should I bring anything other than the application? (for example, a letter from my girlfriend?  Proof of finances? etc.)

Also, I've looked through the application (VAF1, right?), and it makes me nervous because it asks you detail all previous trips, why you wish to go this time, what your itinerary is, and who you know in the UK.  Obviously, explaining the relationship will raise some eyebrows.  I'm concerned also that I don't have a traditional 'job' to return to in the US.  I'm self-employed (I run a website).  I don't own any property in the U.S. And to make matters worse, I had a DUI (driving under the influence charge in the U.S. a few years ago... alcohol misdemeanour... do I have to report that as a criminal offence?).  I'm afraid of how all that might look on a visitor visa application.

Please, any suggestions or advice?

I don't know the specifics of the application process, but I would suggest that you do apply for entry clearance.  I think, based on your loose ties to the US and the frequency and duration of your trips to the UK, it's quite likely that you might be denied entry one of these days.  Don't worry about the application itself -- if you're doing everything above-board, it shouldn't be denied.  You can explain why you want the clearance -- that you're not looking to settle in the UK any time soon but that you understand that spending so much time in the country could look suspicous and that you'll be supporting yourself financially without working, etc.  If you apply via post, just send a letter in explaining why you're applying.

How much time have you already spent in the UK this year?

I don't know the specifics of the application process, but I would suggest that you do apply for entry clearance.  I think, based on your loose ties to the US and the frequency and duration of your trips to the UK, it's quite likely that you might be denied entry one of these days.  Don't worry about the application itself -- if you're doing everything above-board, it shouldn't be denied.  You can explain why you want the clearance -- that you're not looking to settle in the UK any time soon but that you understand that spending so much time in the country could look suspicous and that you'll be supporting yourself financially without working, etc.  If you apply via post, just send a letter in explaining why you're applying.

How much time have you already spent in the UK this year?

I agree - I think its the duration of your visits that are the problem nto the frequency.  Andrea has been in and out 4 or 5 times and really hasn't had much hassle but then she was only stay for 1 or 2 weeks.

How much time have you already spent in the UK this year?

Well, I'm in the UK right now, returning to the U.S. on Aug 23rd.... that would bring the total time in the UK this year to about 3 months.  I would be applying to come for another 3 months a month after I return to the US (to return to the UK at the end of Sept/early Oct.)

Well, I'm in the UK right now, returning to the U.S. on Aug 23rd.... that would bring the total time in the UK this year to about 3 months.  I would be applying to come for another 3 months a month after I return to the US (to return to the UK at the end of Sept/early Oct.)

Lola's given sound advice:  5 stamps in 2 years is going to set off Immigration's radar real soon. 

With regard to your prior "alcohol misdemeanours", they probably won't look pretty on a VAF1 form, but they will look like a work of art compared to having them pop up on the IM's screen while you're languishing away in the detention room.  Putting them down on the VAF1, however, isn't a show-stopper and doesn't warrant refusal of an entry clearance.

If you apply, you'll need to decide if you want the 6 month - simplest; or the 2 year - economical.  I have been advising people to go for the 2 year visa *UNLESS* there is a mandatory referral scheme at the particular consulate they are applying to.  I don't know the LA Consulate's local policy, but I can see that the consulate has a full staff with a seasoned ECM, so there's no reason they would need such a scheme.  But you never know...

Lola's given sound advice:  5 stamps in 2 years is going to set off Immigration's radar real soon. 

How do they decide how much is too much for someone to be visiting though? I have been to England twice since last November and will be going again this November. That makes for a total of three trips in a year, each trip lasting roughly ten days. Should I be worried? 

Thank you all for your advice.  Garry, I'm confused by a couple of your comments:  (1) what's a mandatory referral scheme? (2)  Won't applying for a 2-year visa make them even more scrutinizing than for the typical 6 month? and (3) are you recommending I go to the L.A. consulate in-person as opposed to just mailing in the application with a letter explaining my situation?

Again, thank you so much for your thoughtful assistance.

It means the consulate has been instructed not to process certain types of applications, and to send them to UKVisas instead.  So the consulate only acts as the middle man.  By 2010 *ALL* applications in the US will be referred - at least according to the plan, but for now they are starting with just a few types - like entry clearances for 2 or more years.  They are also slicing it by age, like under 25 year-old 1st time visitors from Malaysia, and what-not. On the plus side, it reduces corruption at our consulates; and on the negative side, it takes more time - hence my reasoning above.  So if they are not making referrals, then go for as long as you can.

They all get the same scrutiny so going for a 6 month doesn't make it less diligent.  It's like a two way street; they need to be comfortable that they know who you are and what you're about.  The length of the clearance, 6 months to 10 years, doesn't depend upon how hard they look at your application, but rather how long your personal circumstances are likely to remain unchanged. 

I am curious, has anyone here applied for this entry clearance? I had a hard time with immigration this visit, and am scared I will be denied entry in the future. I am considering applying for entry clearance, though not sure it's worth it if it doesn't guarantee I will not be denied either. Any input is appreciated, thanks!

When I arrive, they always ask my reason for being there, and I tell them I am visiting my fiance.  I ALWAYS get the same warning: "You cannot get married on this visit!"  I always tell them that I have no intention of getting married or staying illegally, as I don't want to take a chance on getting caught out eventually, being sent back to US, and never being able to go back to UK again.  The next time I go, I intend to have my fiance visa, entry clearance and whatever else I need.  However, I have heard that even with all of that, the IO has the final say?  So I could still be denied?  If that's so, why bother with an entry clearance to begin with?