Was I deported?

I flew to England a few years ago to see my fiance, and the IO didn't think I was going to go back to the US.  He allowed me in, but was told to return in a week for a flight back.  I never received an official written notice of denial or deportation, just verbally told to return and someone would meet me at the airport with a boarding pass.  Since then I have returned a number of times with no problem, but I don't know if I was deported, denied or how to answer that question on my fiance visa application?

Was your passport taken?  There may be a stamp with a code that says you were denied entry.  You weren't deported.  You were denied entry.  BIG difference.

When i was denied entry, i was given a letter... a sort of 'we are not satisfied that you are genuinely here as a tourist' type thing.  This was a long time ago, though... 1988 or 89.
And i sure as HELL was not allowed to stay in the UK for a week... despite the fact i was paying rent on a flat and had to get that whole mess sorted out, move out my stuff, etc.   

When i was denied entry, i was given a letter... a sort of 'we are not satisfied that you are genuinely here as a tourist' type thing.  This was a long time ago, though... 1988 or 89.

They still do this. I was denied last December and given two letters. One explaining why I was denied entry (I was annoyed that it wasn't the same reason they told me verbally) and another explaining that I was given permission to leave for the night to find a place to sleep and that I had to be back at a certain terminal by a certain time the next day.

I am pretty sure they're required to give you a letter stating why you were denied entry if you were denied entry. I don't know...this seems sort of odd to me.

It sounds as though you were given 'temporary admission'.  This means that you are legally not in the country, even though you physically are.  You would have been told to return to the airport in a week in order to leave again.  This is a refusal of admission, but sometimes the Immigration Officers are nice and give TA, for between one day and two weeks in my experience - it is up to their discretion.

When you next apply to enter the UK, you will have to disclose that you were denied entry.  Say that you were given TA and that you returned within the week as instructed, as this will help your credibility. As you have come to the UK in the meantime with no problems, then I very much doubt that there will be any bearing at all on your fiance visa application.


Victoria

Thank you all for your help, my mind is greatly eased.  I just wasn't sure, since I had nothing in writing!