In need of desperate help!

I am Elizabeth Louis, the girl who's article was published on the Telegraph just last Friday.  My boyfriend and I have been together now for nearly 3 years now. 

Because all odds are against me in settling with him until timing is right for us to get engaged, I could only come over to be with him on a visitor's visa.  I am currently unemployed and my boyfriend supports me while in the US and in the UK.  We were returning last Thursday morning to the UK from spening Christmas with my family when I was stopped.  The immigration officers were very rude to me and questioned my honesty even though I don't believe in lying.  According to them, I failed in giving them what they thought was reliable answers to their questions and therefore mine along with my boyfriends luggage were searched.  In my luggage was my diary.  Inside was one passage (only a few sentences) I explained my frustrations over being refused jobs because of my nationality.  I was told the only way I could settle with him was through employment, and I understood the work permit process but because I had attended a few job interviews and been offered jobs, I violated my visitor's visa.  I had no idea job interviews were a no no.  They found my frustrating comments to be "incriminating evidence" and I was detained and sent back the US.

My boyfriend was forced to leave the building and return to his home in Dorset while I was detained for over 24 hours in a holding room before sent home.  This whole experience has left me extremely bruised in morale and hope of ever being with my boyfriend permenantly. 

I found out that boyfriend planned to propose to me on my birthday next month, but now that is all washed up because we aren't likely to be together then.  There's no telling when we'll be able to see each other again.  My boyfriend has his own business in England as well as his own flat, of course he could come to the US if he really wanted to, but I would hate for him to have to give all of that up.  He's trying to remain positive through this whole nightmare, as for myself, I've lost all hope.  I don't want to give up my relationship, but I'm terrified to go back the UK.  I'm an honest, kind person and I meant absolutely no harm in my diary entry.  It was merely expressing my thoughts on paper, which is how I deal with things. 

To anyone out there who should read this, please contact me about what I can do to be with him.  I dearly miss him, and I'm frantic with worry that I may never be allowed to be with him in the UK.  Please help me.

I feel bad for you and your boyfriend,  though in this situation I do understand why the Immigration Officers were concerned if you were seeking work while on a visitors visa. I am guessing it also raised some flags if you stated you are not working in the US, so didn't have a job to get home to. They need to make sure people aren't immigrating illegally, and they don't know by looking at you that you are an honest person. I suppose everyone says they are honest. It's their job to sort out the details and question things they are unsure of. I am not sure what steps you should be taking now. Hopefully someone here will be able to give you some guidance. I know there are other people that were denied entry and still managed to get engaged/married and be with their partner in the end. I am sure you will get things sorted out. Best of luck to you.

I archived a link to the article at http://www.uk-yankee.com/articles/index.php?itemid=54

I thought it unusual that the Telegraph had carried the story.   

Based upon all that's written here and in the article, it's not something to get totally depressed about. 

As to your diary entry, I'd have to read it in order to know if they took something out of context.  There's a history of doing that in cases like yours, and a persuasive advisor can make a mitigating rebuttal if they are clever enough.

Betsy,
PLEASE don't give up!  If you read through this forum you will find many, many people who were also sent back to the US who has successfully applied for fiance and spouse visas.  It's entirely possible.  Your boyfriend doesn't have to give up his life and you both don't have to give up your relationship.

Any chance of his meeting you in Ireland for your bday?  Lots of romantic places to propose.  You could go back to the US and apply for the fiance visa and re-enter the UK right after getting it.

If he's been financially supporting you then it sounds like you would have plenty of evidence to support your relationship. As Expat says there are quite a few people who have posted on here in similar situations who have been able to obtain visas and return.  If you are planning on getting married and want to live in the UK, the fiance visa is the way to go.

Oh Betsy, it must have been such a shock- everything that happened.

From what's written here in the form of others experiences, it seems they are really cracking down at all levels. Yet, as others have said, many in your situation go on to be able to get the next steps accomplished without too many hassles.

Hopefully, you'll get engaged, marry, get your spousal visa and be over here, able to eat, work sleep and dream together.  Jus think, in two years time, you won't even be thinking "immigration".  

Hi Betsy,

I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm not sure why you're under the impression that the only way you can settle here is by getting a work visa. You mentioned you and your boyfriend were about to be engaged which tells me you do want to get married. Is it that you still aren't ready to be married for quite some time?

I was denied entry a year ago because the IO didn't believe I was going to return to the US. I had all my luggage searched like you and they read through everything I had in my planner and photocopied a lot of it. A very horrible experience. My boyfriend ended up coming to the US for three months and we got married in May and I arrived in the UK in June on my spousal visa. Don't worry about what happened causing problems with you getting a fiance or a spousal visa. You will then be entering the country under completely different circumstances.

I'm wondering if you'll be denied entrance here for at least three months, as I think would be the case if you'd actually gotten in and then returned to the States. (In the States, once a visitor leaves, he or she cannot return for at least 90 days if he/she doesn't have a visa, and if that's done frequently enough, Immigration there starts thinking something's amiss. That happened with my brother and a German he almost, but thankfully didn't, marry. She'd stay for three months, leave for three months, come back for three months, leave for three months. Immigration held her a couple of times--I think they thought she was a drug courier!) Anyway,  I think it might cause you much less hassle to get married in the States (or Ireland) and then come back whenever you're legally allowed.

I fear that I may be in more trouble than I realize.  The IO's read my entire diary and found in passage...
quote...  "This whole experience with being refused jobs because of my nationality has really made me any angry person.  Such an angry person that I've built up a fence of bitchyness to anyone who tries to get nasty with me.  If I try people's patience I don't care.  A job is very precious thing to have and it's something I need to survive.  So f--- beauocracy and give me what I'm entitled to!  I didn't come to this country to take advantage of it's benefits, it was my boyfriend and my boyfriend alone.  I didn't come here to be a terrorist and I wish I would stop being treated like one."  The IO's found this incriminating.

I've contacted a few sources to find out whether there is a major strike on my record because of my entry refusal.  The American Consulate tells me that it's just a "turn around" I wasn't deported and I won't go on any "list" for IO's to look out for.  I wasn't deported or arrested.  However, I've spoken to an immigration lawyer and he says that I need to appeal the case otherwise I'll have a major strike on my record which will be hard to get around.  Who's right.  I'm not a criminal, my diary simply was, me discussing my feelings on paper which is how I deal with frustration. 

??The home office has this whole entry on file, should I come my boyfriend and I get engaged would this diary entry be used against me?

??Is this the start of a criminal record?

I'm the least most threatening person you'd ever know.  When I told others about this, they were shocked that someone like me would be "incriminating".  Please help me!  I need anyone who knows about this. 

This ordeal has been blown way out of proportion. I can't believe it warranted an article in  the Telegraph. Surely after reviewing the case, someone at the Home Office will realize how silly this is. The reporter must love getting a byline for an article insinuating an American was trying to work here illegally, as if you're a Mexican immigrant who's illegally crossed the border into the States. Have faith. This will work out. Betsy, I'm not sure how it works here, but in the States, if your boyfriend had a company that employed 10 or more people, perhaps he could offer you a job, and then you could get a work visa. Perhaps, in the future, it would be best for him not to say that he's been supporting you in the States (and here). That might give Immigration cause to believe that you're using him in the same way people use Americans for green cards. I wish I knew more about the technicalities to help you. But don't worry about being singled out as some kind of criminal. I'm sure stories such as yours happen every day. They just don't happen to be publicized in a national daily. It really must have been a slow news day for them to pursue what happened. The press really sucks sometimes.

So f--- beauocracy and give me what I'm entitled to!   

Im sure you wrote the above in anger/frustration, but remember... as a visitor, you are NOT 'entitled' to anything in this country.

As others have said, though, being refused entry (true.. you were not deported) is not the end of the world.   I was refused entry in 1989 or 1990 (cant remember) under very similar circumstances... they searched my bags and read my diary.  My boyfriend was unemployed at the time, and we were waiting for his benefits cheque to arrive, which was late... so on several days, i wrote 'no giro', and 'still no giro'.   The IO decided that it was MYSELF who was claiming benefit, and would not believe that it was my boyfriend.    I was held for hours, then put on the next flight back to California.

My boyfriend and i discussed the situation and decided to get married, so he flew to San Francisco, and we got married there.  Applied for the spousal visa, and everything has been cool ever since.

I know this was a long time ago, and the rules may have changed... im just wanting to say 'dont panic' just yet.  You guys were planning to marry anyway,  as you were about to get engaged.   You just may have to move things up a bit.   

Good luck.