What is the purpose of your visit...???

Ya know it's funny that they always flip through and look at your stamps even though they scan your passport in.  Wouldn't it be easier to look at the electronic record or do they only have the stamps as proof of your visit?  I need to get a new passport for two reasons: 1. My passport is pretty beaten up and is starting to fall apart (it got soaked while hiking in the alps) and 2. I want to renew it before moving over so that I won't have to worry about it expiring while I have visas stamped in it.

So could getting a new passport without stamps be in my favor or would it maybe make me look even more suspicious to them? :-/  Anyhow, if pressed I can tell them we're filing for fiance visas in November or December (and we are)...we would file sooner, but it would expire before we want to get married in February....hmm...I hate immigration paperwork.

Ya know what's funny?  in the 1.5 years i've been dating David i NEVER thought about being turned away. I just walked up gave them a smile and my passport (and maybe a yawn) and answered a few questions!

Never did i ever bring back up or anything.  Only once did they ask to see my return ticket.

Over easter i'm going to be shaking like a leaf when i hit the lines!  

Ya know what's funny?  in the 1.5 years i've been dating David i NEVER thought about being turned away. I just walked up gave them a smile and my passport (and maybe a yawn) and answered a few questions!

Never did i ever bring back up or anything.  Only once did they ask to see my return ticket.

Over easter i'm going to be shaking like a leaf when i hit the lines!  

Oh don't be too nervous, especially as you've gotten through without any problems.  This past trip was the only time I've had to show my return ticket and sometimes I'm given a hard time and sometimes I'm waived right on through....so who knows.  Besides I think it's pretty rare that they turn you away, or at least it's not happened very often to people here on this board.  Even though Marlespo was given a crap time and interrogated for a couple of hours they still let her in.  So think happy thoughts (I'll try not to freak out about my next trip as well).

The more I read threads like this, the more evident it becomes to me that this questioning is somehow gender-based. The reason I say this is because I've gone in and out of the U.K (Heathrow and Gatwick) as many as 6-8 times in the course of a year some years and never once been questioned about anything other than how long my stay would be......it seems to me that single women going through immigration over there trigger some kind of alarm which prompts the 1001 question routine..........strange

I think you're definitely on to something. My friend was questioned at Gatwick when she wnet over to stay with friends from our "Geek Club" that she had never met in person.(She arrived 2 days after me due to the big NYC blackout). The woman raised her eyebrows when she said "staying with friends", and asked her point-blank if she had met any of them on the internet. Only when she said I was already here and would be meeting her did she ease up.


I think it's to protect girls from predators. My friend looks young.(But not THAT young!)

I think it's to protect girls from predators. My friend looks young.(But not THAT young!)

I doubt that the immigration officers are worried about protecting girls from predators.  That's not their job.  Their job is to suss out the people who they think are likely to break the rules, and keep them out of the country.

They'll have had a lot of experience with people who have met 'friends' on the internet coming through.  They say they are staying with friends, and then end up getting married to these 'friends' while they are on visitors visas.

As far as I know, only 2 people on this board have been actually turned away... and I think that single women coming in to be with men probably *are* a high risk category, in immigration's eyes - they'd be the ones to break the rules and get married without going through the proper channels... HMMM...

As far as I know, only 2 people on this board have been actually turned away... and I think that single women coming in to be with men probably *are* a high risk category, in immigration's eyes - they'd be the ones to break the rules and get married without going through the proper channels... HMMM...

Being a single woman doesn't automatically make you naive, nor does it make you a silly girl who would break laws simply because you are "blinded by love."  I like to think that I am a sensible person, and even though I am in love and would like nothing more than to be with the man I love, I WILL go through the proper channels to stay in the UK.  If single women who met guys on the internet were very likely to break the rules and just stay in the UK, then why don't we have a ton of people on here breaking the rules?  Many of us are or were single women in that position but it appears that the vast majority complied with the rules and used the visas, etc.

Being a single woman doesn't automatically make you naive, nor does it make you a silly girl who would break laws simply because you are "blinded by love."  I like to think that I am a sensible person, and even though I am in love and would like nothing more than to be with the man I love, I WILL go through the proper channels to stay in the UK.  If single women who met guys on the internet were very likely to break the rules and just stay in the UK, then why don't we have a ton of people on here breaking the rules?  Many of us are or were single women in that position but it appears that the vast majority complied with the rules and used the visas, etc.

I think that you're preaching to the choir here and that Marlespo was simply making an observation.  None of us really *know* if Immigration folks raise red flags with single women coming through often.  It's really difficult to say.  I think Celtic made a very good point.  It seems that the vast majority of people here who have had problems with Immigration when coming to visit have been women.  It's unfortunate to think that this kind of discrimination may (or is) happening, but whether this be the case or not, it would seem there's very little that can be done about it and one can only "play along".  

You're right Elle.  I did kind of jump on Marlespo (sorry!), but I guess I'm just frustrated with being treated as if I'm guilty or doing something wrong, you know?  Just like everything in life, you have to play their game to get what you want...so I'll just go along with it, be cooperative and honest, and hope that they'll let me through for my visits.

The scarey thing to me is that so much of what goes on in immigration to either country is at the discretion of the admitting Immigration Officer.  Get one in a foul mood or one that does not like the look of you and you get the third degree.  I honestly wonder if they tell them to assume guilt and never smile.  

As for myself . . .it's hard to look chipper and happy to be standing in line when you have just gone through a 8 to 9 hour flight.  Ugh.

As for myself . . .it's hard to look chipper and happy to be standing in line when you have just gone through a 8 to 9 hour flight.  Ugh.

So true - I think everyone looks like a little worse for wear after spending 8+ hours on a plane!  

not me.  i look positvely beautiful after being on the plane.  

Just kidding.

not me.  i look positvely beautiful after being on the plane.  

Just kidding.

Aimiloo getting on the plane -  

Aimiloo getting off the plane at her destination -  

Being a single woman doesn't automatically make you naive, nor does it make you a silly girl who would break laws simply because you are "blinded by love."  I like to think that I am a sensible person, and even though I am in love and would like nothing more than to be with the man I love, I WILL go through the proper channels to stay in the UK.  If single women who met guys on the internet were very likely to break the rules and just stay in the UK, then why don't we have a ton of people on here breaking the rules?  Many of us are or were single women in that position but it appears that the vast majority complied with the rules and used the visas, etc.

I agree, I was in your exact same position remember. That's why I said we may be a high risk category in Immigration's Eyes... not in reality. It was just a theory based on what Celtic was saying, and based on who seems to get a lot of hell going through Immigration. The people, like us, who aren't/weren't doing anything wrong.

OMG that looks just like me, picture brown hair!  

Now get me on that PLANE!  2 weeks 1 day till our 3 night visit.