Airport Experience - Manchester

Just thought I'd share my experience coming through Manchester Airport. I got in yesterday coming from Boston. I'm staying until November (5 and a half months total) to visit with my british boyfriend. I was straight forward about visiting my boyfriend and not just a "friend". I was only interviewed for maybe 5 minutes. Questions included: how long we've known each other (over a year), how we met (internet), what I did for a living, the length of all my 3 previous stays (no more than a week at a time), why my stay was longer this time, if my leave from work was paid or unpaid, if i had a letter from my employer (i didn't, lol), when my employer was expecting me back, how many times he'd come out to visit me. I got a small lecture about the 6mos/year rule, only because it might affect any future trips.

I brought a load of other paperwork (return flight itinerary, pay stub from work, bank statement, support letter from my boyfriend, an itinerary for a trip he's taking to the states right after i get back)but the IO didn't look at any of it, not even my return flight itinerary. And though the IO wasn't quite thrilled to do so, after some hemming and hawing she did stamp me in. It was probably one of the easier interviews I've had coming in, despite the fact that I could tell she clearly was not excited about letting me in, lol. She did write stuff on the back of my landing card.

My boyfriend and I tortured ourselves stressing out about if they'd let me in or not, so i'm hoping my easy experience will give some relief to anyone else coming to visit for the summer.

It's nice to finally be able to relax and look forward to my visit here! Yay!

Glad to see you got through so painlessly! Well done for being prepared tho!

Hope you have a wonderful time while your here in the UK visiting your boyfriend.    also kudos to you for being well prepared as well.   

I think you got very lucky. I wouldn't want anyone else in your situation to breathe easy and pay for it later. Just my opinion, though,

I think you got very lucky. I wouldn't want anyone else in your situation to breathe easy and pay for it later. Just my opinion, though,

Um, well, I like to think it was a combination of luck, knowledge, and preparedness. I think every shared experience out there is likely to provide someone with some information, which to me always brings some form of relief when i feel I'm as prepared as I can possibly be. You make it sound like I'm suggesting that others not take it seriously. The only point of my post is to provide any information I can on what I experienced and to perhaps encourage some optimism to others who are trying to be as prepared and knowledgable as they can. I don't think a little optimism ever hurts.

Much thanks to the well-wishers!

I'm sorry-I didn't mean to offend you, and I never, EVER said you were suggesting others not take it seriously. I am really happy for you and I hope this means an easier time for those in our situations in the future.

I came through Manchester 2 years ago for 10 days with a return ticket in hand and got grilled and hassled by a guy who just wanted to be a jerk, so I just worry about anyone not being prepared. I sometimes think it's all down to the mood of the IO on the day.

I just didn't want anyone to think, "Oh, she had all that paperwork and they didn't look, so I won't bring any"

When I said "lucky", I meant it more as an expression of surprise that seeing as though you were coming for 5 months, you didn't get hassled more. It was not meant to negate your knowledge and preparedness. Again, sorry.

No worries just wanted to be sure my post wasn't being taken the wrong way.

I wasn't so lucky at Heathrow 2 and a half weeks ago.  They actually spoke with my then-boyfriend's mother who told them that I'd be staying with them while I was in the country for 5 months and that she and him would be supporting me during my stay and that I did, in fact, plan on leaving the country in October.  And they spoke to my dad who said the exact same thing.  I also had a return ticket and plenty of money to stay for that length.  I was interviewed three times by two different people, got stuck in the smelly, dirty detainment room (while I had food poisoning) for 8 hours and they sent me back to the US.  It was one of the worst experiences of my life.  Mercifully, they did let me out of the airport for the night so I could sleep in a real bed.  I don't understand why they'd have a rule stating that people could be there for up to 6 months with no visa, yet they're suspicious of someone coming anywhere near that time span.  Why don't they just change the rule to 5 months if they're not going to let people in for 6 months?  It's not like there was a conflicting story or anything.  Everything checked out and I could have easily produced any type of document giving further proof (I had my lappy with me), but they didn't care.

Congratulations to you!  I'm glad that someone got through!

Julie and Cleo, without being uncomfortably precise, what are your general age brackets?

mid-20's.  I have been told now that my age is probably what really made me the most suspicious.

Late 20's.

The directional difference is right, and quite probably valuable in comparing personal experiences.  I wouldn't think the difference is large enough to  ping their radar though...

When I was looking into the varous Visas available to me 3 years ago, it seemed pretty easy for a 20-somethings to come here on Visas other than Fiance. I remember thinking the UK was very ageist.

Why was the age a flag for Julesie and Cleo?