(split topic) How Long Can US Citizen Stay in UK?

Maybe my case was just an exception, but I had been to the UK 3 times before I went over in 2009 to stay for a while. I don't remember exactly what I told the IO, but I told him I didn't know for sure when I was going back but that I planned on being there for a few months to be with my boyfriend so we could see if our relationship worked on a day to day basis. I did NOT have a return itinerary, but I was traveling there with my mom and my sister and my sister worked for the airlines (I don't know if this matters). He asked what I did for a living and how I would be supporting myself and I told him I had savings and my boyfriend would support me as well. He did give me the evil eye for a few minutes and took his time deciding, but they stamped my passport for 6 months and I stayed for 5 and a half.

I'm not sure if this will weigh negatively on my visa application now, but I have been back to the UK once since then for a week and underwent 15 minutes of intense questioning and had to show my return ticket back. But they stamped my passport for 6 months again, so I'm assuming all is well.

I know this is an extremely old post-but im sure the same will apply today.

Im just looking over this and....well...im scared now


what is it with Border Agency?! its like they dont want you to come at all


I came to see my boyfriend in Feb of this year
originally for 3 1/2 weeks
I added ten more days towards the end of my stay because it just broke our hearts to have to say goodbye so soon

I came back....
hes been on a boat for 6 months working
I havent seen him in ages

Im planning a 2 1/2 wk trip to see him before the  holidays start here
and college starts back in January.
Im reading this Landing card thingy.

Will the small extension I made this year to my original fligh tto see him now cause me problems when i get to Heathrow and the Agent stamps my passport? it was easy going both coming and going last time, and ive no intention of extending the flight this time as  simply must get back here to the US before the end of October.

jeeeeeeeez

No, it won't make a difference.

They worrry about overstaying, but more to the point they know that when finances become short the person is more likely to turn to prostitution and this invites a host of other issues like health and safety and public funds and etc etc.  There was a research report published last week on this topic and it's a real eye-opener! 

This sounds like an interesting read.  A link would be ideal; failing that, can you point us in the general direction of the corner of the interweb where this can be found?  Thanks!

I requested a copy of the report from the police and received a pdf file via email.  Overall, I'm a very bad resource when it comes to looking up things on the internet for people. 

If there's a lot of public curiosity about the report, I can ask them if it's been put on the net, or if I can carry the pdf file in Transpondia's archives and people can download it from there.

Point remaining, among the things IO's worry about in their landing interviews is if the person's finances vis-a-vis personal circumstances would invite prostitution when money is tight or if the relationship doesn't work out or if there's domestic violence or whatever.