Leaving in a couple weeks, nervous.

alright ill try to relax more....once i board my last flight, nothing else will matter and it will be a good day. homefree for 6 months.

I'm not offering any advice because I'm not a professional and don't want to be held liable or anything like that...but just to offer the "other side" of things...I had heard horror stories about women being detained and refused entry and all of that and I was a nervous wreck the first time I came to England to visit my husband AFTER we were married (I was prepared to be questioned and viewed as someone who was going to try to stay illegally in order to be with my husband).  I was only staying for 2.5 weeks and I did not get a visitor visa ahead of time.  I filed out my landing card with his address and when I went through the gates, the officer said "Is the address listed here of friends or family?".  I said yes and then he asked "How long are you staying?" and I responded with the date my return flight left.  He said "Enjoy your stay" and I went on through.  Sometimes things are nowhere near as scary as some people here would like you to think they are...and sometimes those horror stories are abnormal and extreme and few and far between.  I've also heard that as far as border patrol, a lot has to do with what airport you are landing at...some have a reputation for being more laid back than others.  Having said that, my motto is to always be prepared for the worse.

I know that there is at least one person here who lived with her parents, didnt have a job and stayed for 6 months and didnt have any trouble at immigration, but everyone's experience is different.

She's talking about me.  I'm a freelance writer, so I didn't have anything solid in terms of a job to return to.

When I went over, I took with me a print out from the front page of my internet banking (to show the balance as of the day I got on the plane), a copy of my most recent bank statement, a letter from my mom stating how much I paid her in rent and when she expected me back, and I had a letter from Tim (my boyfriend) outlining that he was providing me with room/board and he was a British Citizen, had a f/t job, owned his house, etc. he included his UK passport number, information about his employer, and how long he expected me to stay.  The only thing the I/O told me he should have added to the letter was how long we had known each other.  I also had in my folder print-outs of confirmations for show tickets we had to a play in Stratford a week after I arrived, a play in London a month into my visit,and a few other trips/events we planned to attend, but I was never asked for any of that.  I know the I/O got a glimpse at my folder though and he could see it was full of information regarding my visit.  The only thing I even needed to hand over was the letter from Tim, and I got my stamp and was done. No further questions, no questions about funds...I was pretty shocked, but I figured it also might have had to have something to do with my age (29 at the time) and how I was dressed (business casual).

I also only originally planned to stay for 2 months, got stamped in for 6, and then Tim and I decided we wanted me to stay longer due to a family emergency and the fact that we were enjoying our time together. I wound up staying longer than even we originally decided to extend my stay for (it started as stay until mid-January for his Uncle's funeral, then his Gran went into hospital and he wanted me to stay longer), but I made sure I left before the 6 months expired on my passport stamp. 

Tim mailed me the letter to give to the I/O so I would have an envelope with a UK post mark and his signature in ink.  He was going to fax/email it, but then he decided it was better if I had it postmarked.

But this might not work for you in your situation, so I wouldn't assume you'd get in just because you take along the same information. A girl in her early 20s came through LHR about a week after me and had the same  types of documents I had and was planning on staying with her bf for 2 months and she was turned away, so YMMV.

thanks to both of you....i was wondering who it was that stayed for 6 months when someone posted about you.

I have called embassy's and one told me to get a travel agent....the travel agent I called was baffled at the fact that an embassy worker referred me to them....he then said I should really have no problem getting in. But as has been said, never hurts to be prepared.

I can get my sponsor to write the letter, how long would this take to reach the US though?

Im leaving the beginning of next month. Then again, the emailed letter has ALL information, like a telephone number if they have their doubts. There is a huge problem with the system if I cannot get in...or if they wouldnt let me in because the letter wasnt hand written. I have got all the facts and can back it up with proof, so I am at a complete loss if i get denied.

Its possible that the misunderstood you and were referring to a courier/visa expeditor when they said "travel agent" as this is what they are often called.   But I suppose that doesnt matter one way or the other.

If your friend sends your letter via Royal Mail, it should reach you in about a week.  She can, of course, use FedEx or similar and get it to you overnight, if needed.

I'll keep my thoughts about "the system" to myself... but you do need to know that as an American you have it much easier than many others.  Consider yourself lucky that you are even given the opportunity to stay 6 months.

not bashing the system, but then again I kind of am.....that goes for any country, most definitley including mine.

What I mean is that the information on the .gov websites and on the internet should be far more thorough and in-depth for ppl like myself who follow all the rules yet still have to worry about wasting time and money....lots of it.

ill see what I can do about the mailing of the letter.

thanks

I think most places assume that if you are going to visit as a tourist, you will do tourist-y things for some predefined period of time and then go home.  I believe the standard tourist period (no visa required) for the US is only 90 days.  If you can't fit all your sightseeing in to that timeframe, you are expected to seek other avenues of entering the country (getting an official visitor visa, a green card, work permit, etc).

Most countries want to avoid people "clogging up the system", so to speak.  That means staying long-term (the longer you stay, the more likely you are to slip and fall and end up in a hospital requiring care), getting a job (while not paying taxes b/c you're not allowed to work legally), etc.  So yes, they will take measures to prevent such things from happening.  This is hardly unexpected.

I can get my sponsor to write the letter, how long would this take to reach the US though?

Im leaving the beginning of next month. Then again, the emailed letter has ALL information, like a telephone number if they have their doubts. There is a huge problem with the system if I cannot get in...or if they wouldnt let me in because the letter wasnt hand written. I have got all the facts and can back it up with proof, so I am at a complete loss if i get denied.

Your friend doesn't need to hand write the letter, but an inked signature and a UK postmark would help prove to the I/O that SHE wrote the letter and it wasn't you fooling around making stuff up, you know?

Depends on where you live in the US and where she lives in the UK. I get mail from Tim (he lives in Lincoln, I live in Lancaster, PA) in about 3-4 business days.

There's not a problem with "the system". The problem is there have been tons of people in the past who have abused "the system" so now the government has to be a bit harder on young adults visiting. 

Becca - you were visiting for 2 months and your plans changed because of something beyond your control.  That is a world of difference from someone who is coming to stay for 6 months with no real idea of what he is going to do here than 'live with his friend and not spend much money, and maybe look to move here and get citizenship eventually'!

Vicky

I don't really see how it's a problem for someone to visit with the intention of "living temporarily". I think calling it that will raise concerns, but many of us involved in long-distance relationships have done just that in order to be with our partners. Even if you are not doing typical touristy things, doesn't mean you don't qualify as a visitor. If you have don't have intentions of working and plan to leave before your visa expires, then I think you are a genuine visitor.
Though, I only ever visited the UK for a couple of weeks at a time when I was dating my now husband, he used to come and "live" with me in the US in the summer. We did this for nearly five years, and never had any problems at immigration.

I agree with all of the above.

I went ahead and told her to mail me a letter as it will only help my cause.

and the comment about staying long and needing healthcare.....yes that could indeed become a burden on the NHS(?) but that is why i went ahead and got insurance coverage for that. I have that documented aswell.

Becca - you were visiting for 2 months and your plans changed because of something beyond your control.  That is a world of difference from someone who is coming to stay for 6 months with no real idea of what he is going to do here than 'live with his friend and not spend much money, and maybe look to move here and get citizenship eventually'!

Vicky

Very true. I honestly wouldn't have thought of going over initially for the 6 months right off the bat.

guess i will just have to wait and see how it pans out.

I emailed the uk.gov website so I should get a response sometime this week.

just an update....i have a written letter with UK posting and a written signature on the way.

Hey,

Goodluck at the airport. Ill be in the UK next month and am also struggling with what to say to immigration. Of course don't want to lie to them, but i have no idea how long I want to stay there. I know when I went through Glasgow, all they asked me was are you here for business or pleasure. I told them pleasure and they stamped my passport with a 6 month to leave visa and said enjoy your stay. It was that simple. So it might be like that for you, though if your flying through london, I hear they are strict.

Have fun with your friend in the uk!