Leaving in a couple weeks, nervous.

Well, that's just it. It's the luck of the draw. IO's have a lot of personal latitude; you could sail through without a problem and wonder why you put yourself through so much anxiety.

But you might not. And if you don't, I gather the experience is most unpleasant (and expensive). Once they say no, you're screwed.

How do you know these friends you are visiting? You will more than likely be grilled on that by the IO?

the latter would suck especially if they couldnt work something out with me and let me visit for atleast a couple weeks. Considering i have everything and then some that is required of me.

option one would be quite pleasant.

the person with whom im staying with lived in my area for about a year back in my highschool days. Thats how i know them.

Yes, certainly, if they don't believe you.  They may well ask where your friends live and how long you plan to stay with each of them, what tourist sights you plan to visit, whether you have looked into hotels, b&b's, hostels, where the evidence is that your friends are happy for you to stay with them.  They can ask whatever they want, and one of the most common reasons for visit visas to be refused to people who want to stay for a long time is 'the applicant showed little knowledge of the UK or of what he planned to do while here.  I therefore do not believe that he is seeking leave to enter for the purposes of tourism'.

You can't 'play it by ear' for six months. And it's not really a good idea anyway.  If you are going to spend that much money and time, do your research first!

Vicky

thats why i have a letter from the friend i am staying with, it has name, email, address, phone number, acknowledgment that i am staying with her and that accomidations are taken care of.

at the end of the day, i am visiting to go live with her for the length of my stay, ofcourse we will tour but other than that we will be doing the usual stuff that ppl live there do.

incase anyone has missed it here is what i have prepared.

- tickets there and back
- passport
- obligations to return home from employer
- documentation from sponsor
- proof of funds
- travel and health insurance
- stamped visa upon arrival

If I have all that with documented proof, can they still just decide not to believe me?

- tickets there and back
- passport
- obligations to return home from employer
- documentation from sponsor
- proof of funds
- travel and health insurance
- stamped visa upon arrival
- * Travel Itinerary*

just printed out some places I definitely want to go see....all i did was print it out though, its just a full page list of tourist attractions.

London Eye, Natural History Museum, Stonehenge, Globe Theater, House of Parliment, Big Ben...etc......just to name a quick few.

does this count for anything? Or would they be looking for brochures and stuff like that?

They can decide at anytime to not believe you. 

What they want is to know WHY someone would want to spend all their savings to come stay with a friend they knew in highschool in a place they know nothing about. And why said friend has agreed to allow a highschool friend to stay in her home. Usually when people visit for that period of time, they have side trips planned, reservations made, perhaps tickets to shows, etc.  The burden of proof is on you to show that you are a legitimate visitor, not someone coming to shack up with a girl you met on the internet.  Six months is a very long time for someone to visit anywhere.

And no, you will not be allowed to say "oh then I'll only stay for 2 weeks eventhough I have a return ticket for 6 months from now".  It will either be your entire intended stay or nothing.

"at the end of the day, i am visiting to go live with her for the length of my stay, ofcourse we will tour but other than that we will be doing the usual stuff that ppl live there do."

Right.  Exactly.  That's the problem, in a nutshell.  You cannot go to visit to "live with her" and do the "stuff" that people who live there do.  You cannot live there.  You will be on a visitor's visa. 

well if they have a problem with their own rules....being 6 months for a visitors visa i dont know what else i can do.

i wont be spending all my savings either....i highly doubt i will spend much money at all. Ill tell them exactly WHY i want to do this when they ask me, but from the looks of it they'll have a problem with that too. Honestly doesnt get you ery far at all nowadays im coming to find. Im doing it because I want to and thought that I could based off what i have read rgarding rules and regulation.

point is, I am not doing anything better with my time sitting here living with a friend in a college enviroment....why let time fly by when i could be out doing stuff such as travelling. If thats not legit I dont know what is. So basically, its up to the IO and his/her mood at the time as to weather i get in or not.

*** hypothetically*** If honesty is going to waste my time and money, i will lie through my teeth....not trying to be rude at all or anything but in all honesty i'd rather lie get banned for life from the UK then to get sent home thousands of dollars poorer. I can completely turn the story around and say......My parents are paying for my vacation for my 21st birthday before i undergo my schooling and training in the career field of IT and networking, they want me to take as much time off as possible as it will be a very demanding position for a very reputable company....to cut cost they wanted me to go to a country or state where i know someone and contact them to see if I could room with them for the time being, i have a very good friend here in the UK and have already worked out all the semantics with her, heres written proof complete with all her personal information........and heres all my proof that everything im saying is true and that im as legit of a tourist as anyone else. **** again this is hypothetical, i know yall dont reccomend lying to IO, and i do not plan on it****

even though my birthday is very soon and this story makes alot more sense then the honest one i already have.

i get what your saying, i meant live as in go be alive at her house....not settle and reside permanantley.

I also meant that we are gunna do the usual thing ppl who live there do....simple things like bars and movies and such.

My apologies, but if you are going to use our advice to determine the best lie to tell, I am not going to offer advice any longer. 

Good luck to you.

This really is a joke.  You are not going to the UK to be a tourist, you are going to live with your friend for six months and do the same stuff you would do in the US.  This isn't being a tourist, it's living with your friend. What will you do while she is at work all day?  You are going to be really bored!  The IO won't believe that you'll just sit at home watching ESPN, he;s going to think you will work.

Vicky

she doesnt work......i promiss this isnt a joke, im going to experience another culture that is the best way i can explain it.

again we are VERY good friends, i was her best friend when she lived here in america albeit it was not a very long time. She is far more excited than I am, even got sad when i told her the longest i could stay was 6 months.

hence why i put hypothetically with the ****'s and whatnot, as to not spark any negative emotions in you...yall have been a huge help.

but is temporarily living with a really close friend not allowed? Im a little confused, as I have all this proof of my legitimacy yet what i will be doing whilst there can get me sent home. I have put together travel itinerary aswell. Im lost now.

I just cant see my written reason for not being allowed in something silly ' not enough sightseeing, thinks he can just experience another culture and learn about the world for six months'