held at immigration:(

 i just got here today and i am sitting in my boyfriend's house but um.. they told me i have to board the plane tomorrow at 10.00am  because i did nothave enough funds or a trip planed out\!| wtf//
 i had 4,000 us dollars.. and i do not have to pay rent. they fear i am going to get a job here illegaly\!#

my boyfriend's dad and my dad are on the phone right now.. they are both confused.
the idea i   I am so confused. I was told i had done nothing wrong and I am not forbiddeon to come back.however i have to come back home. i am so upset but i have to figure something else out.i will type more when i get more info.  shala

Oh dear. If you came on the visa waiver thing and didn't have a return or onward ticket, they are under no obligation to let you into the country, no matter how much money you have on you. In fact, the airline should have queried it at check in.  Poor you. Hope you work something out.

Did you, by any chance, tell them you were here to visit your boyfriend?  If so, that could be the reason why they're sending you back.  Just a thought.

Same thing happened to me on the 19th at Gatwick. I'm now back in the states getting ready to go to the LA consulate and apply for a Visa.

Did you only have a one way ticket?

i did not say he was my boyfriend. i had a bank statment and i did not do anything illega. he says i can come back anytime i want.!
i had a round trip ticket and everything. he didnt think i was ligitimatly visiting \;9

sound like the Jerk I had the first time!  he kept me there asking if I always looked for guy on the net then went to see them ( I didn't know at the time NOT to say b/f ) I got a bit mouthy hmmm and told him that if he looked he's see this was my first trip out of the states after some b*tching back and forth he finally said that on the day I was to leave ( date on ticket ) he would look to see if I left and if I was not on the plain I would regert it !!! he was a real Jerk but nothing ever came of it and the next time I took the kids we had NO problem at all .......some of the people that work Immigration let the job go to there heads..Jerks 

 I really hope that it all works out for you I know how scary it is to not know what you did ( or didn't do !) Good luck Lady ..

Just a thought--what if you take a cheap flight to Amsterdam or the like and return later that day or the next day.  That way, you can clear up the visa issue.

I am not sure what the problem was, but if it was some imigration guy in a bad mood, maybe that would have affected things.  So, if you leave and then return in a day or so, you can just say "I'm here to visit my bf and his family".  Get a letter from the bf and his folks stating that you are to be a long-term guest in their home and will have no financial burden whilst you are there.  Also, let them know that you are in no way planning on working while there or planning on staying on past the 6 months.

If you have a return ticket for the 31 Jan that may help your case.

Good luck with this terrible dilema...I will be sending good thoughts your way.

Frances

i did not say he was my boyfriend. i had a bank statement and i did not do anything illega. he says i can come back anytime i want.!
i had a round trip ticket and everything. he didnt think i was ligitimatly visiting \;9

You don't have to do anything illegal. If you are using only your US passport to come into the country (no pre-approved entry Visa) then the immigration officials at the airport have the right to deny you entry based on the answers you give to their questions etc. Even with a paid round-trip ticket. They did the same thing to me and unfortunately there is no right of appeal when you're denied visitor (tourist) entry.

Did they keep your passport at the airport when they let you leave? They did mine & had I not returned to the airport for my flight 5 days later they would have been hunting me down. Because they stamped my passport "Entry Denied" I was told that in order to return I would have to get a Visa before I could return. I'm in the process of doing that now.

Just a thought--what if you take a cheap flight to Amsterdam or the like and return later that day or the next day.  That way, you can clear up the visa issue.

I am not sure what the problem was, but if it was some imigration guy in a bad mood, maybe that would have affected things.  So, if you leave and then return in a day or so, you can just say "I'm here to visit my bf and his family".  Get a letter from the bf and his folks stating that you are to be a long-term guest in their home and will have no financial burden whilst you are there.  Also, let them know that you are in no way planning on working while there or planning on staying on past the 6 months.

If you have a return ticket for the 31 Jan that may help your case.

Good luck with this terrible dilema...I will be sending good thoughts your way.

Frances

Don't do that.  She's been officially flagged and won't be allowed back in without  a visa. 

Sorry to hear this ladymoonwalker.  How long a trip had you planned? 

Ugh.  I'm really sorry this happened to you!  If I remember correctly, you were planning a 6-month stay, right?  If so, that was probably what tipped off the immigration guy.  He probably figured that you didn't have enough money to live on for 6 months (and would want to work to offset that), or he thought that you were planning on getting married while you were here.  Yuck.

The only thing you can do is go home.     The best thing to do might be what canys_girl is doing--get a specific visa appropriate for your situation...are you engaged to your boyfriend?  If so, it might be best to hold off and get a fiancee' visa nearer to the time that you two are getting married.

Keep us updated!

Oh what a rough ride, well if you had the return ticket etc goodness knows why they wouldn't let you in .. it's true they don't have to and even if you have a visa that's not a 100% guarantee - I'm not trying to worry you further but it IS just down to the person you get on the day unfortunately. I'm sorry you've had this bad experience and hope you are able to get back here soon. Just a thought - did they search your luggage? maybe they found something that made them think you were looking for work etc? eg copies of your CV or references etc.

good luck and please don't let this put you off the UK!!

This is a disappointment, but just do as you are told and when you get home do your research and follow their rules to the letter. Everything will turn out fine in the end! Keep you chin up.

Sorry you went through this. As we had stated in earlier posts that you posted, this was always going to be a risk. Your best bet is to get a specific visa to get back into the UK now - you have been flagged and they will be watching what you do. If you try to do the same thing again, they'll do the same think likewise. FLying to Europe and back isn't going to solve the problem. No it isn't fair, but as we've said in countless other posts, it is ALWAYS a risk to assume you can stay in the UK for 6 months on your passport just because it is legal. They don't have to let you in and if they suspect *anything* - - they won't let you in. For instance, if they suspect you'll get married during your stay, they won't let you in because you wouldn't have gone through the right hoops. Ssadly, your options are limited right now. Student visa perhaps, but that would take a long time. Another option is a fiancee visa, but you need to be engaged and they'll want a lot of "proof of relationship". The other option - as much as it sucks - is to continue your long-distance relationship. Continue visiting each other for short trips. Continue getting to know each other, and then seek a fiancee visa later. I know it would break your heart to do it, but like I said before - you've been flagged now, and Immigration won't budge on things like this. All my best to you...

I hope I don't sound too unsympathetic - been there, done that, got the t-shirt - but I'm not terribly surprised.