Settlement Or Visitors visa?

SO as you all know, I went to London and i was stopped and questioned and held by Immigration. QUITE a learning expereince.
  ANYWAY!
  I was wondering if i should do 1 of the 3 things and MAYBE Someone wiht advice, experience  would know and help.

Here are a few facts.
I do not have a current job. I do temporary work ( cos the econemy sucks lol. plus i want to be with my boyfriend ) and U have to show u have somethint got come back too.. and i really don't.

I am going to have to list a lot of things to do whilist i am visiting... because last time i did not give enough things to do..

SHOULD I say i am staying with my boyfriend and his family? It was hard to decide what the immigration officer wanted to hear. I was scared for my life to say i had a boyfriend, and I didnt know what to do. HOWEVER when i wallked with a lower level officer downstairs to my terminal this morning he said if he was my boyfriend ( and i told him that yes He was my boyfriend and that he said to get an Settlement visa).



okay so here are 3 options i am looking at.

 I MUST get a visa from the British Embassy to go back and I want to go back. I am not holding any anger towards anyone. I had bad luck and i was not as prepared as I should have been. that's my problem.. 

  Should I ...
1. Get a visitors visa for 3-4  months and go with money my parents will be willing to allow me to  use  and then while i am there near my 3-4 months stay, get to the Embassy and ask for an extention?

2. Get a Settlement Visa and do I tell that I have a boyfriend who's family would like me to stay there rent free while we  try to have a real normal style relationship?

3.  Do i go to the British Embassy and ask them in Person what I should do?   I am so losted



SORRY for the long post but i wanted u to have some background. Basically my passport was taken but just for the night. I was not deported and I can return ONLY with something from the Embasy showing I am ligitimatly able to visit again. I want to do this as quickly as possible.
 
ONE MORE THING.. Do u all recomend Online processing OR  Going in person and if going in person .. how should I dress? and What questions will they ask and what do I need on hand? ALSO one more other thing. IF online where do you suggest i get the forms??




THANK YOU I AM SO DESPERATE, but I KNOW things will work out. I have money to pay for a visa.. just need to know what to do.
 Shala
 

  Should I ...
1. Get a visitors visa for 3-4  months and go with money my parents will be willing to allow me to  use  and then while i am there near my 3-4 months stay, get to the Embassy and ask for an extention?

2. Get a Settlement Visa and do I tell that I have a boyfriend who's family would like me to stay there rent free while we  try to have a real normal style relationship?

I think some of this depends on your ultimate goal. 

The only settlement visa that I think you will qualify for is a fiance visa.  So the answer to number #2 is yes, you tell them you have a boyfriend, you have to.  You will have to prove you have a relationship (easy) and you would have to have enough funds.  Your $4k, plus a letter from your parents saying they will support you, plus the letter from his parents saying rent-free should allow you to qualify.  However, fiance visas only last for 6 months (extensions are uncommon), so if you aren't nearly ready for this you may have to do the visitor's visa.  But I can't offer any thoughts on the visitor's visa because most everyone I have ever known just goes for the fiance visa.

Another direction you may want to go is a student visa or BUNAC.  I think BUNAC especially may be a good direction for you.  I have been told it is easier than the student one, but there are some qualifications (age and whatnot, I believe).

I believe the online processing takes ~10 days or less (it's called fasttrack) and I have known people to get a fiance visa same day by applying in person.  I think though (for NY at least) you can't do walk-ins you have to schedule and appt in advance.  Plus, if you are low on funds, you may not want to spend it on a trip to NY.  The fiance visa is going to be rather expensive.

Good luck!  You may want to take a deep breath though.  I am sure you will get very informed posts to help you out in your next step.  By the sound of your posts, I can't help but think you got a little too nervous talking to immigration, which may have made them think you were hiding something.  So, don't worry, you will do it right this time!!!

Personally, I would NOT attempt to re-enter the UK without some type of visa.  What is your boyfriend's position on everything?  Is there any way he could come visit you for a few months instead?  If not, what are his feelings about a fiancee visa?  Are you and he prepared to marry at the end of 6 months? 

Only you really know your situation and what will be best for you.  If you are really hell bent on coming here as a visitor for a few months then I would contact the British Embassy to see if you can get assistance to ensure that you are doing things correctly, however, do not expect them to advise you as they will probably tell you to get the fiancee visa.

Could you not come over and stay for just a couple of weeks? I mean, is this your first visit? I don't know your history, obviously, but if it's your first visit, it might be best to stay a couple of weeks and then he can come to the US and stay with you for a couple of weeks before you start to make things more long-term. It might be that you just need to slow down a bit. You certainly would need to think about something as serious as a fiance visa VERY carefully. Sorry if this advice doesn't apply to you, I just don't know how long you've known this guy or if you've ever even met him yet face to face.

I'm assuming that you and your boyfriend aren't engaged if you're coming over on your parents' money and you'll be staying with his family while you're there.  If you're not engaged, go the visitor's visa route.  Do NOT get engaged just to qualify for the fiancee' visa...I think that'd be more trouble than it's worth.

Schedule a couple of short trips back and forth.  It'll do the two of you good to spend time in each other's country, anyway. 

She was refused entry and made to return to the US.  She is going to need some sort of visa clearance before entering the UK.

You can apply for a Visitor's Visa, and that is the route I would suggest as you are probably no where near ready to apply for a Fiancee Visa and all the proof that entails.

She was refused entry and made to return to the US.  She is going to need some sort of visa clearance before entering the UK.

Ah, yep.  Ladymoonwalker, you need to APPLY for a visitor's visa.  The visa-waiver scheme isn't open to you at this point.

yeah i need to apply for a visa for sure. I cant do the visitor waiver thing because if i did i would be in lots of trouble and i was told i canot come back that way.. i would get in lots of trouble. LUCKILY i am glad that i was told so much info.
 I do not want to get married right away.. LOL I mean we would if we had tons of money.
  I probaly shoudl apply for a visitors visa for a few months and then see what happens. I guess 3-4 months is better than none at all.

Hi, this is LadyMoonwalker's boyfriend here. 


It's been a traumatic experience to say the least.  I'm just wondering exactly just how concerned immigration are with visitors having jobs in their homelands.  If you have suffiecient funds do they not care if you have a job?

Our history is that we met online in Feb 2003.  Shala came to London to visit me for 5 days in April 2004 and I went to Los Angeles to stay with her for 2 weeks just under 3 weeks ago.  I have a full-time  job and I have funds in my bank.  So if worst came to worst, does anyone know what the situation would be for me to say, go to the States and marry her in Vegas?  Would Shala automatically be a British citizen?  Would she be able to fly back with me to England and be let in no probs?  ANY thoughts?

Would Shala automatically be a British citizen?  Would she be able to fly back with me to England and be let in no probs?  ANY thoughts?

If you and Shala got married she would not automatically be a British citizen, nor would she automatically get let back in.  If you and she married, she would then need to apply for a spousal visa.  For the information on doing that, please see the link to the British Embassy website posted in the top thread on the board.

Best of luck!

If you have suffiecient funds do they not care if you have a job?

Shala's not having a job was a big deal to the IO because she has nothing to go back to in the States.  She showed up at the immigration desk with $4000, a return ticket for 6 months from now, and no real plan for her time in the UK.  Those factors alone would cause the IO to be suspicious.  Then she lied about your relationship 2-3 times...that REALLY made them suspicious that she was planning on either working and/or getting married while she was in the UK.  Since she wasn't coming in as your fiancee' or spouse, they couldn't really consider your income because you weren't "sponsoring" her on a visitor's visa. 

Ultimately, as much as it sucks, the IO was just doing his/her job.  It's really important to have enough money and plenty of "plans" when you're trying to stay for an extended period of time.  If Shala was just coming to visit you for a few weeks, she probably would have been waived right through, but the IO saw how long she was wanting to stay and just asked the questions that were relevant to that situation.

  aweeee my sweetie posted on here ( GUSH) sorry i didnt even see that coming. WELCOME PATCH to the  fun, and support and um.. conversation.

 YO u are right though lolabola
  I am so not angry anymore. I just want this to go on and be over. I don't hold grudges and I cant possibly when i was wrong But I do wish it coudl have not been so crazy lol. WELL now we know right.

 I am applying for a visitors visa for just 2 months and 3 weeks. Just so we can still see each other. AND my parents have put more money into my account to help and also,  we have started making an "itenearary" some of this stuff really looks fun so we may NEED to do it lol.


Thanks guys..

PS isnt it if we DO get married here i would have to go and get a  spousal visa and then i could go back to the UK once i get that.. but that i heard is a nother headache i dont need for at LEAST  a year from now lol

will keep u all posted on the status of Patrick's idea ) EHEHEH 


and also.. Patch, it takes time to get citizenship. I  don't know how it all works but it do take   a lil time   i would be able to work under a spousal visa though

Woo woo Shala - now we got Patch on here too!!!

*cuddles Patch and Shala* Me has been getting to know ur girlie Patch and she is luverly!!! Me is going to steal her from you so watch out!! LoL!!!!

I'm here for both of you 100% though if either of you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call on me, Shala rocks and I'm sure you're pretty cool too Patch!! Ok I'm done with my rant now LoL!! Just wanted to make myself noticed!! 

*huggles you both* Luffs ya really!!

x x x - Missy 

PS isnt it if we DO get married here i would have to go and get a  spousal visa and then i could go back to the UK once i get that.. but that i heard is a nother headache i dont need for at LEAST  a year from now lol

will keep u all posted on the status of Patrick's idea ) EHEHEH 


and also.. Patch, it takes time to get citizenship. I  don't know how it all works but it do take   a lil time   i would be able to work under a spousal visa though

If you get married in the UK while you're on a visitor's visa, you'll need to go back to the US and apply for your spousal visa.

As for citizenship...that route isn't open to you until you've been resident in the UK for three years...so there's still a bit of a wait there!   

I am applying for a visitors visa for just 2 months and 3 weeks. Just so we can still see each other. AND my parents have put more money into my account to help and also,  we have started making an "itenearary" some of this stuff really looks fun so we may NEED to do it lol.

It's great to see such resilience!  It looks very straight-forward.

To help summarize, you have a two step process:  [1] get your Entry Clearance from the Consulate using the VAF-1 form; and [2] get admited by the IO when you arrive the next time. 

Be sure to have 'Patch' read over the INF 3 brochure at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1018696644717