News: Internet boyfriend refused entry to the UK

I wonder if we heard from either of them on these boards at some point? We certainly get posts from the occasional person who clearly doesn't think things all the way through.

Loads of my friends and family were surprised that I needed to a spouse visa to move/live/work in the UK, and even more surprised to find out that it wasn't even the end of the visa road and there would be more stuff later (like ILR/PC/whatever).  

Lots of comments like, "Wait, you're not a UK citizen now that you just married one?"

Well, back in the olden days (like 1970's when we married) that's pretty much all you had to do was get married and then get a letter from the British embassy. You got stamped with an ILR when you first entered and it got transferred to your new passport(s) when issued.  I'm not even sure when it got changed.  I wouldn't have any problems now if I hadn't left the UK.  Nobody ever told us your could lose that ILR.  So I'm not surprised that the average person has no idea.

I can't even begin to understand why becoming an illegal immigrant would seem like a reasonable option for any American. 

I can imagine a situation... someone who can't afford the increasingly astronomical cost of a spousal visa and is afraid they won't meet the maintenance requirements might decide that they have no other option if they want to be with the person they love.  I'm not excusing it by any means, just saying that the visa policies are making things more and more difficult for low income people, and some might get desperate and make bad decisions. 

Exactly!  Neary everyone I know is surprised that I've needed a fiance visa, spouse visa and would need ILR if I wanted to stay longer.  They all think because I'm married to a Brit it's just automatic that I have permission to stay as long as I want to.

I suspect that a lot of that attitude has to do with the fact that you don't stand out as a "foreigner" in a really noticeable way.  What you describe has been my experience as well, but I have a colleague whose wife is Korean, and when she was going through her ILR last year no one was at all surprised that she had to jump through expensive hoops in order to stay here.  But now that it's my turn, everyone is all "But you're married to a British citizen!  Isn't it automatic?"   

But now that it's my turn, everyone is all "But you're married to a British citizen!  Isn't it automatic?"   

Loads of my friends and family were surprised that I needed to a spouse visa to move/live/work in the UK, and even more surprised to find out that it wasn't even the end of the visa road and there would be more stuff later (like ILR/PC/whatever). 

Lots of comments like, "Wait, you're not a UK citizen now that you just married one?"

Same here, on all counts

The last time David and I flew out of Heathrow there was this American guy that was going on our plane to Houston...and he was heading back to Houston as well..and he lives half of his time here in the UK with his UK wife and half of his time in the USA..and yep you guessed it he doesn't have a visa..I told him about this site and he should check it out and start looking into getting one cause one of these days he was going to get caught.....and it would be worse off for him to get caught...

I've been married to a USC for 44 years and if I came to live in the UK I think from what I read here I would need a spousal visa for DW. Is that right?
Can you get the form online?

I've been married to a USC for 44 years and if I cames to live in the UK I think from what I read here I would need a spousal visa for DW. Is that right?
Can you get the form online?

There is no physical form to fill out...it's done via an online application system with a nice fee which is at the moment $1030, but set to increase in November. Quite an expensive process these days.

Exactly!  Neary everyone I know is surprised that I've needed a fiance visa, spouse visa and would need ILR if I wanted to stay longer.  They all think because I'm married to a Brit it's just automatic that I have permission to stay as long as I want to.

Also, DW's daughter is 21 and visited us earlier in the year. She'd like to move over here and thought it would be easy because "my mum lives there"!

Is it bad that I read the story and found myself hoping they subjected him to a future ban.  I'm guessing they didn't, but seems like pretty clear deception to me.  I get annoyed when people who should know better flout the rules and make it much more difficult for all of us.

I always wondered: When immigration decides to send a miscreant back to the US or wherever, does the UKBA pay the fare? Or does the would-be visitor pay it? In this case the guy had no money. 

Also, DW's daughter is 21 and visited us earlier in the year. She'd like to move over here and thought it would be easy because "my mum lives there"!

I went back to the US to visit my parents recently, and during a discussion of their options and desires when they're too old to live on their own, my mom said (half joking) "We'll just come over to England and live with you." 

They thought it was easy for one family member to move to a new country and act as an anchor for the rest of the family.  They were stunned to learn that there are a lot of hoops to jump through (all of which I learned on UKY), and that if the rules stay the way they are they most likely won't be able to come to the UK and live with me.

I always wondered: When immigration decides to send a miscreant back to the US or wherever, does the UKBA pay the fare? Or does the would-be visitor pay it? In this case the guy had no money.  

Depends on if he had a return ticket or not. If he did they would just use his return portion.

Here's the section on Refused Entry & Costs (starts on Page 6 - Section 8 ) for those interested as it's too much to copy & paste here.

ETA: for further reading see the section on Public Expense Removal - Page 6 Section 7.