Hellllooooooooooo!

I have spoken with the embassy and told them I will be coming over to gamble and visit and they said that was perfectly fine. I was not explicitly clear that I play poker as my job. Hmm. I didn't mean to offend you if I did I apologize.

Which embassy was that?

I have spoken with the embassy and told them I will be coming over to gamble and visit and they said that was perfectly fine. I was not explicitly clear that I play poker as my job. Hmm. I didn't mean to offend you if I did I apologize.

This is your mistake though.  You have to be clear this is your job because not explaining that leaves people to think it is a leisure activity (and this is how you have been advised).  In a similar vein, people go on vacations and take tons of pictures - perfectly normal and acceptable tourist activities.  But if I were a photographer by trade, I would not be able to this.  It moves from tourist to work activities.

And you didn't offend me but asking for advice and then stating that others (who have been there and back again) have gotten wrong, well it won't win you friends.

The british of course. Many an american poker players and professionals like phik ivey, howard lederer who file tax returns showing they are professionals have come across the pond to play is euro poker tour events. It is their job. They are technically working. It's been documented. They are american citizens. If they had no issues why should I?

The british of course. Many an american poker players and professionals like phik ivey, howard lederer who file tax returns showing they are professionals have come across the pond to play is euro poker tour events. It is their job. They are technically working. It's been documented. They are american citizens. If they had no issues why should I?

They qualify as sportsmen, I expect.  You want to be a general visitor. 

The british of course. Many an american poker players and professionals like phik ivey, howard lederer who file tax returns showing they are professionals have come across the pond to play is euro poker tour events. It is their job. They are technically working. It's been documented. They are american citizens. If they had no issues why should I?

There is a particular visa (a business/sports/one off event one) that they were probably given (well, applied for and were granted). Especially because it was for a particular event.  That is very different than wanting to move to the UK and settle there for 6 months while staying self employed as an online gambler.  Which British Embassy did you ring? Did you speak to an immigration official?
X-posted with historyenne

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier5/creativeandsporting/

What is the creative and sporting category?
The creative and sporting worker category is for people coming to the UK to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months.

If you are a sportsperson, you must be internationally established at the highest level in your sport, and/or your employment must make a significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level in the UK.

If you are a coach, you must be suitably qualified to do the job.

OR

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/businessandspecialvisitors/sportsvisitor/

How to come to the UK as a sports visitor
To come to the UK as a professional or amateur sports visitor you must be able to show that you:

only want to visit the UK for up to six months;
plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working, help from public funds or you will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
do not intend to charge members of the public for services provided or goods received;
do not intend to study;
can meet the cost of the return or onward journey;and
that you intend to take part in one or more of the activities shown in 'how do I know if I am a sports visitor?' below.

How do I know if I am a sports visitor?
You will be a sports visitor if during the course of your short visit you intend to:

take part a particular sporting event, tournament or series of events;
take part in a specific one-off charity sporting event and that you will not be paid other than cash prizes or for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
join as an amateur a wholly or mainly amateur team and that you will not be paid other than for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
be a member of the support staff of a visiting sportsperson or an official (including those officials coming on a voluntary basis) attending the same event as the visiting sportsperson;
undertake personal appearances or promotional activities;
undertake a trial provided it is not in front of an audience, or training provided that they are not basing themselves here and they participate in friendly or exhibition matches only.

Poker is considered a sport under this? I have met other players who have made the trip who aren't at the pinnacle of their profession so to speak . Sorry it just seems a little crazy for me to consider poker a sport since you sit at a table for it and you can drink while you play.

As for what embassy I spoke to it was the one in dc. I have no idea who I spoke with on the phone. At first I had a lot of trouble getting someone on the phone cause every number I seemed to find online was either wrong or I got an automated message. Can someone please link me to the general visitor page I am having trouble finding it.

Well no worries. I can just begin the process on this. I imagine 6 months is plenty of time although I I wish I could get the 12 month want I don't think it applies to me.

Don't know if you know it of not but the US Government just shut down 3 of the biggest online gaming sites...

Poker Stars..Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker...so they are trying to stop all online gaming in the UK and Isle of Man as well...

http://www.isleofman.com/news/article.aspx?article=35161

Problems you're likely to run into include:

Showing you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working or accessing public funds.  Do you have enough money to cover your expenses for the entire six months?  If not, red flag.  You say you plan to get a holiday rental then look for a flat.  This means you'll only have accommodation sorted for the first month of your intended six.  Red flag.  You say that you have no close family in the US, no job there, and you intend to go to Canada once you leave the UK.  So you have no ties to your home country.  Red flag.   Do you have a specific sporting event, tournament or series of events that you plan to participate in?  Do you have proof of that participation?  If not, no sports visitor visa, full stop. 

It's a common misconception that since the UK allows visitors to remain for up to six months, all visitors are entitled to remain for that time.  In fact, when you present yourself at the border, you are applying for a visa, and whether that visa is granted or not depends on the evidence you present to the IO.  If they are not satisfied that you are a genuine visitor, then you'll be on the next plane back where you came from.  If it were as easy as just showing up with an online job and a twinkly smile, we probably wouldn't need this forum.  Valiant effort, though . 

Yeah I am well aware of black friday. What happened to those companies is they stopped offering their services to the us. Poker stars still very much operates world wide as do the others. The us can't shut them down but they did block them from operating in America. 

As for money that really isn't an issue. I wanted to rent a temp place and then check out various areas to see which one I like best. So I guess that is out of the question. What about this? If I apply for a visa. Get it. Go over during the month find an area I like, secure housing purchase another plane ticket home and can I then get an extension on my visa? or would it just be easier for me to secure the housing let I have now for 6 months and bank statements showing a balance of over 10K euro? I really would rather find an area that I like then renting a place I've never been for six months.   As for my family, I was raised by a single mom how could that be an issue? I have friends and ties I just want to see and explore the UK while I do what I do best. Last but not least I have a work history. I served in the us military honorably and currently now have a job. They are gonna ask questions about what I do? I just imagined if I showed proof of housing and showed money it wouldn't be an issue. I had no idea they would get so personal.

That's because you're still not understanding the nature of the visitor visa.  It's not designed to allow you to live in the UK for six months.  It's to allow people to visit here.  That means tourism, hotels, attractions, not getting a flat and a bank account and working remotely.  That's what people do when they live someplace.  Visitors need to show that they intend to leave the UK, not that they intend to stay.  What you want to do is not allowed.  I was being flippant with you earlier, but what I said was true.  If you announced to the IO that you had a flat and a bank account in the UK and you intended to support yourself with online gambling, you'd almost certainly be on the next plane back to the US.  It has nothing to do with your work history or your military or your childhood.  It has to do with the fact that you are trying to do an end run around UK immigration law.  In order to live and work legally in this country you need a visa other than a visitor one.  But don't take my word for it.  Call a qualified UK immigration adviser (not some random dude at the UK Embassy, which has nothing to do with immigration, but someone with actual expertise) and see what they say. 

The thing is, the point of a visitor visa is for people to visit. They do touristy things, they maybe see friends or family, they travel around. They don't rent flats, open bank accounts or make their living here. The reason the questions historyenne is talking about will be asked is because the IO is trying to determine whether you are a genuine visitor or whether you are trying to circumvent immigration laws and try to live here on a visitor visa. Ways of determining this are whether the person has any reason to go back to his home country (lack of family ties and the illegality of your chosen career in your home country are going to be pretty negative points in your favour), what he plans to do while in the UK (playing poker for money and looking for more permanent housing will not look good), how he will support his trip (if they deem you not to have enough, they may suspect you of wanting to work illegally, and that includes playing poker professionally even if it is on the internet), etc. Generally visitors don't spend half the year in the country, leave for the other half, then come back again. In fact, you aren't supposed to spend more than 6 months in 12 here on visitor visas, so once you've had 6 months, you shouldn't come back for 12 months. If the IO suspects you of trying to live in the UK, he can put you right back on the next plane home and that's it. Also, as a visitor you can't use the NHS, so you would have to have private health insurance and pay for any treatment you might need. If you do anything you aren't supposed to, like work (including your poker) or use the NHS, you could be subject to a ban. Sorry, but that's just how it works.

x-posted with historyenne

Well my last post was in respect to me applying for the sport visa not as a general visitor.