Entry to UK without visas

I'll make this as short as possible for everyone.

Friends of my hubby, currently reside in the US, he is British and she is American. Now he has been out of the UK for 6 years so technically he needs a visa to get repatriated am I right??? He doesn't have one and she doesn't have a spouse visa. They are planning to come over here without the visas and say they're on holiday then just stay, they just don't have the money to get visas right now, we've warned them that it is very risky for her although I don't know about him. Hubby has pleaded with them to wait it out and get it done properly but they claim they have no money there and cannot wait. Family members have paid for the flights, but they have no return tickets and no onward tickets to anywhere else, I don't know what they have in the way of funds.

What the heck is going to happen to them when they go through immigration??? Are Americans asked routinely to show a return ticket of some sort??? What's the chances of being denied entry even for a British citizen???

Thoughts appreciated

A British citizen travelling on a British passport does not need a visa to come to the UK. Your friend has full citizenship rights unless he has renounced his citizenship. His wife needs to apply for entry clearance from the British Embassy ("spouse visa") before she comes to the UK. She probably won't even be allowed on the plane without either a return ticket or a visa and if she does make it on the plane she will probably be turned right around and sent back on the next flight when she gets to passport control here.

Your friends are lucky to have someone as sensible as you looking out for them!

Hi there

Thank you for your comments, one thing puzzling me though is that if the wife insists she is just visiting the UK on a holiday can they still not even let her board the plane??? Will the American side insist on seeing a return ticket???

Sigh it's a bit of a mess, we're trying our hardest to outline the risks but they won't be told, obviously they are both adults so we can't make them listen to commonsense but how we wish they would.  We'd pay for the visa ourselves but we just can't afford it right now and they won't wait.

Yes, to come without a visa she MUST have a return ticket. The airline can be fined if they let her on board without one, they will ask to see it at check in.  When she arrives at UK immigration she will be asked the purpose of her visit and she will be expected to have an outward ticket. 

Thanks again Britwife, I will tell them this and hopefully that will be enough to stop this madness.

Lovely baby you have there by the way 

Thanks! I hope your friends get sorted out, you can always call the British Embassy to confirm what I've said.

Here's another little tidbit for your friend ...

If for some reason she makes it on the plane and through immigration, without a spousal visa she will be unable to gain legal employment.  If she gets caught, she can be deported and this could have serious repercussions on her ability to obtain future visas for the UK.

Britwife I believe you without confirming it from the embassy, this is the main reason why I came here, my thinking was that there must be a good few people here who have learned these things the hard way and know from experience what can happen.  They don't really tell you these things on official websites, well not in layman terms anyway.

Caitlinn thanks for that, I need all the ammo I can get to really drive it home to them the huge, huge risks they're taking.

There's every chance she would be turned away at Immigration and put on the next plane back to the US. It has happened to several people on this board. 

Friends of my hubby, currently reside in the US, he is British and she is American. Now he has been out of the UK for 6 years so technically he needs

Whoa! 

When did your hubby's friends get married? 

There's every chance she would be turned away at Immigration and put on the next plane back to the US. It has happened to several people on this board. 

That's what I thought too.

Whoa! 

When did your hubby's friends get married?

6 years ago in the states.

6 years ago in the states.

So she gets ILE from day 1!  Not bad, huh?

That should be sufficient motivation to steer them away from their foolish plan.

If not, remind them that 2005 is going to see exit controls at all the major airports, so if she needs to go back to the US, she's stuffed.  Unless she can convince everyone in Heathrow to close their eyes and count to 10 while she boards.

OH!  One other think to think about can be summed up in 1 word:  biometrics.

So she gets ILE from day 1!  Not bad, huh?

That should be sufficient motivation to steer them away from their foolish plan.

If not, remind them that 2005 is going to see exit controls at all the major airports, so if she needs to go back to the US, she's stuffed.  Unless she can convince everyone in Heathrow to close their eyes and count to 10 while she boards.

OH!  One other think to think about can be summed up in 1 word:  biometrics.

ILE what is that???

I'm a little clueless about all this kind of thing could you elaborate for me everything you've just said, but in layperson terms??? I'd be grateful as I'm going to send it all in an email to them and hopefully it will change their minds.

ILE what is that???

It means she's upgraded to permanent resident status before she even leaves the USA.   It's the fast-track towards naturalisation...

Scorpio, I can only second, third and fourth everything the other UKY people have said. Don't let them go through with their foolish idea! It will end in tears!