Marriage Visa Granted. What Might I Expect at the Border Upon Arrival?

AV - you will live a long life if you keep to those rules.

My wife is a Scouse!

First rule of loving Liverpool: Hate The Sun!

Second rule of loving Liverpool: Agree that Scousies are the nicest Brits.

*grins* I thought they were Scousers? Do they call themselves Scousies?

Lyonara - you are indeed, correct.  Scouser is the correct term.

Once more, I am deeply impressed with the knowledge of this forum, (Big Grin!)

Lyonara - you are indeed, correct.  Scouser is the correct term.

Once more, I am deeply impressed with the knowledge of this forum, (Big Grin!)

Haha. I just didn't want to offend someone by using the wrong term!

I'd only ever heard Scouser but I've not actually heard someone call themselves that, just tv and my husband.

While my husband came to the US to fly back with me (I am a veryyy nervous flyer) so I can't really give you an account of my experience that will be as relevant to you as I went with him through customs so really didn't say/do much (and I was on a spousal visa), but I did just want to chime in RE the "how long is your stay" bit. I wrote (and always write) "indefinitely" on mine and they never give me a problem. Not sure if there's a more appropriate term? But nobody's ever questioned it and if they did I would just explain

Scousers are being used to being called lots of terms so don't worry about that.  They are a friendly bunch.

My hubby has never had problems going into the UK and so we are not expecting any when he goes in on his spouse visa.  The fact that you have a spouse visa means you have the right to enter.  And Border Control should be pleasant and polite and always professional.  They are looking for illegals and you will be legal.

And Border Control should be pleasant and polite and always professional.  They are looking for illegals and you will be legal.

Take that with a pinch of salt though. They SHOULD be those things...but sometimes they are moody/rude/difficult. This isn't UK specific as I've heard negative things from loads of different customers agents. It's unlikely they will give you a hard time as you have a visa (they might ask questions - and the polite and happy ones will ask you things they're genuinely curious of like "are you excited" etc.), but they might not be the most friendly or polite so don't assume there's something wrong if they are anything less than pleasant and polite.

**EDIT** I don't know why I typed pink instead of pinch lol

Take that with a pink of salt though. They SHOULD be those things...but sometimes they are moody/rude/difficult. This isn't UK specific as I've heard negative things from loads of different customers agents. It's unlikely they will give you a hard time as you have a visa (they might ask questions - and the polite and happy ones will ask you things they're genuinely curious of like "are you excited" etc.), but they might not be the most friendly or polite so don't assume there's something wrong if they are anything less than pleasant and polite.

Yes, but in my experience UK border guards are no more moody/rude than anyone else working in a UK customer facing role.  Sometimes it can be a little different from the US where there's a 'don't say no to the customer' mindset at a LOT of places, but it's pretty standard for here.

Take that with a pink of salt though. They SHOULD be those things...but sometimes they are moody/rude/difficult. This isn't UK specific as I've heard negative things from loads of different customers agents. It's unlikely they will give you a hard time as you have a visa (they might ask questions - and the polite and happy ones will ask you things they're genuinely curious of like "are you excited" etc.), but they might not be the most friendly or polite so don't assume there's something wrong if they are anything less than pleasant and polite.

US immigration officers can be very scary at times.

One time when we were going through US immigration in Toronto before boarding a flight to the US, my dad had forgotten to sign the bottom of his landing card... the immigration officer practically threw it in his face and shouted at him to go to the back of the 2-hour queue! Luckily we were travelling with my grandmother and had wheelchair assistance so the porter took us through the crew line, as our flight was due to leave a few minutes later!

Also, when I first entered the US on my student visa in 2003, I had accidentally packed my important DS-2019 immigration form in my suitcase instead of my carry-on. I was detained for 2 hours in the back room and then escorted to my case to retrieve it. One poor kid in that back room needed the bathroom and asked where it was. He went down the corridor, then came back a few moments later saying he couldn't find it. The immigration officer shouted at him, telling him he'd had his chance to go and told him to sit back down.

Yes, but in my experience UK border guards are no more moody/rude than anyone else working in a UK customer facing role.  Sometimes it can be a little different from the US where there's a 'don't say no to the customer' mindset at a LOT of places, but it's pretty standard for here.

Oh exactly. That's why I said it's not UK-specific.

US immigration officers can be very scary at times.

One time when we were going through US immigration in Toronto before boarding a flight to the US, my dad had forgotten to sign the bottom of his landing card... the immigration officer practically threw it in his face and shouted at him to go to the back of the 2-hour queue! Luckily we were travelling with my grandmother and had wheelchair assistance so the porter took us through the crew line, as our flight was due to leave a few minutes later!

Also, when I first entered the US on my student visa in 2003, I had accidentally packed my important DS-2019 immigration form in my suitcase instead of my carry-on. I was detained for 2 hours in the back room and then escorted to my case to retrieve it. One poor kid in that back room needed the bathroom and asked where it was. He went down the corridor, then came back a few moments later saying he couldn't find it. The immigration officer shouted at him, telling him he'd had his chance to go and told him to sit back down.

Yeah a friend at work just went to Toronto for his honeymoon. Him and his wife were trying to go to Buffalo for the day. They were meant to go back another day but they were treated SO poorly on the way in that they said "forget it! I'm all set!" to the additional day. They were treated like criminals and the guy working the border patrol area didn't even know the laws. It was around passport expiration, but apparently UK has an arrangement with the US where it's fine if your passport expires in 6 months if you have the other necessary stuff (which they had). The guy eventually let them through once somebody else got involved.

It is by no means a UK-border specific thing. I had one bad experience here and another when re-entering the US (where I'm a citizen!). I just thought that saying the agents should be pleasant, professional, and polite to be taken with a pinch of salt because sometimes they are not all 3 at once and I don't want her to assume that's a bad sign. That might just be me though as I know I personally would rather hear the worse-case scenario as well as the best-case so I can prep for the worst and be happy when it's anything better where as other people will fixate on the bad stuff and have a panic over what turns out to be nothing. I'm sure everything will be totally fine (as they have their visa which is probably all really required - unless you're like me and your passport was a different name from other documents so you might want to keep a marriage certificate in case) and hopefully they get a cheerful agent vs somebody who just oozes misery lol

I have had really lovely IOs in both countries and awful ones in both. Last time I went to the US on my own, the guy ended up knowing my cousin (this was Chicago and my cousin lives in NYC). Just depends on who you get.

Rachel, it'll be fine! Please don't listen to all these horror stories!     

I come and go several times a years- sometimes without my husband- and I never have a problem getting back in.  When my husband is not present, they sometimes ask if we are still married, but otherwise it is super easy.

You will still need to fill out a landing card when you arrive but putting 'indefinite' is more than acceptable.

When you come through by yourself, do you enter the UK line or the All other passports line with a settlement visa?

When you come through by yourself, do you enter the UK line or the All other passports line with a settlement visa?

If you aren't with your sponsor, you have to go through the "other" line unfortunately. But you just show them your visa/BRP card.


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