Previously denied entry, what next?

Hi so I have a partner in the UK. In Aug 2020 I had planned to spend 4 months with him to visit (a lot of time for a first visit I know now) and upon telling the folks at the border my plans, living situation, and visit, I was denied entry.

That’s really the short of it. A lot of shitty stuff happened in between- like me having a mental breakdown because of the conditions of detainment stressing me the hell out (I’m on the autism spectrum and rarely venture outside), my flight home being missed because of paperwork on their end, and being able to see my partner shortly during visitation (albeit no contact due to covid)

Since then I have addressed their issues-

Issue #1- Duration of the stay and my available funds: I plan to spend 2 weeks instead of 4 months at my partner’s house. After taxes and his contribution, I will have $3.7K ($2.2 after ticket) as opposed to 1K for 4mo.

Issue #2- Job/anchor status: Although I have attended a term of school, I was largely unsuccessful and have to pay next term I go. That being said, I now have a job and have requested the necessary time off (I will ask for a bit extra off for the jet lag recovery later) and I plan to get a signed letter of proof of that via my store manager and team lead.

Issue #3 (not stated but heavily implied points) : I will have a closed ticket and bring significantly less luggage, (I had an open-ended ticket in case of an emergency back home and a bunch of food stuff that made me feel at home). Lastly, I will not take a connecting flight to Manchester but rather just fly into London, meet partner there, and take the train back.


Is this a good plan? What can I improve upon to make sure my journey goes much smoother than the last? What is entry clearance and how do I get it? Would it help my situation?

I plan to leave in mid May and would like this sorted far before then if possible.

Thank you for your time, have a lovely day :-)

Can't help much with the practical bits but  I just wanted to say good luck getting here.  It looks like you are working hard so I hope it all come together for you. 

Welcome.

You could always apply for your visit visa in advance.

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

Hi so I have a partner in the UK. In Aug 2020 I had planned to spend 4 months with him to visit (a lot of time for a first visit I know now) and upon telling the folks at the border my plans, living situation, and visit, I was denied entry.

That’s really the short of it. A lot of shitty stuff happened in between- like me having a mental breakdown because of the conditions of detainment stressing me the hell out (I’m on the autism spectrum and rarely venture outside), my flight home being missed because of paperwork on their end, and being able to see my partner shortly during visitation (albeit no contact due to covid)

Sorry to hear that .

Since then I have addressed their issues-

Issue #1- Duration of the stay and my available funds: I plan to spend 2 weeks instead of 4 months at my partner’s house. After taxes and his contribution, I will have $3.7K ($2.2 after ticket) as opposed to 1K for 4mo.

Sounds good .

Are you planning to apply for a UK visitor visa in the US before you go, or will you be flying to the UK and presenting your evidence at the border?

If it's the former, you'll want to include an example flight itinerary for the flight you plan to book once the visa has been granted. If it's the latter, you'll just provide your bank statements at the border, which will show the amount of money you have left after buying the ticket.

I have to say though, $1,500 for a return ticket to the UK seems like a lot, especially at the moment when flights are fairly cheap because of Covid. Just doing a couple of searches, it looks like tickets from the US to London in May are between about $450 and $750 round trip (depending on where you fly from).

Issue #2- Job/anchor status: Although I have attended a term of school, I was largely unsuccessful and have to pay next term I go. That being said, I now have a job and have requested the necessary time off (I will ask for a bit extra off for the jet lag recovery later) and I plan to get a signed letter of proof of that via my store manager and team lead.

That's also good.

I would provide:
- a letter from your manager stating that you work for them, that you have been given time off for your visit to the UK, and the date that you are expected back at work after your trip
- a recent payslip showing your employment

Issue #3 (not stated but heavily implied points) : I will have a closed ticket and bring significantly less luggage, (I had an open-ended ticket in case of an emergency back home and a bunch of food stuff that made me feel at home). Lastly, I will not take a connecting flight to Manchester but rather just fly into London, meet partner there, and take the train back.

Ah, the open-ended ticket is likely the main reason you were refused entry... because in order to be allowed into the UK as a visitor, you must have proof of a dated return ticket to show you will leave within 6 months. Generally, no fixed return ticket = no entry,

So, having a dated return ticket this time will be important.

Is this a good plan? What can I improve upon to make sure my journey goes much smoother than the last? What is entry clearance and how do I get it? Would it help my situation?

It sounds like you've addressed those issues well.

The other things I would recommend including are:

- evidence of your home in the US, which you need to return to... for example, a current rental agreement or a mortgage statement to show you are maintaining and continuing to pay for property back home

- a letter from your partner in the UK inviting you to stay with him and stating that you will only be there for 2 weeks (and that he can support you financially if needed... if that is the case).

Are you planning to apply for a UK visitor visa in the US before you go, or will you be flying to the UK and presenting your evidence at the border?

If it's the former, you'll want to include an example flight itinerary for the flight you plan to book once the visa has been granted. If it's the latter, you'll just provide your bank statements at the border, which will show the amount of money you have left after buying the ticket.

I was considering a visa before, but I’m wondering if it’d be worth the extra cost and time that a visa entails. I’m still stressed about the covid testing thing (I’m double vaxxed but my workplace doesn’t give a sh*t about regulations)

I have to say though, $1,500 for a return ticket to the UK seems like a lot, especially at the moment when flights are fairly cheap because of Covid. Just doing a couple of searches, it looks like tickets from the US to London in May are between about $450 and $750 round trip (depending on where you fly from).

I’d be flying from Portland OR. I get my flights through Priceline/whatever airline has the best deal to me (I like flying in the morning) and if I’m being honest it’ll likely be a bit more with baggage fees and the return. I pay round trip all at once.

I would provide:
- a letter from your manager stating that you work for them, that you have been given time off for your visit to the UK, and the date that you are expected back at work after your trip
- a recent payslip showing your employment

Ah, the open-ended ticket is likely the main reason you were refused entry... because in order to be allowed into the UK as a visitor, you must have proof of a dated return ticket to show you will leave within 6 months. Generally, no fixed return ticket = no entry,

So, having a dated return ticket this time will be important.

It sounds like you've addressed those issues well.

The other things I would recommend including are:

- evidence of your home in the US, which you need to return to... for example, a current rental agreement or a mortgage statement to show you are maintaining and continuing to pay for property back home

- a letter from your partner in the UK inviting you to stay with him and stating that you will only be there for 2 weeks (and that he can support you financially if needed... if that is the case).

Last time I did have a return date but I think it was the open ended thing also.

I’ve been paying rent to my mother since around August 2020. I have the statements to back up that I paid my first 3 months then, and continued to pay about 200$ each month. Is a paper that states and agreement between her and I acceptable?

Thank you for your in depth response! This is just the help I was looking for

Can't help much with the practical bits but  I just wanted to say good luck getting here.  It looks like you are working hard so I hope it all come together for you.

Thank you for the kind words <3

I was considering a visa before, but I’m wondering if it’d be worth the extra cost and time that a visa entails. I’m still stressed about the covid testing thing (I’m double vaxxed but my workplace doesn’t give a sh*t about regulations)

You may be fine not applying in advance and just asking to be let in at the border, but applying in advance would give you peace of mind that you won't be refused entry when you arrive - you would know before you travel if you have been granted entry or not... which eases the stress of travelling. It would mean that you wouldn't end up spending hundreds of dollars and many hours on a flight, only to be refused entry and sent back home when you arrive in London.

The cost of the visitor visa isn't too much, only £95 for the visa application (which is valid 6 months and is multiple-entry), and it normally takes about 15 working days for the visa to be processed, though there are extra services you can pay for to give faster processing.

For example:
- Non-settlement visa priority processing costs £220 extra (currently $309) and gets the visa processed in 5 working days, though it may take a bit longer as you have had a previous refused entry (as they will need to look into the reason for refusal and check that you have addressed all the issues from last time

You would need to:
- gather up all the documents you've mentioned
- fill out an online application
- submit the application and pay for the visa
- book a biometrics appointment to give fingerprints and a photo
- upload your documents to the VFS Global website and purchase any extra services
- attend biometrics at an Application Support Centre
- mail your passport to New York for processing, with return packaging and shipping label included
- wait for the visa to be processed and your passport with visa inside to be mailed back to you

I’d be flying from Portland OR. I get my flights through Priceline/whatever airline has the best deal to me (I like flying in the morning) and if I’m being honest it’ll likely be a bit more with baggage fees and the return. I pay round trip all at once.

Round trip is usually cheaper than just a one-way ticket.  Just looking on Kayak.com now, and it looks like a round trip flight from Portland, OR to London in May (5th - 21st), leaving late morning, with one stop in the US and 1 checked bag included is about $800 total.

Last time I did have a return date but I think it was the open ended thing also.

Yeah, you normally need to have a return ticket dated for the exact date you that you say you will leave... and they can check to see if you actually left on the date you said you would.

The main things that cause a refused entry are:
- no definite return ticket/ticket for onward travel somewhere else
- no evidence of ties to the US (evidence of a job/home/college you must go back to)
- not enough money to support yourself without working - they estimate you need about £60/day, so for a 4-month trip, you would have needed to show you had about $10,000 in your account... for a 2-week trip though, that would only be $1,120 needed... or if you are staying with a partner or a friend, they can show evidence that they have enough money to support you, if you don't have enough yourself.

I’ve been paying rent to my mother since around August 2020. I have the statements to back up that I paid my first 3 months then, and continued to pay about 200$ each month. Is a paper that states and agreement between her and I acceptable?

Yeah, you'll probably be fine with a letter from your mum stating that you live with her and that you pay $200/month in rent

Oh my god thank you so much! I’ve been really struggling to figure out where to go from where I was at when I returned home. This helps a lot!

I was under the impression a visitor visa would be on par with a spousal one (so like $2K+). I’d be more than happy to pay priority even if I was denied previously. A bit more than 5 days is a lot better than several months! I’ll apply as soon as I receive my tax money (which shouldn’t be too long)

Just out of curiosity, should I apply for the visitor visa before or after purchasing the ticket?

I’ll start working on the paperwork right away! Starting with my store manager’s letter! (She’s very illusive haha)

Just out of curiosity, should I apply for the visitor visa before or after purchasing the ticket?

Don’t book anything until after you have received your visa (this is the advice given by UK immigration)… you don’t want to spend money on a flight and then find the visa is refused and you cannot travel, and you lose all the money.

Instead what you do is put the date you want to travel on the application form (which is the date your visa should be made valid from) and then include a screenshot/print out of the flight itinerary you are hoping to book once the visa has been granted.


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Thanks so much for the clarification and all your help! I’ll keep you updated on how it goes. I’m really excited to finally have a game plan so thank you again :-) ❤️

Yeah, you normally need to have a return ticket dated for the exact date you that you say you will leave... and they can check to see if you actually left on the date you said you would.

Lots posting they have got caught out by changing their ticket to stay longer than they said, but left before the end of the visa date. The UK views this as deception to get into the UK. With the exit checks showing they stayed longer than they stated they would in their last visit, they found their next visit visa was refused or cancelled at the border, unless they have a very good reason why they were unable  to leave when they said they would.

Deception on visa applications, even if not used for the citizenship application, is taken so seriousy that British citizenship can be removed. The Nationality and Borders Bill that is going through parliament, is setting up to remove citizenship without giving any notice. e.g. when exit checks shows they are leaving/have left the UK, citizenship can be removed to prevent them getting back into the UK, without the delay of sending notice to their last known address (even though the HO know they are out of the country).

I hope they saw I was being truthful. I did in fact have a return date it was just open ended in case I needed to go home for an emergency, and I told them as such, but I know now this type of ticket is unacceptable.

I hope this doesn’t effect a possible future in the country if we do plan to settle there :-(

I hope they saw I was being truthful. I did in fact have a return date it was just open ended in case I needed to go home for an emergency, and I told them as such, but I know now this type of ticket is unacceptable.

I hope this doesn’t effect a possible future in the country if we do plan to settle there :-(

I was referring to those who state they will only visit for a set time, but then change their flight to a later date without a valid reason. When they try to visit again, it's likley they wont be believed that they will only stay for a short while as they used deception the previous time.

Make sure you have healthcare insurance to claim back any money you have paid to use the NHS.

My team lead said she’d have to consult her higher ups if there’s not a forum for her to fill out. What do I do?

You would need to:
- gather up all the documents you've mentioned
- fill out an online application
- submit the application and pay for the visa
- book a biometrics appointment to give fingerprints and a photo
- upload your documents to the VFS Global website and purchase any extra services
- attend biometrics at an Application Support Centre
- mail your passport to New York for processing, with return packaging and shipping label included
- wait for the visa to be processed and your passport with visa inside to be mailed back to you

1) Where do I book a biometrics appt?

2) What is VFS global?

3) Do they have online options? Would I have to travel out further for this stuff? I’m on the west coast

4) How do you safely mail a passport?

5) Where are some application support centers?

Update on my progress-

I had planned to get my paperwork (unrelated paperwork) with my workplace sorted early to kiss ass then tell them there was no form and if need a letter. Unfortunately for me, my doctor’s office is sh*t and I won’t be able to get it done. I need my boss’s letter to move along the rest of the process, so I’ll be asking her tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I began the visa application process and will resume it upon receiving all my paperwork (also when I can move my money over so the 1st)

I have enough money for the visa (the quick ver too), but I’m waiting on my tax money still for the rest of my expenses (such as the ticket and the stay)

Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your continued assistance :-)