Can American visit UK without problems?

[souljah4christ 0]

Yeah. Oh man. Hearing about how bad US immigration can be with this kind of stuff (knowing people's plane tickets and the like despite no I-94s), I'm wondering how stringent the UK people are. Guess I technically entered without inspection? Hubby thinks I'm being silly. UGH.

Maybe my IRIS will still work at Heathrow when we go in December...

In any case I've never spent more than a week at a time when going to the UK and my flight records would clearly indicate this. And I am always going to be traveling with hubby if we go to the UK from now on (although he'll have to be in a separate line, of course) and am guessing it will be easier to get through if he's just right there.

When we travel together we have found it easier to go through the same line at the same time, both going together to the officer.. have you ever tried that?

We went separate the first time, and it was no fun (same line but we saw different officers)... they told me that I couldn't wait there for her and to keep moving, while the officer decided whether to let her in or not.

The next time we went through together to see the officer (in the UK), and it was much more relaxed. We just both go through the 'non-citizen' line together

[Nik+Heather 121]

When we travel together we have found it easier to go through the same line at the same time, both going together to the officer.. have you ever tried that?

We went separate the first time, and it was no fun (same line but we saw different officers)... they told me that I couldn't wait there for her and to keep moving, while the officer decided whether to let her in or not.

The next time we went through together to see the officer (in the UK), and it was much more relaxed. We just both go through the 'non-citizen' line together

We have only ever traveled to the US together once, and although we both waited in the non-citizen line together, we weren't allowed to go to the immigration officer together. We tried, but when the guy asked if he was my husband and I said no (giggles because we weren't even engaged yet!) he asked Nik to step back.

Excited to go traveling again soon! I secretly like traveling, even the security/immigration parts!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Excited to go traveling again soon! I secretly like traveling, even the security/immigration parts!

Masochist!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I love traveling but I can definitely live without the part where you have to get from your home to the airplane, and from the airplane to the place you are going. If they could eliminate that, if would be ideal.

Last week on my trip to Europe, the woman at Frankfurt actually demanded I sit down, take off my shoes and socks and show her the bottom of my feet, which she seemed determine to examine close up. She quickly realized that was a bad idea

[Nik+Heather 121]

Masochist!

Well, I think it comes from my having been taken on many trips when I was a kid (family lives all over the states). And you used to dress nicely to travel in the 80s, and it was this exciting event...as I got older, and especially travelling by myself to things I liked feeling at ease with the whole process while people were juggling stuff and looking uncomfortable. Here I am at 10 cool and calm, feeling all sophisticated while adults all around me are fussing and upset and confused..

Now I play a game at security. can I put all my stuff in the bins, toe off my shoes etc and get it into the x-ray machine and through the metal detector, back out, get my shoes and put them back on without breaking stride?

Nik says "No, but nearly" so clearly I haven't beaten the game yet!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Now I play a game at security. can I put all my stuff in the bins, toe off my shoes etc and get it into the x-ray machine and through the metal detector, back out, get my shoes and put them back on without breaking stride?

Nik says "No, but nearly" so clearly I haven't beaten the game yet!

On an unrelated note, this game of yours has a family resemblance to a game I still sometimes play with myself when I am doing repetitive, boring work (like stuffing envelopes) -- it's called Oppressed Socialist Worker. If I work really quickly, it's because the party boss is making me, standing over me and demanding I churn through the task as fast as possible. If I work slowly, it's because I am sticking it to the boss whilst he is off having tea and fancy biscuits. I've been playing this game since I was about 19 and it always brings me a little pleasure.

Yes, yes: I am 100% WEIRD.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Well, I think it comes from my having been taken on many trips when I was a kid (family lives all over the states). And you used to dress nicely to travel in the 80s, and it was this exciting event...as I got older, and especially travelling by myself to things I liked feeling at ease with the whole process while people were juggling stuff and looking uncomfortable. Here I am at 10 cool and calm, feeling all sophisticated while adults all around me are fussing and upset and confused..

Now I play a game at security. can I put all my stuff in the bins, toe off my shoes etc and get it into the x-ray machine and through the metal detector, back out, get my shoes and put them back on without breaking stride?

Nik says "No, but nearly" so clearly I haven't beaten the game yet!

Do you agree with what George Clooney said about Asians in Up in the Air? Definitely need to avoid old people......and people with small children

[Nik+Heather 121]

Do you agree with what George Clooney said about Asians in Up in the Air? Definitely need to avoid old people......and people with small children

I like the flights best when I manage to avoid all people. Stretch out across the seats....

[Justine+David 218]

Update on my Manchester entry without going through immigration accident-

Called the US Embassy in London to ask about it (it's called a "clandestine entry") and the lady said why would I do such a thing, to contact the British embassy in D.C. and then hung up on me all in the space of 30 seconds. UGH. I know that immigration officials tend to suck, but it still surprises me to get a jerk so much of the time (the hanging up abruptly part). I remember the first time it happened when I called DOS. I am always very nice and pleasant on the phone, and there is no reason for them not to extend the same courtesy

I completely understand if it's not her jurisdiction to answer the question, but FFS, treat me like a human being! You're being paid to answer the phone...

Edited August 17, 2010 by Justine+David

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I think it's best not to mention this event to an official, to be honest. I couldn't imagine how it happened but it's their mistake not yours if you start telling them you had a "clandestine entry" they will likely assume you came hiding in the back of a truck on a ferry from Calais or something similar.

[marlea 84]

I think it's best not to mention this event to an official, to be honest. I couldn't imagine how it happened but it's their mistake not yours if you start telling them you had a "clandestine entry" they will likely assume you came hiding in the back of a truck on a ferry from Calais or something similar.

To Justine+David. I agree with the above post. It was their mistake, but they will most certainly blame you. It's happened to me. When I had the issue with trying to enter the UK and there was a paperwork error that was 100% not my fault, it didn't change the fact that I was refused entry into the UK and will now have to get a visa beforehand every time I want to go to the UK. It doesn't matter whose fault it was, the circumstances will very likely fall on you.

[Justine+David 218]

Yeah...I've decided not to pursue it. I'm just very impatient sometimes and I want to know what's going to happen...I looked back on my dates and I was only in the UK for 4 days.

I will get a new passport in my married name in a few weeks and David and I will probably visit the UK in December. He'll come with me in the non-citizen line and if there is some brew-ha-ha, at least it'll be better to have a UK citizen hubby there right beside me and maybe they'll extend me more courtesy than they would just a visitor with no ties to the UK.

Tempted just to use my IRIS but it won't work once I change my passport...I had a dream last night I would never hear "Mind the Gap!" again

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Justine--I don't see how it could hurt you or even be brought up. They don't know you were ever there, right? So it's like it never happened. It would be a problem if you needed that evidence to show you met in person, but you're past that. So I wouldn't worry about a future trip. There's nothing in you passport so why would it matter if you used that one or a new one? Or am I missing something here? I do think clandestine entry sounds très chic.

[Justine+David 218]

Nich-the thing about it is that I bought plane tickets to the UK and I exited out the UK. I had to check in with my passport at the counter both ways.

The US border seems to have a lot of access to plane ticket information (re: poor UK member got her husband's AOS denied recently because USCIS thinks he left the country because he bought a 2 way ticket to save money, however he never left the country!)

I would think that the UK border has access to similar information and possibly tags people on it whose entries don't match up. I don't know. I guess I'll see in December

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Where was the flight from that landed in Manchester when this happened? And where did you connect to?