Has anyone been denied entry into U.K. as a tourist?

[Jaimee 0]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this site. I tried searching this topic before posting here and didn't find anything. Please forgive me if it has been covered before.

My boyfriend and I have not yet filed the K-1 visa. I returned to the USA from visiting for a week last month. I am leaving again this week to stay for one month.

I'm starting to stress out about being denied entry due to the fact that I was just there 6 weeks ago and that I intend on staying a month this time. I have proof of sufficient funds in my bank accounts and ties to the USA, health insurance, etc. that I plan to take with me just in case. I've just heard quite a few stories of people getting refused entry or setting off red flags when the border officer finds out that you have a significant other in the UK.

Does anyone have any insight on this? Am I stressing for no reason? 

[mcdull 474]

13 minutes ago, Jaimee said:

Hi everyone. I'm new to this site. I tried searching this topic before posting here and didn't find anything. Please forgive me if it has been covered before.

My boyfriend and I have not yet filed the K-1 visa. I returned to the USA from visiting for a week last month. I am leaving again this week to stay for one month.

I'm starting to stress out about being denied entry due to the fact that I was just there 6 weeks ago and that I intend on staying a month this time. I have proof of sufficient funds in my bank accounts and ties to the USA, health insurance, etc. that I plan to take with me just in case. I've just heard quite a few stories of people getting refused entry or setting off red flags when the border officer finds out that you have a significant other in the UK.

Does anyone have any insight on this? Am I stressing for no reason? 

Bring a copy of your return ticket. 

 

You are stressed for no reason 

[Rosie1563 6]

Hi I would say you have enough reason to stress. They will for sure question you and ask for proof of funds and all sorts of other things. Don't be surprised if they contact the person you are staying with. I was asked even questioned about my job and how I had been given so much time off. I powered on my laptop and showed them my approved vacation request along with my vacation balance accrual. They tallied my credit cards, asked what my available balance was on each card, asked for me to pull up my bank account balance.  They certainly have the option of denying you entry. They had me in secondary inspection for over an hour. I was even told that if you are a female visiting for an extended period of time you raise red flags as they think you are entering and will overstay. It had been 3 months since my previous visit and I went for a month on my second visit which is when I was questioned like this. Good luck! 

[Jordan8768 107]

I once came for three months, left for 3 weeks and came back and although they took me to secondary they just looked through my phone, asked me a couple of questions and I was on my way 

 

edit: this was into the us sorry

Edited July 17, 2017 by Jordan8768
Misunderstood

[theanswerisdance 144]

I had this happen to me at Heathrow, I went to the UK twice in the space of about two months when my husband (fiancé at the time) was living  over there. I had found a housesitting gig that would allow me to live close to him and was able to take a leave of absence from work to do so, so the first visit was to meet the homeowners and have an interview with them and make sure they felt good about having me look after their home and pets, and then the second trip was the actual housesit. That second arrival at Heathrow is my worst customs/immigration experience of all time, and that was 4 years ago, before I had done K1 and AOS and all that REAL immigration stuff that I would have thought would be way worse than just visiting a country as a tourist! I arrived the week before Christmas, stated that I was staying for two months with my fiancé who was stationed there, showed a letter from my boss saying I was coming back to work on February 14th, return ticket on February 12th, the works. He then ordered me to give him my boss's contact information. I was really taken aback by his tone and politely said, "Sure! Where would you like me to write her phone number?" He looked at me, curled his lip in disgust, and said, "Why would I want a PHONE NUMBER?" I turned bright red and apologized and said I misunderstood and that I could give him her email address instead, he then glared at me and said, "Did I say anything about an email address?" At that point I was almost shaking because he was so angry and I was beyond confused what the heck he wanted from me. He then had me pull up my bank account info on my phone, I said, "No problem, is there Wi-Fi?" He said, "No, there isn't Wi-Fi" as though it was the dumbest question on the planet. I showed him that my phone at that time didn't have any ability to use roaming data or anything and he said "Figure it out" while looking through my evidence of my Canadian ties. Fortunately I was able to get a faint Wi-Fi signal and show him my bank accounts with sufficient funds. Eventually he stamped my passport saying I had to exit on the date of my return ticket to Canada, even though by law I could have legally stayed several more weeks as a tourist...

 

What still strikes me as odd is that even though he kept me there close to an hour, I was never referred to secondary...this was right at the original counter. It was a terrible experience. In the middle of the housesit my fiancé and I had the chance to go to Rome for a long weekend and I almost didn't go because I was terrified to leave the U.K. and come back in. Fortunately, we flew into Gatwick instead of Heathrow. The officer looked at my passport, saw the stamp, said, "Wow, they didn't like you at Heathrow did they?" I started to open my mouth to explain and he laughed and said, "Don't worry about it, those guys at Heathrow are just a bunch of overzealous idiots. Enjoy the rest of your visit." On another trip I learned my lesson and flew in and out of Luton and that wasn't a problem either...although I will be glad to finally renew my passport and be rid of the stamp that crappy officer out in mine that basically warns all the other officers that I couldn't be trusted to leave the country on time!

 

My advice would just be to go expecting a ton of hassle and then it's no surprise if you do get harassed, but it's a nice surprise if you don't. I would suggest having paper copies of your proof of return (return ticket itinerary, bank statements showing a most recent date, if you have a job then a letter from your employer stating what date you're expected back at work, car payments/mortgage payments/ongoing apartment lease showing you have property and a home to return to here, etc). The officer kept the paper evidence I had and I don't know what he would have done if I just showed it to him on my phone screen. 

[NYCruiser 423]

Eeesh..this sounds interesting. My spouse needs a visa to visit there for a week. We are going on a 'cheepie' ticket in October. We are applying for HIS visa...now. Loading upfront, so as not to get the Queens Invite for an interview in Washington DC...or is it New York Consulate?

 

Should we carry tax returns, drivers license, proof of residence etc with us then?

[JFH 12,191]

 My husband has a lifetime ban from the U.K, despite being married to a British citizen. He can't even transit there. All because of a felony over 20 years ago.