Returning to the UK

[Happy]

My chap's sis is married to a lovely Australian and travels on an Aus passport - she gets grilled everytime she comes *home* to visit from HK, despite her family living here.

I find it astonishing and frankly embarassing that she gets grief every time she tries to enter UK, and more astonishing considering that she is pretty famous in SE Asia. As a result, I'm not sure whether there are any hard and fast rules - it may well just vary within the discretion of the Immigration people on duty that day.Good luck with it !

[Tim_MaA_MidB]

My fincee will have a sheet of contact names and address of friends and family that we will be staying with, statements from people in Brazil staying that we have been together for more than 2 years and letter from a company in the UK saying that I have a job with accomodation waiting for me.

[matthew]

My fincee will have [...] statements from people in Brazil staying that we have been together for more than 2 years and letter from a company in the UK saying that I have a job with accomodation waiting for me.

That's all evidence that she plans to settle.

You need to decide whether she's visiting the UK for up to six months, or whether she's moving there to live. I know you may want to keep your options open, but immigration people like to put you in their neat little boxes.

If it's a visit, she can travel without a visa, but will need to convince the immigration officer at the airport that she'll be returning home. A return ticket and specific travel plans while in the UK would help there. Evidence of ties to the UK won't help much, and might count against her.

If she's moving to the UK to live, she will need a visa. Showing up without one when it looks like she'll stay would be very risky. At best, she'll be allowed in, but as a visitor and will need to leave the country again within six months. At worst, she'll be sent home on the next plane. You really don't want that to happen.

[sejintenej]

Also, has anyone had the experience of going through immigration?

At the airport counter, or the process of applying for residency?

I travel on an Australian passport and get the third degree at Heathrow when stating that I'm visiting family, so last trip I said that I was on business and got the third degree on which businesses I would be visiting. Started stuttering and stammering (jet lag and totally unprepared for the question) and thought that I was going to be hauled off to an interrogation room.
Good luck.

Going to Stansted a week ago from France on a UK passport I got through immigration OK but asa I was going through the "Arrived from the EU" channel I got caught by customs (I think). Having said I had just arrived from Carcassonne, France I was required to produce my boarding card to prove it; that was inspected closely. Then I was interrogated as to how long and why I had been in France, the date I went there (9th April), had I been back to the UK since then (yes - but I couldn't remember the exact date), why I was coming to the UK (see my insultant and give the obituary at a funeral ), when I was leaving again ..........., who was meeting me (nobody), where I would be staying ...........
I could understand it if I didn't look like a geriatric Englisman with a public school accent or if he had decided to ask what was in my bag - search it for illegal drugs perhaps. I think he was getting bored.

[J.R.]

I think you'll find that they ahve to be seen to doing their job, David.

Bl00dy annoying, I'm sure, but others 'possibles' would have observed this and maybe think twice before trying anything.

It's a bit like sniffer dogs walking round airports. I got hearily 'sniffed' recently at Gatwick when meeting someone, and promptly went on to make great friends with the most gorgeous Spaniel and his handler. Unfortunately, it's a job that need doing.