Cheeky Question about Tourist Visa

My friend came from Japan on tourist visa last year and he overstayed for 2 months and then returned back to Japan. He came back again this year on tourist visa and I asked him whether everything was ok in the immigration? he said everything was fine no problem.

My question is does the immigration know when a person who arrived on tourist visa left the country? UK immigration doesn't do any stamp when a person leaves a country..right?

desperado wrote:My question is does the immigration know when a person who arrived on tourist visa left the country?

No as there is no immigration control on exit

Your mate is lucky in that Japanese nationals are not required to get Visas in Tokyo to be able to visit the UK - however, if it was a different country s/he would get nubbed if s/he tried to get a new visitors visa..


..overstaying is an immigration offence which may jeopardise future applications

Your mate is lucky in that Japanese nationals are not required to get Visas in Tokyo to be able to visit the UK - however, if it was a different country s/he would get nubbed if s/he tried to get a new visitors visa..

He did not have any intension of overstaying but he overstayed to play a local club tournament. It is not just my japanese friend. A south korean guy also did the same last year to play the local club tournament. He is planning to come on tourist visa next week. Do south koreans need to apply visa? or is it same like the japanese?

desperado wrote:He did not have any intension of overstaying but he overstayed to play a local club tournament.

It is an offence under the immigration laws to break your conditions of stay as granted to enter or remain in the UK. It might be best for your friend to check the stamp he gets upon arrival and arrange to leave before its expiry. He may get a more on the ball IO next time leading to complications or even inability to enter the UK in future. I expect the Home Office to re-introduce exit checks later this year - they will include it as part of a 'removing failed asylum seekers policy' in their elections campaign.

desperado wrote:It is not just my japanese friend. A south korean guy also did the same last year to play the local club tournament. He is planning to come on tourist visa next week. Do south koreans need to apply visa? or is it same like the japanese?

South Koreans do not require a visa to enter the UK as bona fide visitors for a period of up to 6 months.

I expect the Home Office to re-introduce exit checks later this year - they will include it as part of a 'removing failed asylum seekers policy' in their elections campaign.

Has anyone heard this on the grapevine - I thought the whole thing of immigration control on exit was expensive and wasted alot of time

I understand that the only western/industrialised country where there is exit checking is the US..is that right?

oh dear.. these guys don't know how serious overstay is. I need to warn them to never do that again. It is more of ignorance then anything else.

I expect the Home Office to re-introduce exit checks later this year - they will include it as part of a 'removing failed asylum seekers policy' in their elections campaign.

Have home office mentioned about plans to re-introduce exit checks? Is there any articles online about it?[/quote]