HOW TO PROLONG 6 MONTH TOURIST VISA - A VISITOR FROM CROATIA

My 6 month tourist visa to the UK expires at the end of February 2013. I have been staying in an English family for 4,5 months, since 1st of September 2012. They are my parents' friends and they have sponsored my stay (food and lodging) in London. I would like to stay in England until July 2013. I am from Croatia, a non EU country and not under any Tier. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ding-stay/
What do I do?
1. Can I prolong my visa in the Home Office, while staying in London? For me, that would be the best solution. If this is possible, how do I do it?
2. If I leave England for a few days (eg. Go to France and come back), would I get another 6 month tourist visa in my passport?
3. Should I have a return ticket when entering the UK, as a proof I am going back to my country?
4. Should I have the letter of invitation from my English family, saying they guarantee for my food and lodging in the UK?
5. What would happen if I leave England 20 days after my expiry date? If I stay in Croatia for 2 weeks and than go to England again?
Would they let me in?

6. Any other suggestion?
Thank you for your help!

SUPER SONIA wrote: I would like to stay in England until July 2013.

5. What would happen if I leave England 20 days after my expiry date?

Why do you want to extend your stay?

Im sure the UKBA will question you on whether you came to the UK as a tourist, and will ask you why you would want to stay another six months.
Are you working in the UK, because you are staying at the same address and intending to go back to that address for another six months would arouse suspicion, a tourist tours!

I read somewhere that if you overstay your visa by no more than 28 days this will not affect any future applications, maybe someone else could clarify this.

You can't extend your visa. You also can't leave the uk and return again after a few days, the maximum permitted stay on a visit visa is 6 months in a 12 month period.

Overstaying by up to 28 days does not lead to a ban but if you're looking to keep a clean sheet it's not advisable. UKBA can also change the rules in the future and ban any overstayer so best not to do this.

As the previous post has stated, why do you want to stay further? You might be best suited to apply for a visa category from Croatia like a spouse visa if you're looking to marry for example.

Thanks a lot for your answers and help. I do not want to marry in England. I am 20 years old and have a boyfriend in Croatia, so I am looking forward to going back to my country and do not want to stay in England for more than one year. My mother is a teacher of English and I also want to study English language when I get back to my country. Before studying and going to University I wanted to gain some confidence and improve my knowledge of English. So I have been a guest with my family's friends. We have known them for a long time. I want to fully use this opportunity and my "gap year" by enrolling in an English course, learning more about British culture and their way of life, visiting some of the country's historic sites... 30 years ago my mother used to be an au pair in England before starting her studies and becoming a teacher of English. It helped her a lot. I am very sorry I can not do the same in England, as I am not allowed to work and get any money. But luckily, my mother and my family have got wonderful English friends ( my mother takes her pupils to a sightseeing excursion to London every year, so she has a lot of friends here) who are very happy to have me as a guest for another 5 months. I would like to go back to Croatia in July, with pupils my mother is taking on the excursion.
You say: the maximum permitted stay on a visit visa is 6 months in a 12 month period. Does it mean in a calendar year? I stayed 4 months in 2012 and 2 months in 2013? Does it make any difference? It is such a pity I will not be able to use this opportunity and prolong my stay a few months longer.

SUPER SONIA wrote: You say: the maximum permitted stay on a visit visa is 6 months in a 12 month period. Does it mean in a calendar year? I stayed 4 months in 2012 and 2 months in 2013? Does it make any difference? It is such a pity I will not be able to use this opportunity and prolong my stay a few months longer.

Max stay, in a 12 month period beginning date of your first arrival in the UK on visitor visa, is 6 months. This 6 months don't need to be continuous and can can be combination of multiple short trips.

So there is really no chance, zero chance , of me going back to Croatia, before my visa expires, and return to England , let's say in one week's time? or in one month's time? Are you absolutely 100 % sure they will send me back and will not allow me to enter the UK?
So, it means, goodbye my English Course!

also check VAT1.5 Frequency and duration of visits

UKBA won't send you back on the next day beyond your 6 months - but you'll breach the condition of your visa. If you come back after a week or a month, the immigration officer "may" allow but it's likely they'll question your visit and this "may" impact future visa applications.

if you want to study you can come as a student visitor.

I want to study in my country, in Croatia. Studying at the University in England is too expensive for me. All I want is to attend an English Course for 2-3 months, to improve my English.

I assume you are aware of this:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... 39-croatia

Does it make any difference to your plans?

Ok, I am reading, I am reading....., although I am not very good at these political stuff. Does it mean I will not need a visa after 1st of July? Or the UK would be even stricter in fear a lot of Croats would come to England seeking for jobs?
I don't think I understand everything, but after I have read Statement of Intent I will let you know. Could you explain in short words how it can be good (or bad) for me? .. studying in England will probably be possible for Croatian young people, but it will still be too expensive for us. Will it be possible for a girl from Croatia to work as an au pair when we enter EU?

It just occured me -What would happen if a person in my situation (not me, I don't like breaking a law) overstays the visa and comes back to Croatia after the 1st of July? At that time Croatia will legally be in EU and visas will not be needed. Would it be considered as a breech of law? How would the government treat such a person if he/she wants to come to England again - in a few years time?

About to go to bed Sonia, will come back to you on this tomorrow-I mean later today-if no one else does. In short however, from July this year you won't need a visa to come to the UK. As for working, not too sure what the restrictios will be, but in practice I really don't think that UKBA will be chasing Croation au pairs. They certainly wouldn't be able to remove you from the country even if caught. Later.

SUPER SONIA wrote:All I want is to attend an English Course for 2-3 months, to improve my English.

If you were upfront about this and applied for the correct visa from the outset, then you could have got a visa for a longer period of time. The visa you hold at the moment is for tourism purposes and not for study purposes.

Elongated stays as a tourist often attract the attention of IOs and even more so in your case as,according to you,you wish to spend 2-3 months having just spent 6 months previously as a visitor.

If you were to come back so soon after then the likelihood is you would be refused. Although this is not necessarily the case. Yes the guidance to IOs is that visitors are not expected to spend more than 6 months visiting in any 12 month period, but this is only guidance and does not constitute part of the immigration rules,IOs are not bound by it and have lots of discretion in this regard.

However, you may be asked to account for the 6 months you have already spent. If you now wish to study as a student visitor you will have to show that you have arranged a course at a recognised institute,that you have the means to pay for the course,if you haven't already, and that you have sufficient funds to support yourself.

Bottom line is, you have to satisfy the IO you have not breached your conditions of entry on your last visit,have no intention of breaching them on this visit and fully intend to return to Croatia at the end of your studies/visit.

The alternative is to come back in July when Croatia becomes part of the EU.

im wondering...

if you were working an an Au Pair currently... then would the employers be liable to the 10000 quid fine ? - like if somebody works in a take away etc? - however i suppose its a case of "prove im working" etc...

[edit:

not recommending your breach your conditions on visa... and would advise you not to tempt fate.... it can cause lots of problems
]

1. Go back to Croatia
2. Buy return ticket Zagreb - Dubin - Zagreb
3. Book hotel like you gonna stay in Dublin for that time (so you dont have problem with Ireland immigration)
4. Take the train to Belfast
5. Fly to London
6. And you will be here

This is just my idea ... Probably it is also not legal ? I dont know, Anyone?

From 1/7/2013 Croatians shouldnt be subject to immigration control regardless if UK ban croatian workers

Let's keep this simple. Studying is not allowed on a tourist visa. Anyone suggesting any roundabout ways to circumvent this fact is being crafty even though they don't intend to be.

Unless you get an extremely lenient immigration officer at the port of entry, you can almost certainly expect to be questioned on the lenghty stays as a tourist, and the onus will be on you to prove that you are again seeking permission to enter as a tourist. IMO it's highly likely that you will not be allowed in but nothing is set in stone. As mentioned above, immigration officers do have discretion in these matters so it's up to you if you want to roll the dice.

Now I am really at a loss for what to do. Going to Dublin and than to Belfast and all that, is too complicated and expensive. Staying in England is not worth all that trouble.I didn't know for a student visitor visa, when I was coming to England. I just found about it yesterday on the UKBA site. It can last up to 11 months. Can I apply now? I saw you can apply on line. I didn't go through it thoroughly, but I will. So, as I get it, I am in England in the wrong time. I should have waited until the 1st of July 2013. But I will not have this opportunity after the 1st of July, at that time I want to be back at home. Nobody answered my question: Hypothetically, if I overstay my visa and break the law, and I get out of the country after the 1st of July - what would be the consequences for me? At the time of my leaving the country, the visa will not be required anymore. Even though I wouldn't have guts to do that, I am curious to know what would happen in such a case. Would they keep a bad record about me, or ban me from entering the country in future time? Your answers are so good, official and very strict. Do you all work for UKBA?

jagacharaja wrote:Let's keep this simple. Studying is not allowed on a tourist visa. Anyone suggesting any roundabout ways to circumvent this fact is being crafty even though they don't intend to be.

not really, also check Student Visitor

Thank you ban.s
I checked your link STUDENT VISITOR and there I found this:

YES, you do need a visa to come and study in the UK

(unless you are coming to study a short course and you will not work during your stay)

You told us that
you are a national of Croatia.
you are coming to UK to Study.
you are normally and legally living in Croatia.
What do you need to do?
If you want to study in the UK for more than 6 months, and/or you want to work while you are here, you must obtain a visa before you travel to the UK. You must apply for a visa under Tier 4 of the points-based system (or as a student visitor if you will be studying an English Language course for between 6 and 11 months). The Studying in the UK section contains more information.

You do not need a visa if you will be coming to the UK to:

study a course lasting up to 6 months - you can come as a student visitor or a child visitor (if you are under 18) or
receive specific, one-off training (but not on-the job training) .......
If you come to the UK in one of these visitor categories, you will not be allowed to do paid work during your stay. The Visiting the UK section contains details of these visitor categories, and lists the types of document that you may want to bring with you to show our immigration officers when you arrive at the UK border.....

Now I am going to find out what types of document I have to show the immigration officers.

Maybe immigration officers won't be that strict not to let me enter the country twice in 12 months period, especially if Croatian citizens are joining EU in July, and won't need visas anyway????? It's just 5 months until July!!! And I am going back home in July anyway!

I told you in my earlier reply what you would need to show an IO to satisfy him/her that you are genuinely intending to study whilst in the UK and that you qualify for entry as a student visitor.In addition,it would be advisable to have a return flight booked.

Just a curious aside here, when you arrived in the UK in September how long did you tell the IO you would be here and how have you been supporting yourself since last year and how will you continue to support yourself on your next visit? If the IO twigs you would have been here for going on nine months by the time you return to Croatia, get ready to answer such questions with documentary or hard evidence,bank statement etc.

As to whether there will be any consequences for you in future should you overstay your visa and Croatia joins the EU-there will be none.

ban.s wrote:

jagacharaja wrote:Let's keep this simple. Studying is not allowed on a tourist visa. Anyone suggesting any roundabout ways to circumvent this fact is being crafty even though they don't intend to be.

not really, also check Student Visitor

Erm, the discussion was about the OP thinking about getting another tourist visa, and my response was specifically for that. Are you saying tourists can study on a tourist visa?

I don't challenge your reference to the Student Visitor category, but as far as tourist visas are concerned - it really is simple. No study, no work, no nothing except sightseeing/ genuine holiday.

All of this seems to be academic though, as in reality OP might get away with it all as other posts seem to suggest.

jagacharaja wrote: Erm, the discussion was about the OP thinking about getting another tourist visa, and my response was specifically for that. Are you saying tourists can study on a tourist visa?

Did I ever say that?

there is nothing called a 'tourist visa' - it's a 'visitor visa' and issued for either a general visit purpose including tourism, or family visit or business visit or short term study. So it's always recommended to use the correct terminology to avoid any incorrect interpretation!

ban.s wrote:

jagacharaja wrote: Erm, the discussion was about the OP thinking about getting another tourist visa, and my response was specifically for that. Are you saying tourists can study on a tourist visa?

Did I ever say that?

there is nothing called a 'tourist visa' - it's a 'visitor visa' and issued for either a general visit purpose including tourism, or family visit or business visit or short term study. So it's always recommended to use the correct terminology to avoid any incorrect interpretation!

Thanks for correcting me on the terminology. I think we both know the OP was referring to the visitor visa, with no mention of a student visitor visa. In light of that, I still stand by my comment - you cannot study on a visitor visa.

When you said "not really" - I interpreted that as negating what I was stating earlier.

on a lighter note, if you allow me to make one last comment ) "you cannot study on a visitor visa." is partially correct - one can study on a "student visitor" visa but not on other vategory of "visitor" visas.
Now, "visitor" visas are popularly known as "tourist" visa and that creates the confusion!
have a nice weekend!