US boyfriend visiting UK girlfriend - help much appreciated!

Firstly I'd like to apologise if I have posted in the wrong place or forum. I couldn't quite find where to post so thought I'd start here being a new memeber and all.

I am a UK citizen and my boyfriend is a U.S citizen who is 36. We first met online 14 months ago and first met in person last August when he came to visit me in the UK. I have been to the states twice to visit him - 2 weeks in Oct 14 and 10 weeks from Dec-Feb 15.

He is coming to visit in 6 days time and has a return ticket back to the U.S after a 6 week visit.
So! My issues are border control. Last time he visited me he was v upfront and said visiting girlfriend when asked and they questioned him about me, what he did etc. He said he was a teacher (which he was at the time) and he was let through with no issues.

A year later he is no longer teaching or working in an environment lab (testing building materials for asbestos etc) but decided to buy and renovate a house as his hobby/passion was woodworking and renovation etc and he knew he could make a good profit opn the house. He has just completed the project and sold the property which was also his home but this only went through 2 weeks ago. Now if asked about his job should he say "property developer" as that is how he sees himself? He made an 80k profit on the house which was double what he made working before. However, he does not have an "employer" as such as he completed the project himself. We see ourselves very much being together and our plan is to apply for a fiancee visa for him to come here once he returns to the US. the reason we have not done it yet is that I have had to take on an additional job to meet the financial requirement and I have to have held the job for 6 months which I will have done by end of sept. However, due to trying to finish and sell the house, we haven't seen each other for 6 months and couldn't bear to wait until we could apply for the fiance visa. ( I couldn't visit him as had already had 10 weeks off work at the beginning of the year) and he was working in an environment lab for 6 months as well as doing up the house and couldn't get time off. So!

Do you think we'll have issues if he says he is here on vacation to visit his girlfriend and friends and travel, is a property developer who has just finished a large project affording him time to travel and will have bank statemnts to prove he can fund himself? If pushed furthur he will explain that he knows we cannot marry in the Uk, he knows that in order to apply for a fiance visa he has to be in the states and that he is just having a break and travelling the UK with me for 6 weeks? I am killing myself with worry over this. I know if he just said a vacation with friends he'd probably get fewer questions but I think it's important to be honest if we are planning on applying for a settlement visa. He could slightly fudge the truth and say he planned to go back and start another renovation project but he would have no proof. Do you really need proof if you are independently wealthy and have over 80k in your bank account? It's difficult because we really are doing nothing wrong and he HAS to go back as all his belongings are there plus his car and I cannot see why anyone who knew the rules and had the money would ever try and enter and stay illegally when they would then never be able to marry or work legally and risk deportation constantly. He is coming for a fun holiday and we plan to travel all over the UK.

Can anyone give me any advice on what we should say or what they experinced at the UK border? The bare bones facts are:
Property developer, just finished project and has to go back to tie up loose ends (true), has to go back to apply for fiance visa, has large amounts in bank account, has return ticket, has car and all belongings in the U.S? Knows the immigration rules and wants to follow them

Any help much appreciated!!!!

Home Office staff will likely ask him questions regarding the purpose of his visit. It should just remain at "visiting friends etc" but it is entirely possible for more questions to be asked.

Immigration staff will need to be satisfied that he can maintain and accommodate his stay in the UK. So providing he can demonstrate he has enough funds to cover his stay there should be no need to worry about his potential job in the U.S.

Highly_Skilled wrote:Home Office staff will likely ask him questions regarding the purpose of his visit. It should just remain at "visiting friends etc" but it is entirely possible for more questions to be asked.

Immigration staff will need to be satisfied that he can maintain and accommodate his stay in the UK. So providing he can demonstrate he has enough funds to cover his stay there should be no need to worry about his potential job in the U.S.

It certainly shouldn't remain at 'visiting friends etc'! If he does this and withholds the existence of your relationship he will be unable to declare this as an established relationship when he applies for a fiance or spouse visa! He should be honest and if he is concerned about being 'bounced' then the safest way would be to apply for a visitor visa and submit evidence of reasons for returning to the US.

Casa wrote:

Highly_Skilled wrote:Home Office staff will likely ask him questions regarding the purpose of his visit. It should just remain at "visiting friends etc" but it is entirely possible for more questions to be asked.

Immigration staff will need to be satisfied that he can maintain and accommodate his stay in the UK. So providing he can demonstrate he has enough funds to cover his stay there should be no need to worry about his potential job in the U.S.

It certainly shouldn't remain at 'visiting friends etc'! If he does this and withholds the existence of your relationship he will be unable to declare this as an established relationship when he applies for a fiance or spouse visa! He should be honest and if he is concerned about being 'bounced' then the safest way would be to apply for a visitor visa and submit evidence of reasons for returning to the US.

Oh yes, I completely agree. I was just para-phrasing.

The boyfriend would certainly need to expand if/when confronted with immigration staff.

They really need to be upfront with the relationship from the outset, to ensure the IO doesn't feel they are being evasive.

The IO will be looking for a 'genuine visitor' i.e. is he visiting his girlfriend or is he living with her for 6 months?

So be careful as any evidence of cohab will send the IO limited brain functions into a tiz....

Thank you for your responses. We do plan on being upfront as we plan to apply for settlement visa and know it makes no sense to tell lies as we are in a committed relationship. Indeed on his first visit over the guy on the border wished him luck after he explained he was here to meet me for the first time!

Also, he is only coming for 6 weeks, not 6 months, whilst he will be staying with me primarily we are planning a proper holiday and will be travelling up to Scotland, camping with friends in Whitby, going to my aunt's 82nd birthday party to name just a few things. We really want to explore the uk together as he only had 2 weeks last time. He will make it very clear he's here on holiday! Thank you guys. I'm hoping all will be well bit I am a worrier.

I just wanted to let you know he had absolutely no issues getting through and only had to show proof of his return ticket. Apparently the man on the counter seemed impressed that he's made such a good return on the property he developed and said something along the lines of "oh to be young again!" He was completely upfront about coming to see me. Thanks for all your advice

Good to hear it all went smoothly. Enjoy your time together and thanks for updating us with the news.