ILR after deportation from the USA
Posted: Mon May 12, 2025 6:54 pm
8 years ago I was denied entry at the border in the US. I admitted to working and using drugs in the USA and have paperwork that says this and they revoked my tourist visa. I have lived in the UK for 9 years on an ancestry visa (which I renewed 4 years ago). I have had no further immigration or criminal incidents.
The reality is that I worked for room and board for about a week on a marijuana farm in California, where it was legal on a state level but not a federal level, which I did not quite understand. The whole incident at the airport was the stupidest thing imagineable and on paper sounds much much worse than it is, which is probably why I was so open with the border agents. They also interrogated me for 11 hours and threathened me with federal prison if I didn't sign their paperwork which I did not read. I try not to think about it, it was awful.
Anyway. I need to apply for my ILR now. How do I talk about this? Do I just give the case number? Do I go into detail in my cover letter? How scared should I be- is it certain to be refused? I have a (british) spouse and a young family and I don't know what to do.
The reality is that I worked for room and board for about a week on a marijuana farm in California, where it was legal on a state level but not a federal level, which I did not quite understand. The whole incident at the airport was the stupidest thing imagineable and on paper sounds much much worse than it is, which is probably why I was so open with the border agents. They also interrogated me for 11 hours and threathened me with federal prison if I didn't sign their paperwork which I did not read. I try not to think about it, it was awful.
Anyway. I need to apply for my ILR now. How do I talk about this? Do I just give the case number? Do I go into detail in my cover letter? How scared should I be- is it certain to be refused? I have a (british) spouse and a young family and I don't know what to do.