Inactive HSMP Visa

[pahadia]

Hello There,
I am an Indian national living in Ireland on Long Term (stamp 4) resident visa. I work as an IT consultant on permanent bases. In Sep-2007 I successfully secured UK HSMP visa which is valid until Sep-2009. Due to professional & personal reasons I did not migrated to UK.
Now I intend to travel to UK for 2 days for company work. I am wondering if I need separate visitor visa for this purpose or would my HSMP visa will allow me to enter UK. I am looking forward for your valuable advice.

Regards

[Mr Rusty]

No Problem

Your visa is valid as permission to enter the UK unless/until it is cancelled or expires. It's not going to be cancelled because it's highly unlikely that you will see an immigration officer when you arrive from the Republic of Ireland.

In my opinion, even if you did have to present yourself to an immigration officer, to cancel your visa in the circumstances you have described would be a totally unreasonable and pointless decision.

Come on over. You're not breaking any law.

[pahadia]

Hello Mr Rusty,
Thanks for the response. This is what I thought as well but immigration officer may not think in that way. Here is my why I think so. Last November I had to go urgently to India. Only next available flight was via London so I took it. Going out wasn't any problem but while coming back at Heathrow airport immigration officer start asking about transit visa(even though Cat 4 Irish resident does not require one but its officers discretion). He looked into HSMP visa and said its not activated so we can deport you back(How funny I was not even intend to enter UK).At the end he let me go. I want to avoid this situation hence asked this question. I am trying to get answer from UK embassy(WorldBridge) but they seems not to be interested to provide any info via email (they have send me blank email for my case...I think they have to response to each case). I'll send them another email to see what’s their response. In the mean time if anybody else encounter same situation please provide your feedback....

Regards

[republique]

Hello Mr Rusty,
Thanks for the response. This is what I thought as well but immigration officer may not think in that way. Here is my why I think so. Last November I had to go urgently to India. Only next available flight was via London so I took it. Going out wasn't any problem but while coming back at Heathrow airport immigration officer start asking about transit visa(even though Cat 4 Irish resident does not require one but its officers discretion). He looked into HSMP visa and said its not activated so we can deport you back(How funny I was not even intend to enter UK).At the end he let me go. I want to avoid this situation hence asked this question. I am trying to get answer from UK embassy(WorldBridge) but they seems not to be interested to provide any info via email (they have send me blank email for my case...I think they have to response to each case). I'll send them another email to see what’s their response. In the mean time if anybody else encounter same situation please provide your feedback....

Regards

But that is unreasonable, you don't have to activate it yet. Maybe you want to use the second year of the visa and finish up your job in Ireland so that comment to deport you is ridiculous. In any case, he can't force you back to India when you have resident permit in Ireland so if he wants to deport you, you are entitled to go to Ireland.