Overstayed my working holiday visa by five years, need help.

[Josh-]

I came to England on a working holiday visa. After two years I left and went travelling. I then returned. Passport control at Heathrow allowed me to go into England for three days to tie up my affairs, and kept my passport. I did not leave. I have stayed in England since 1997. In the interim I have worked hard, paid tax and have not claimed benefits. In addition I have lived with my girlfriend for three years and we want to get married. Returning to South Africa offers little prospects and I feel as if England is my home. I there any advice anyone can offer?

[csaba]

I've heard in the UK they don't check your passport when you leave, only when you're entering the country. So maybe you can leave without any problems, go to SA, have your girlfriend get you citizenship through marriage, wait another 3 years and you get citizenship.

I don't know what you should do about your passport. Maybe you could go to the SA embassy, tell them you lost your passport and have them issue a new one? Then you could safely leave the country.

[Jeff Albright]

Josh,

It would be to your advantage to wait until your period of continuous residence in the UK has passed the 14 years mark.

Otherwise it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to regularise your position without leaving the UK. Whilst you can use your family and private life as one of the arguments, it will still probably be decided that your removal from the UK will be proportionate for the aim of maintaining firm immigration control. If you both had kids and if you had a professional skilled employment, that would have helped your situation. But otherwise it seems rather unlikely you will succeed.

Best wishes

Jeff

[Hernancortes]

Unlucky mate, it seems you will be stuck in blighty for a long period of time. Anyway, i really think the working holiday visa should be abolished.
It seems only certain countries citizens have success when applying for it(old commonwealth).