US citizen travelling to the UK for six months.

[taylor28]

Hi, so here is my suitation. I've currently been with my boyfriend for over two years now and we've both been to our respective countries to see each other. I recently stayed in the UK for two weeks over christmas and returned home early January. Now, we've both recently graduated and want to take a year off from education to spend time with each other and I bought a plane ticket several months back to stay in the UK for just under six months. I arrive on the 27th of July and return home on the 20th of January.

My issue is with immigration control. I know what relative documents are required, such as reasons for staying (Which basically is a vistor) and I have proof of our relationship through previous purchased plane tickets, showing our travels to spend time together in person, and photographs of us in person to prove the relationship is genuine. I also have payslips, and bank statements of my current funds, which I saved up as much as possible for the past several months as I got a job quickly after graduation, earning me just over £2200 to support myself for the length of stay. I've also got a letter of accommodation from my boyfriends mother, saying that'll she support me and give me a place to stay for the full extent of my stay there. I'm just worried, I leave in four days and I know I've pulled my hair out doing endless amounts of research and I'm not yet fully satifised I have enough to prove customs of my intent of travelling for the full extent of the maximum allowed time, which is six months.

I'm simply looking for advice or some reassurance from anyone that might have gone through what I currently am, that the information I currently have is enough to satisfy the immigrations officer. Keep in mind, I do also have a return ticket and do not plan on working, or earning funds in anyway what so ever while staying there. My only intent is that of a tourist and spending time with my boyfriend.

Thanks!

[physicskate]

Hi, so here is my suitation. I've currently been with my boyfriend for over two years now and we've both been to our respective countries to see each other. I recently stayed in the UK for two weeks over christmas and returned home early January. Now, we've both recently graduated and want to take a year off from education to spend time with each other and I bought a plane ticket several months back to stay in the UK for just under six months. I arrive on the 27th of July and return home on the 20th of January.

My issue is with immigration control. I know what relative documents are required, such as reasons for staying (Which basically is a vistor) and I have proof of our relationship through previous purchased plane tickets, showing our travels to spend time together in person, and photographs of us in person to prove the relationship is genuine. I also have payslips, and bank statements of my current funds, which I saved up as much as possible for the past several months as I got a job quickly after graduation, earning me just over £2200 to support myself for the length of stay. I've also got a letter of accommodation from my boyfriends mother, saying that'll she support me and give me a place to stay for the full extent of my stay there. I'm just worried, I leave in four days and I know I've pulled my hair out doing endless amounts of research and I'm not yet fully satifised I have enough to prove customs of my intent of travelling for the full extent of the maximum allowed time, which is six months.

I'm simply looking for advice or some reassurance from anyone that might have gone through what I currently am, that the information I currently have is enough to satisfy the immigrations officer. Keep in mind, I do also have a return ticket and do not plan on working, or earning funds in anyway what so ever while staying there. My only intent is that of a tourist and spending time with my boyfriend.

Thanks!

More importantly, I think you need to show ties to the USA and your intent to return. It might have even been a good idea for you to apply for a visit visa... but it's a bit late for that. It is a good idea for you to also prove your understanding of immigration requirements and that you understand you cannot change your visa status in the UK while on a visit visa.

There is now a perception that single American women coming over to stay with their partners will overstay their visas and remain in the UK illegally. There have been several cases where these women are denied entry. UK Yankee has a recent thread on this issue too!

[taylor28]

Thank you for replying, my concern is they might refuse me based on my recent job status. I only worked for several months and recently handed in my two week notice for my trip here, it was as I mentioned right after I graduated and thus, I'm currently jobless waiting on my trip.

My boyfriend's plan is to continue education next September and I fully support that and I only consider this a hoilday together, which when finished I have to go back to America regardless because I want to live here with him on a permanent basis, and in order for that to happen I need to return home and we both have to work and save up our funds for a future application, depending on how we approach it. It could be a spouse visa, or he could sponsor me to come and live here once he has a full time job, which he will have therefore I'll be able to return and work here when we've got to that stage. Would that be acceptable, or even a good reasoning behind my attempts at convincing the IO's, proving I have adequate knowledge of how to approach living here?

I think that's my best route, I can't think of anything that would on paper, strongly tie me to the US as off now. I just graduated, I don't have school to go back to thus taking the year off to be with him, and ofcourse I'm jobless at present. So I'm quite worried, I guess I'll have to chance it at customs.

And one more thing, I have this letter of accommidation, but it's of email and personally sent to me via hotmail by his mother. Is this acceptable? I'm a fool for leaving this to the last minute... Apparently I've read it has to be an authentic letter and not printed off.

[giblet]

I'd suggest also bringing your boyfriend's phone number as well as his mother's phone number in case they want to call to confirm your story. It's surprising how often we don't have these sort of things handy when going through immigration!