Please put my mind at rest! 6 month visitor (no visa country

[tarbuck]

Hi all,

My girlfriend is Mexican and after searching and finding that she requires no Visa for up to a 6 month visit, we have bought plane tickets for her to come here for 5 months (start of August until the start of January). I assumed that it would be fairly certain she would get in with no problems but I googled the other day and found some stories about people getting turned away at the border and ever since I've felt a bit sick with worry she won't be let in.

I think we should meet all the requirements I have read on the website, I have a good income (£37k, about £5k savings in the bank), I have been to Mexico 3 times already to show we've met before, she studied in the USA for 9 months so has a record of visiting a country and not breaking the immigration laws and we already have tickets to go back to Mexico in early January (I will be on the same flight to go and visit her family). She has never been here before so there is no risk of breaking the 6 month in 12 rule.

On a couple of the stories I found when googling about people being turned away at the border, a couple of them said they almost always turn down partners coming for a long stay when they have no job offer to show in their home country for when they return, because of the risk they will just overstay and live with the partner. If that is the case I don't know how to get round this?

Can anyone tell me they were in a similar situation and that there wasn't much of a problem? Anything to put my mind at rest? Or if the cases I found were correct and I really should be worried?

[Wanderer]

She just has to (if questioned) assure the IO that she's a genuine visitor and not merely residing with you for an extended period.

Five months is a bit long, that's not what the visit visa (actual or waiver) is for, I'd go for a few weeks, month max.

Worst case scenario is if she's stopped and asked and says she's gonna live with you for five months, almost certain bounce.

[Casa]

Although she is a non-visa national, the Immigration Officer will expect to see on request the same evidence of ties to her home country that she would have submitted in a visitor visa application. As Wanderer has advised, 5 months may be considered to be too long for a first visit. She will undoubtedly be asked what her plans are during her time here.