Will I be denied Tier 4 visa for visiting UK too much?

[ding_bat]

I'll soon be applying for a Tier 4 student visa. Assuming I'd meet all of the requirements, could I be denied a visa because of the following:

I was in the UK for about 5 months in the summer/fall of 2016. (Americans are allowed up to 6 months in the UK in a 12 month period.)

I went to the UK again for 2 weeks at the end of 2016. Upon arriving in London, the border patrol officer absolutely grilled me on what I was doing there. I was allowed in, but now I have special stamps on my passport that will basically "flag" me each time I enter. He was very "suspicious" of me because I have friends there and stayed so long the last time.

Thoughts? I technically did not break any laws, but the immigration officers are suspicious of me now! Will I be denied a Student Visa for this?

[sah10406]

(Americans are allowed up to 6 months in the UK in a 12 month period.)

This is not so. Anyone of any nationality can *visit* the UK as often as they wish, for up to six months at a time. There is no 6-out-of-12-months rule, and there are no special arrangements for Americans. Problems and suspicions will arise if someone appears to be using a series of fake visits to live in the UK. This is about the purpose of their stay, not specifically about the length or any 6-out-of-12 months rule. This may have been the source of the suspicion.

He was very "suspicious" of me because I have friends there and stayed so long the last time.

There is nothing wrong with staying for 5 months in itself. Perhaps when you first entered you intended to stay a shorter time, and then changed your mind? In that case there may have been the suspicion that you used deception the first time you entered, and that you always intended to stay for many months.

Will I be denied a Student Visa for this?

No, unless you used deception at any point.

[immoman]

Great answer from above, having previously been an immo officer in the UK I can tell you you that all you have received is a code 3 stamp. The stamp itself is a general warning to all other immigration officers in the UK informing them that you were "grilled" last time and that notes were taken for the reasons of your visit and filed. It hinders your credibility slightly but so long as you can prove you are genuinely coming as a visitor and returning, there shouldn't be an issue.

So long as you have not exceeded the maximum period allowed for Non visa nationals (6 months) there should not be an issue with making a student application (that being a short term student or T4 student)

[sah10406]

No idea why my post refers to "bad quality visits", which is not a thing. I just wrote "visits"!

[CR001]

No idea why my post refers to "bad quality visits", which is not a thing. I just wrote "visits"!

It is the word censor. F A K E and a few others automatically get changed to 'bad quality'.

[sah10406]

It is the word censor. F A K E and a few others automatically get changed to 'bad quality'.

Ah okay, thanks. Can't remember what I wrote. Maybe I did write that word.