Entering the UK on a Visit Visa

[RickyR]

Good morning,
So now Marvie has her visit visa in hand, is that the end of it? What kind of questions might she be asked at immigration. Unfortunately she will be flying via Heathrow, connecting to Manchester which I guess means dealing with Heathrow immigration. Will they ask many questions, will they need any documents. Is return flights enough? Do they ask about how much money she has with her etc?

Thanks in advance for your help :-)

[simplelife]

Good morning,
So now Marvie has her visit visa in hand, is that the end of it? What kind of questions might she be asked at immigration. Unfortunately she will be flying via Heathrow, connecting to Manchester which I guess means dealing with Heathrow immigration. Will they ask many questions, will they need any documents. Is return flights enough? Do they ask about how much money she has with her etc?

Thanks in advance for your help :-)

Hi RickyR,

Firstly, congratulations on Marvie`s successful visit visa application.
I have been to UK on Visitor Visa and I did not have any problem at all entering the UK.
When I present my passport to the Immigration Officer,
"what`s the purpose of your visit?" that was the question asked.
Thats all.
Although I heard and seen on TV program that some people have a hard time entering the border even they have a valid visa, I think that is when the Officer found someone looks suspicious.

[vbkelly]

first time came to uk with my visit visa and i was arrived in heathrow they don't ask a question at all just put a stamped in my passport, tips be smart in the front of immigration officer dont feel nervous coz if they see your nervous they gonna ask you a stupid question.

[gemini63]

Yes tell her to be smart and relax. How many times ive pass immigration,i have never been asked about money.Usually they will ask How long you gonna stay, while looking on your return ticket, seems comparing on what uve said.Whats the purpose?whom and were you gonna be staying?So let her memorize ur address.Let her return ticket together with her passport,presented to the immigration , as soon as she arvd infront of the officer.

[AJS]

Hi, many congrats on you visa :).

We are going to write this post so if you have the same experience then you will not be to stressed. We was granted a vist visa last may and my fiance flew into heathrow. I was in the waiting area when i got a phonecall and it was an immigration guy, he was asking me lots of questions about my fiance, what was the purpose of the visit, where was she going to stay, who was paying fopr her accommodation, who i am, what is my profession and many other questions of the same nature. He was really relaxed and nice, we even shared a joke about football since i had driven from liverpool so he asked me who my team was, i knew he was checking us out but it dd not feel lke an interview, very informal, anyways at the end of the call he explained that he was doing routine checkes and reminded me not to take advantage of the visa and told me to wait and she would be through in a few minutes. Which she did :).

When she came though i asked her what happened, she said they took her into a room and brought in a form, which she thinks was a deportaton form. he asked her lots of questions and then left the room, whch is when he called me, it turns out he asked me the same questions and since we gave the same answers he came back in he wa ssatisfied and ripped up the paper and told her to have a nice trip:)

A few weeks later she came back on a second trip, this time to manchester airport and a similar story happened. they didnt phone me ths time but she was asked questions.

In short do not panic if this happens to you, it seems to be procedure and they were not at all nasty wth us. Just answer the questions honestly and if you are a genuine applicant, which i know you are then you have nothing at all to worry about.

Good luck and i hope she enjoys UK as much as my fiance did :D.

[mavid]

I had the same experience as AJS's fiance. But I think it was because my situation was a bit confusing lol My sponsor was not my fiance but a very good family friend of my fiance.

Hence, all the intriguing questions they asked me lol Most of the questions started to sound like I applied for a fiance visa not visit visa.

I already expected them to asked me why my fiance didn't sponsor me. So i had my answers ready in my head all the while lol Simple because that visit was a thank you gift for me letting our family friend stay at our house and showing him around the Philippines.

My fiance and I flew back to the UK together, he swiftly passed the immigration and waited there on the other side, worried lol Like AJS said, they also asked him the same questions they asked me.

So bottom point again, just don't lie.

[RickyR]

Perfect advice, thats exactly what I was looking for thanks.

[Sconnie]

Good to see the forum working the way it should be

[PeterB]

Much the same here ... Ruby and I traveled together, and I waited by the 'other nationals' immigration desks. I could see that Ruby was being asked a few questions - then the immigration officer turned to me and called me over. The main problem seems to have been that Ruby did not have a return ticket - the reason being that she and I planned to fly back to Phils together on an unknown date about three months hence. Now, possession of a return ticket is not an absolute requirement, but many immigration officers will claim that it is - they, clearly, have not read their own guidelines!

After about five minutes further discussion Ruby was allowed through.

So, I think that they are just trying to establish your intentions, by asking some awkward questions.