pocket money upon entry to u.k

[toging]

my fiancee's friends wife traveling from South Africa was refused entry into the UK(in airport). one of the reasons she was given was she should have had a minimum of £1200 on her person.i cant confirm this but i was just told this happens,just adding to my worries,could anyone let me know if theres any truth in this,and if i need to have that money with me as well...any help would be gratefully appreciated!!!tnx in advance

[Tawi2]

Depends upon the length of her visit to UK as to how long £1200 would last,its not a lot of cash to be honest,I have seen several south africans denied entry to the UK on the UKBA TV program,they have a rep for overstaying ;)

[Englishman2010]

If she was travelling on a Tourist Visa, then £1200 wouldn't last that long, maybe 2 or 3 weeks at the most, but on a Fiancee or Spouse Visa I don't see how it would be a problem as the UK partner would have already stated that he/she would be financially supporting the entrant.

[Tawi2]

as the UK partner
No mention the partners UK based,could have been coming on a tourist visa from SA :Erm:

[Terpe]

Firstly, unless you are carrying undeclared sums of money above accepted limits, then there are no rules that can be invoked to deny entry to UK solely due to the amount of money a person is physically carrying.

In basic principle, provided this person had:-

Genuine passport with acceptable validity
An appropriate and valid entry Visa
Evidence of financial support

Then 'in basic principle' there should be no problems.

However, we have no information at all about the visa itself or the actual reasons for entry refusal. There could be plenty of valid reasons to refuse entry.

We don't know what information was available to UKBA, what questions were asked by the immigration officer and what answers were given.

You can rest assured that UK entry at immigration for genuine visitors with correct documentation is not a problem.

[toging]

thank you for all of your replies!!!!

[KeithD]

On a visit visa you need to show you can fund yourself, money, credit cards, etc, or prove that you are supported by a sponsor in the UK. A bit of each probably helps more.

[Dr Graham]

This is a subject close to my heart as my Fiancee is just about to try again for a Visa to come to the UK. She was refused a Marriage Visa last year, so this year we are trying for what we hope will be easier, a Tourist Visa.

She tells me that a friend of hers was recently refused entry as a Tourist to Australia, (even though her boyfriend who lives in OZ was covering all her expenses), because she only had 30,000 PHP available to her !
Another friend who used to work for a Visa Agency in Manila has told her that the UK demands that visitors have more funding than any other country does. :(

But a friend tells me his Fiancee came to the UK on a Tourist Visa about 18 months ago, and she had NO PERSONAL MONEY AT ALL.

After info like this, personal experience, and from watching the recent TV Documentary Series, I get the impression that it all depends on which ECO and Immigration Officer you get, and the sort of mood they are in at the time.

[Bluebirdjones]

I get the impression that it all depends on which ECO and Immigration Officer you get
No, it does NOT.

A visitor's visa & a fiancee visa are two different things.

In the case of a visitor's visa, you must have sufficient funds to pay for your upkeep (hotels, food, travel etc), or have proof of access to sufficient funds.

In the case of a fiance/marriage visa, your (future) husband has already committed to paying for your upkeep. This was part of the application process.

... so, a fiancee can legitimately arrive here with not a brass farthing in her pocket.

[somebody]

I get the impression that it all depends on which ECO and Immigration Officer you get
No, it does NOT.

A visitor's visa & a fiancee visa are two different things.

In the case of a visitor's visa, you must have sufficient funds to pay for your upkeep (hotels, food, travel etc), or have proof of access to sufficient funds.

In the case of a fiance/marriage visa, your (future) husband has already committed to paying for your upkeep. This was part of the application process.

... so, a fiancee can legitimately arrive here with not a brass farthing in her pocket.


Very true in the vast majority of cases but i'm guessing possibly in a few cases the funding of not requiring public funds may come from the applicant. Rare I know but i do know of at least one documented case of a Girl who when interviewed would have not gain a visa for entry apart from the evidence of her having a considerable sum of money in her own account as the Husband was not that well off.

I have no idea of what notes the ECO's have access to and possibly whats written on individual visa stamps. So in theory I guess if a spouse visa applicant has proven they would be providing the funds to ensure no recourse to public funds then possibly they might get checked?

Still think there was some confusion here and from interactions with Immigration officers with my Wife some are far more knowledgeable than others. One very nice chap said that we could apply for ILR in so many months when whether postal or in person it could not happen typically for a good six months plus:rolleyes:

Be prepared to check the law your self as mistakes and misunderstandings do happen and people often just think that the people in the position know whats best....


I do remember a user of one older forum mentioning that his wife was stoped and further evidence was required ( i can't remember what) and the husband outside luckily had the good sense to bring every bit of paperwork with him he could. Different requirements but its always a good idea to be over prepared than under prepared when such monumental decisions are being made..

[Terpe]

There are immigration rules and there are also published guidelines for the ECO.
95% of the internal guidelines are in the public domain for all to see.

Refusals for settlement visa's are not made routinely, and are not made on the whim or mood of the ECO

Take at look at the statistics for the refusal rate against applications.

Yes of course mistakes get made. No-one is perfect. We all make mistakes at some time. But at least there are processes and procedures available that hopefully capture and correct most mistakes.
Of course it will help it the applicant and sponsor make themselves aware of the rules.

I personally have no doubt that ECO's and ECM's try their best to be impartial and to help.

In my experience refusals are not made lightly.
If anyone feels they have not been treated fairly why not request reconsideration or appeal. Period.

Plenty of visa applications I have become aware of are not only weak but also non-compliant.