Do I Have To Meet My Sister In Law ?

[Shrek]

I live in england with my isan wife

I recently sponsored her sister to come to england for a holiday

Someone told me today that when she arrives at ? UK airport english immigration will insist on me being there to collect her

but I will be away on holiday !

Is this true ?

Slight panic !

Anyone know ?

Thanks

Shrek and Kung

[mr_hippo]

I don't know, is it true that you will be away on holiday?

[londonthai]

no, you don't have to be in the airport - but most probably somebody has to be there to pick her up.

emmigration might call you if your sister has some problems during the interview - so keep your mobile switched on, even if you are abroad.

if you can't asnwer the phone than leave on the answer phone a messege, that you are abroad and can't anwer - in that case your sister in law should give an alternative contact number to your wife or whoever is going to meet her at the airport. This person might have a handwritten short statement from you confirming your invitation. Everything just in case - depending how fusy the officer will be and what's your sister communication skills

[naka]

How weird ! Sounds like unaccompanied children or pets !

Do Americans, Australians or Azebaijanis also have to be

'collected' at the airport ?

Naka.

[lazeeboy]

How weird ! Sounds like unaccompanied children or pets !

Do Americans, Australians or Azebaijanis also have to be

'collected' at the airport ?

Naka.

if she already has a visa why would she need you at the airport ,the hard work has been done getting the visa ,she sould just waltz through no probs

[mrbojangles]

No you don't HAVE to be at the airport but would be nice if someone was there to meet her though). Either way, make sure she is armed with a letter or e-mail that has the address she is staying and contact details. Also, it could take an hour or longer for her to clear "non-UK passport holders" passport control.

Edited September 27, 2007 by mrbojangles

[Acquiesce]

I live in england with my isan wife

I recently sponsored her sister to come to england for a holiday

Someone told me today that when she arrives at ? UK airport english immigration will insist on me being there to collect her

but I will be away on holiday !

Is this true ?

Slight panic !

Anyone know ?

Thanks

Shrek and Kung

No you don't have to be at the airport when she arrives, however i would strongly recomend being at the airport when she leaves, just to make sure she does go.

[Eff1n2ret]

Presumably your wife will be there to meet her sister. With a visa, she would have the right of appeal before leaving the country, so nobody's going to waste much time trying to refuse her entry.

Absenting oneself on holiday sounds like an excellent way of avoiding the tedium of visits by in-laws. I congratulate you on your foresight.

[londonthai]

With a visa, she would have the right of appeal before leaving the country, so nobody's going to waste much time trying to refuse her entry.

can happen that entry is denied even if there is a visa - and the traveller is put back on the airplane it has arrived. I don't think there is an appeal proces - it will clog the system with tens/hundreds being refused entry every day in each port of entry.

what happens more often is that passport is confiscated and you have to come back and leave the country in 7 days.

the more chance you have if the emmigration officer confiscate the passport and tells to come back within the next few days for the further interview with more evidence and eventually with a relative/somebody who did invite you.

language and communication problems might be one of the reasons why people are denied entry - can't answer the simple question, no relative to pick you up so the emmigration has not much choice but to refuse entry.

I have a personal experience as well as many first hand stories from my relatives and friends.

[Eff1n2ret]

With a visa, she would have the right of appeal before leaving the country, so nobody's going to waste much time trying to refuse her entry.

can happen that entry is denied even if there is a visa - and the traveller is put back on the airplane it has arrived. I don't think there is an appeal proces - it will clog the system with tens/hundreds being refused entry every day in each port of entry.

Passengers arriving in the UK with a current visa may have the visa cancelled and be refused entry, but the onus is on the Immigration Officer to prove that deception has been employed to get the visa, or there has been a change of circumstances since it was issued. In the event of such a refusal, the passenger would have the right of appeal before removal.

Thus visa nationals are compensated for the inconvenience of having to obtain and pay for a visa, because once they arrive with it, they are at an advantage over nationals of countries who don't have to get a visa to travel here, e.g. Americans, who have the burden of proof against them and may be refused entry if the IO is not satisfied with their reasons for seeking entry, and have no right of appeal. Your anecdotal evidence may relate to such cases.

In the OP's case, presumably his sis-in-law obtained a family visit visa. If both he and his wife are away on holiday when she arrives, she could be at risk of being refused, and even detained, but I assume his sponsorship extends just to offering financial support and accommodation, which would still be there even if he wasn't.

[naka]

I live in england with my isan wife

I recently sponsored her sister to come to england for a holiday

Someone told me today that when she arrives at ? UK airport english immigration will insist on me being there to collect her

but I will be away on holiday !

Is this true ?

Slight panic !

Anyone know ?

Thanks

Shrek and Kung

Amazing that you were unable to co-ordinate such a simple thing

Anyway, your questions are pointless since your wife will decide whether or not you

go to meet her sister whether you want to or not

Naka.

[pgs]

For any of my Thai family, I'd be waiting. TW would probably try to be there the night before (bit of a pain when we're only 30 min form the airport).