Uk Tourist Visa

[INCOGNITO146]

Hi guys,

My girlfriend just got her email and text saying her passport was being couriered to Phuket today so all being well she will have a 6 month visitor visa tommorow (fingers crossed) !

Is it ok to get her a one way flight to uk and book her return while in the uk ? Is a return flight neccesary to enter the u.k or can i just show she has available funds for the return ticket.

thanks for all the previous help with other queries. :-)

[theoldgit]

In theory it should be ok, but she should be prepared to be given a hard time by an IO at the border.

Chances are that she will be asked the normal questions, purpose and duration of the trip, and then stamped in, but you could get an IO who asks to see a return ticket. And whilst there is no specific requirement to be in possession of one, with sufficient funds available to purchase a ticket being ok, you might get an IO who wants to delve. Your girlfriend should give the same length of stay as in her application and be able to explain why she didn't buy a return ticket. The IO is probably aware that whilst return flights are probably cheaper out of the UK, two singles are probably not.

So yes, a single ticket should be ok but be prepared for an IO who wants to delve.

Hope she gets the result she wants.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I would always advise you book a return ticket.

[JohnC]

My partner was refused boarding at the airport because check in staff thought they had not booked a return flight, in fact the return was with me on a different airline, once we had provided return flight details they were allowed to board.

[7by7]

As the OG says, if quizzed by an IO at her port of entry she will need to show either a return/onward ticket or that she has the funds available to purchase one. If she is asked and can't show one or the other then she will probably be refused entry.

As JohnC says, because airlines may be subject to large fines if they carry someone who is refused entry, plus the cost of returning that passenger from whence they came, some airlines are reluctant to carry visit visa holders who do not have a return/onward ticket.

I agree with TVE, a return ticket is best. If unsure exactly how long she will be spending in the UK, then get one with a changeable return date.

As the OG also says, the length of visit she put on the application form will be available to the IO, so if asked she should stick to this. If she does subsequently stay longer than originally stated in the application this is not against the rules, provided she leaves before the visa expires; but it can cause credibility problems in any future application unless a reasonable explanation for so doing is provided in that application.

[Thongkorn]

I would always advise you book a return ticket.

Correct , i have known people turned back, because they did not have a tkt, and they did not explain themselves very good because the could not speak English that well.

[bobrussell]

Many tickets bought in Thailand are simple to change return dates with little or no penalty. UK bought ones usually have so many terms, conditions and catches that it can cost the earth to change the smallest detail.

Talk to the travel agent in Thailand and make sure they are able to change the return date easily. Often a return ticket is little more than a single fare.

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

Buy a return ticket if at all possible to ease entry on arrival.

[Thongkorn]

Many tickets bought in Thailand are simple to change return dates with little or no penalty. UK bought ones usually have so many terms, conditions and catches that it can cost the earth to change the smallest detail.

Talk to the travel agent in Thailand and make sure they are able to change the return date easily. Often a return ticket is little more than a single fare.

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

Buy a return ticket if at all possible to ease entry on arrival.

Actualy it is more expencive to fly from Thailand to England , Than from England to Thailand.

[theoldgit]

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

When you say detained and refused entry, do you mean actually detained in an Immigration Removal Centre or were they held at Heathrow until they could get a flight back to Thailand? It is very unusual to detain people in such circumstances, especially when a child is involved.

Either was it's very heavy handed, and I have to say extremely unusual, the detention, not being refused entry. For an IO to have refused your wife and daughter entry they would have had to convince a CIO that entry clearance was fraudulently obtained or that there had been a material change in circumstances since the visa was issued, that could be stating you wanted to visit for a couple of weeks when the intention was to stay for a few months.

I'm glad your MP managed to get a compromise acceptable to you, though I have never heard of such things being raised in the Commons, did it take long?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

When you say detained and refused entry, do you mean actually detained in an Immigration Removal Centre or were they held at Heathrow until they could get a flight back to Thailand? It is very unusual to detain people in such circumstances, especially when a child is involved.

Either was it's very heavy handed, and I have to say extremely unusual, the detention, not being refused entry. For an IO to have refused your wife and daughter entry they would have had to convince a CIO that entry clearance was fraudulently obtained or that there had been a material change in circumstances since the visa was issued, that could be stating you wanted to visit for a couple of weeks when the intention was to stay for a few months.

I'm glad your MP managed to get a compromise acceptable to you, though I have never heard of such things being raised in the Commons, did it take long?

We had a client detained on Friday at Stanstead for 11 hours we managed to speak to the UK/BA & they released her.

[Contractor]

A few years ago my tgf (travelling on a tourist visa) was asked to show her return ticket by immigration officials at LHR before they allowed her entry. The question is, why would anyone not have a return ticket if only visiting?

[Contractor]

We had a client detained on Friday at Stanstead for 11 hours we managed to speak to the UK/BA & they released her.

Blimey, 11 hours at Stansted, that sounds grim.

Were they not properly prepared?

[bobrussell]

Many tickets bought in Thailand are simple to change return dates with little or no penalty. UK bought ones usually have so many terms, conditions and catches that it can cost the earth to change the smallest detail.

Talk to the travel agent in Thailand and make sure they are able to change the return date easily. Often a return ticket is little more than a single fare.

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

Buy a return ticket if at all possible to ease entry on arrival.

Actualy it is more expencive to fly from Thailand to England , Than from England to Thailand.

Yes it is now but the tickets tend to be more flexible!

[Eff1n2ret]

As JohnC says, because airlines may be subject to large fines if they carry someone who is refused entry, plus the cost of returning that passenger from whence they came, some airlines are reluctant to carry visit visa holders who do not have a return/onward ticket.

Sorry to be a bit of a pedant, but that isn't quite right. A 'Carrier's Liability' penalty (which was £2000 a few years back, I don't know if it's gone up recently) may be imposed if a passenger arrives incorrectly documented, i.e. they haven't a passport, it's forged, or, in the case of a visa national, they have no visa. The airline may dispute the penalty on the grounds, for example, that an undocumented pax had a passport when they checked in, or that the forgery was not readily apparent (a very grey area).

Non-visa nationals who are refused entry are removed at the carrier's expense, but anyone holding a visa who is properly documented and is refused entry is removed at public expense - so a Thai with a visa would not be a charge on the airline.

Having said that, some airlines' checkin staff don't know such detail and may therefore be unhappy to board a passenger without a return ticket. Lack of a return ticket would on its own probably be insufficient grounds to refuse entry to someone holding a visa, who always has the right of appeal before removal - the only grounds on which a visa-holder can be refused entry are that false representations were made in the application, or that there has been a change of circumstances since its issue, and the onus of proof is on the IO. In practice, to be able to produce a return ticket may save being messed about a bit on arrival.

But looking at it from the other point of view, someone who is set on gaining entry by deception is going to show a return ticket which they bin or get refunded, so return ticket/no return ticket is not the be-all and end-all in any decision by an IO.

[bobrussell]

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

When you say detained and refused entry, do you mean actually detained in an Immigration Removal Centre or were they held at Heathrow until they could get a flight back to Thailand? It is very unusual to detain people in such circumstances, especially when a child is involved.

Either was it's very heavy handed, and I have to say extremely unusual, the detention, not being refused entry. For an IO to have refused your wife and daughter entry they would have had to convince a CIO that entry clearance was fraudulently obtained or that there had been a material change in circumstances since the visa was issued, that could be stating you wanted to visit for a couple of weeks when the intention was to stay for a few months.

I'm glad your MP managed to get a compromise acceptable to you, though I have never heard of such things being raised in the Commons, did it take long?

Long story so here goes!

Original visit on the visa was to get married (6 months marriage visit visa). After we got married my wife and daughter went back to sort our schooling, house etc and to sort out the settlement visa. The delays were so long for settlement processing that they flew back to the UK on single tickets. We were all going back a couple of months later so i could have a holiday. They eventually stayed in our house in Thailand until the visas were processed!

All would have been within the time scale of the original 6 month visa.

Arrived Heathrow 8pm Saturday and by 10pm I was very worried and phoned her mobile. She was unable to speak but phoned me back to tell me they had been detained while further enquiries were made! I spoke on the UKBA phone and was given the same story. The IO was planning to send them back on the next available flight.

Basis of refusal was on the grounds that the purpose of the original visa had changed. This seemed to be based on the fact my wife had brought all her application paperwork with her and they believed she was going to try to apply for FLR in the UK.

I made it clear that we were travelling back to Thailand before the visas expired but this was not accepted.

The original plan was for them to return on the Tuesday flight but I objected in the strongest (polite) manner that our 9 year old daughter was not going to fly half way round the world only to fly back. It would have been unacceptably tiring. It was agreed eventually that they could fly on the Thursday! They were issued refusal notices but landed as persons liable to be detained under the immigration rules.They were released at 3am!

On the Monday I had a letter prepared (with copies of all the paperwork) and delivered it to my MP at 9am. Fortunately I am the local vet and he is only down the road from me!!

By 9.45 I got the first phone call saying he was working on it but by 11 the news was not encouraging! He contacted the UKBA and there was considerable 'interaction'!!

By Wednesday I had a Chief Immigration Officer on the phone off and on for the whole afternoon and evening and by 7pm they had agreed to allow them to stay until we were due to fly off on-holiday! Visa was still cancelled (nasty black stamp) and they even sent the'liable for detention notice' to one of my neighbours so I bet they had a shock when they opened it. Not impressive!

The matter was due to be raised by my MP in the House Of Commons on the Friday. I have not seen the transcript of what was actually said.

The whole experience has left my wife worried each time she goes through immigration. I have to admit she gets through pretty quickly! This was unbelievably heavy handed and bordering on an abuse. All previous visa terms over many years had been adhered to. I still feel the matter was dealt with in a dreadful and disgraceful manner. They were absolutely wrong. All they needed to do was to make it clear that an application for FLR based on a marriage visit visa would be rejected if they were that worried.

If I had known about this forum at the time I would have been even better equipped to deal with the situation!!

I am very lucky to have good contacts as the local vet!

[bobrussell]

The one and only time my wife and daughter travelled in with a single ticket they were detained and refused entry at Heathrow (Marriage visit visa that time). It took my MP raising the matter in The House Of Commons to get the UKBA to agree a compromise satisfactory to me.

When you say detained and refused entry, do you mean actually detained in an Immigration Removal Centre or were they held at Heathrow until they could get a flight back to Thailand? It is very unusual to detain people in such circumstances, especially when a child is involved.

Either was it's very heavy handed, and I have to say extremely unusual, the detention, not being refused entry. For an IO to have refused your wife and daughter entry they would have had to convince a CIO that entry clearance was fraudulently obtained or that there had been a material change in circumstances since the visa was issued, that could be stating you wanted to visit for a couple of weeks when the intention was to stay for a few months.

I'm glad your MP managed to get a compromise acceptable to you, though I have never heard of such things being raised in the Commons, did it take long?

Sorry not the correct terminology. They were refused entry but liable to detention. They were not actually 'detained' other than at Heathrow for 7 hours!

[theoldgit]

The question is, why would anyone not have a return ticket if only visiting?

Possibly if a person was a regular visitor and wanted to start a cycle of return flights originating from the UK, to take advantage of lower prices. But I suppose even people in this category could have purchased their tickets, at the lower price, before arrival in the UK.

[theoldgit]

A 'Carrier's Liability' penalty (which was £2000 a few years back, I don't know if it's gone up recently) may be imposed if a passenger arrives incorrectly documented,

Yes, it's still £2,000 but I seem to recall that the carriers could also be liable for any detention costs.

If a person has a valid visa but is subsequently refused entry I believe the carrier would not be liable, is that correct?

[theoldgit]

It's a good job I have contacts as the local vet!

Wow that's quite a story, it must have been a very traumatic experience for your wife and daughter, especially your daughter. Being kept in the holding rooms at Heathrow for that length of time must have been frightening.

Good job your MP is a dog lover, others may not be quite so fortunate.

A couple of years back my partner and I were on holiday in the UK, we live in Bangkok, we took a side trip to Paris and on our return to London she was given a hard time by the IO at the Eurostar Terminal in Paris, he wanted to see her return ticket out of the UK in three days time. She didn't have a printout of her ticket to hand, it was in the UK and we had both forgotten we had a copy of it accessible on our phones. He was really obnoxious, and when I tried to help him I was ushered away, I stood my ground, I was blowed if I was just going to leave her there, and she was allowed entry. Two years later his attitude still makes me pretty angry.

[bobrussell]

The IO had the cheek to suggest I moved my car (and waited in it) to the local McDonalds to avoid the extended car parking charge. That was red rag to bull. My response ' do you really think I am going to leave the airport while you keep my wife and 9 year old daughter?'.

This was a disgraceful episode and my MP clearly felt the same. It was a real abuse of power based on what they thought we might do! I was ashamed to be British. No husband, wife or partner of a British Citizen should ever be treated this way even if the do have an incorrect visa.

My wife and daughter had perfectly valid visas which now have CANCELLED stamped on them. I have to admit that this is never an issue coming through border control. A little bit of me hopes they are flagged up as having friends in high places! Dreaming on!!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

We had a client detained on Friday at Stanstead for 11 hours we managed to speak to the UK/BA & they released her.

Blimey, 11 hours at Stansted, that sounds grim.

Were they not properly prepared?

Prepared be aware they are currently questioning people based on the VAF form you submitted in Bangkok.

They seem to be trying to refuse you on a change of circumstances from when you applied for the visa.

Are you working no ?

On the application form it states you are ?

The applicant got confused & thought they said are you coming here to work ?

[Contractor]

We had a client detained on Friday at Stanstead for 11 hours we managed to speak to the UK/BA & they released her.

Blimey, 11 hours at Stansted, that sounds grim.

Were they not properly prepared?

Prepared be aware they are currently questioning people based on the VAF form you submitted in Bangkok.

They seem to be trying to refuse you on a change of circumstances from when you applied for the visa.

Are you working no ?

On the application form it states you are ?

The applicant got confused & thought they said are you coming here to work ?

Thanks for the clarification. I can see such confusion being a problem for someone arriving on a visitor's visa, but 11 hours does seem a long time to get this cleared up.

Just out of interest, how did the immigration staff at Stansted know what was written on the VAF form? Do they get supplied a copy?

Regards

[theoldgit]

Just out of interest, how did the immigration staff at Stansted know what was written on the VAF form? Do they get supplied a copy?

No, but they are available electronically.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

We had a client detained on Friday at Stanstead for 11 hours we managed to speak to the UK/BA & they released her.

Blimey, 11 hours at Stansted, that sounds grim.

Were they not properly prepared?

Prepared be aware they are currently questioning people based on the VAF form you submitted in Bangkok.

They seem to be trying to refuse you on a change of circumstances from when you applied for the visa.

Are you working no ?

On the application form it states you are ?

The applicant got confused & thought they said are you coming here to work ?

Thanks for the clarification. I can see such confusion being a problem for someone arriving on a visitor's visa, but 11 hours does seem a long time to get this cleared up.

Just out of interest, how did the immigration staff at Stansted know what was written on the VAF form? Do they get supplied a copy?

Regards

They have access to her visa application.