Entering the UK multiple times because of long distance relationship question
Aug 12th, 2018, 07:49 PM
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Entering the UK multiple times because of long distance relationship question
Hello!
I'm new to this forum and I've seen several threads related to my questions but nothing as specific and I wanted to try my luck asking on my own...
So, basically, I'm a 22 year old male Mexican studying in Milan, Italy. This means two things–that I have a valid Mexican passport (which means I don't need a visa or anything to visit the UK for periods of time shorter than 6 months) and that I have a valid Permit of Stay from Italy.
I'm currently in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, who happens to live in London. Met him almost a year ago, and I've visited him in the UK a couple of times. As most of you know, border control in the UK is famously strict, and although I have had no major issues the past few times I've been there, I'm concerned because of several things:
- I've been to London three times in the past year (nowhere else in the UK): one in September 2017 for two weeks, another in March for a week and a half, and the last one was June for a weekend. I have not been back since, and I'm currently in Mexico until the end of September.
- Before 2018 ends, I have three trips to London planned: one in October for a weekend, one in the beginning of November for a long weekend, and one in the end of November for a week and a half (holiday).
- For the last trip, the one in November, I will probably be flying from London to Sweden for a couple of days and then back to meet my boyfriend's family, as he's from Sweden.
- Obviously, all my documents are in check: valid passport (for the next 8 years actually), valid permit of stay, valid enrollment in university, lease contract, bank accounts in order (enough money provided by my parents), and basically no reason to remain in the UK to live there "illegally"–I have classes to get back to and will have valid return flights and whatnot.
- I am considering enrolling in the Registered Traveller program after my visit in October, as it will be my fourth visit to the UK in the past 24 months and I will be going back several times, but that's not really relevant here.
I guess my questions would be the following:
1. First and foremost, and this one's bugging me the most, should I be entirely honest when questioned about my reason to visit London? I know honesty should always be the case but the reason I'm asking is because a.) I'm scared of getting a homophobic agent having a bad day (and we know how Brexit has not helped with reducing bigotry) and making up an excuse to refuse my entry, and b.) because I know young travelers visiting their partners are supposedly bigger "threats" to want to stay and live in the country. I ask also because my best friend from Mexico since we were children lives in London as well, and the first time I was there a year ago I was visiting her, as well as the second time actually. She's a student and has a valid visa and residence permit and whatnot.
2. How much of an issue is it to be traveling to the UK so frequently?
3. Any general advice regarding my situation, I suppose.
I guess after my fourth visit if I am admitted into the registered travel program things will run more smoothly, but for now I'm mostly concerned of planning all these trips to go see my SO and having this obstacle that could potentially ruin many things, as I am aware that if you're denied entry this could also mean you aren't allowed into the country for several years. That could potentially doom my relationship.
I thank you all in advance for your time and for reading this huge post... I'm just very much in love and in a very healthy relationship and place in my life right now and I'm worried with how strict border control is and will be getting in the future.
I'm new to this forum and I've seen several threads related to my questions but nothing as specific and I wanted to try my luck asking on my own...
So, basically, I'm a 22 year old male Mexican studying in Milan, Italy. This means two things–that I have a valid Mexican passport (which means I don't need a visa or anything to visit the UK for periods of time shorter than 6 months) and that I have a valid Permit of Stay from Italy.
I'm currently in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, who happens to live in London. Met him almost a year ago, and I've visited him in the UK a couple of times. As most of you know, border control in the UK is famously strict, and although I have had no major issues the past few times I've been there, I'm concerned because of several things:
- I've been to London three times in the past year (nowhere else in the UK): one in September 2017 for two weeks, another in March for a week and a half, and the last one was June for a weekend. I have not been back since, and I'm currently in Mexico until the end of September.
- Before 2018 ends, I have three trips to London planned: one in October for a weekend, one in the beginning of November for a long weekend, and one in the end of November for a week and a half (holiday).
- For the last trip, the one in November, I will probably be flying from London to Sweden for a couple of days and then back to meet my boyfriend's family, as he's from Sweden.
- Obviously, all my documents are in check: valid passport (for the next 8 years actually), valid permit of stay, valid enrollment in university, lease contract, bank accounts in order (enough money provided by my parents), and basically no reason to remain in the UK to live there "illegally"–I have classes to get back to and will have valid return flights and whatnot.
- I am considering enrolling in the Registered Traveller program after my visit in October, as it will be my fourth visit to the UK in the past 24 months and I will be going back several times, but that's not really relevant here.
I guess my questions would be the following:
1. First and foremost, and this one's bugging me the most, should I be entirely honest when questioned about my reason to visit London? I know honesty should always be the case but the reason I'm asking is because a.) I'm scared of getting a homophobic agent having a bad day (and we know how Brexit has not helped with reducing bigotry) and making up an excuse to refuse my entry, and b.) because I know young travelers visiting their partners are supposedly bigger "threats" to want to stay and live in the country. I ask also because my best friend from Mexico since we were children lives in London as well, and the first time I was there a year ago I was visiting her, as well as the second time actually. She's a student and has a valid visa and residence permit and whatnot.
2. How much of an issue is it to be traveling to the UK so frequently?
3. Any general advice regarding my situation, I suppose.
I guess after my fourth visit if I am admitted into the registered travel program things will run more smoothly, but for now I'm mostly concerned of planning all these trips to go see my SO and having this obstacle that could potentially ruin many things, as I am aware that if you're denied entry this could also mean you aren't allowed into the country for several years. That could potentially doom my relationship.
I thank you all in advance for your time and for reading this huge post... I'm just very much in love and in a very healthy relationship and place in my life right now and I'm worried with how strict border control is and will be getting in the future.
Aug 12th, 2018, 08:14 PM
#2
1) you are totally off base -- with the homophobic agents/Brexit issues. Those are not anything to worry about. You should absolutely be honest answering any questions asked. Don't volunteer any info but answer everything honestly. No one is 'guaranteed' entry but if you are caught being dishonest you will just about guarantee being denied entry. As long as you have all the documentation you claim you will probably be OK. But even me - in a much less 'suspect' demographic have been questioned in more detail a few times because of multiple visits.
2) See #1 above
3) See #1 above
2) See #1 above
3) See #1 above
Aug 12th, 2018, 08:17 PM
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I imagined it shouldn't be an issue but the world's a scary place today and I just get paranoid I guess. I will go with complete honesty always–Mexico and the UK have a pretty good relationship (hence no need for a visa to travel there + other privileges), so I'm in great standing already with my Mexican passport, and being a student in Italy with everything else in order, having a return ticket every time I'm there, and having been to the UK already a few times and never overstaying will probably help a lot. But as you said, it's more of a "probably" than a "definitely" when it comes to this. Thank you so much for your help!!
Aug 12th, 2018, 10:54 PM
#4
as janisj says
don't sweat the gay thing the guys/girls will not care, no one cares, it is as part of the UK culture now as drinking tea
do tell the truth, if you start to lie you may get thrown out
you can show them that you have left the country many times what more can they ask?
don't sweat the gay thing the guys/girls will not care, no one cares, it is as part of the UK culture now as drinking tea
do tell the truth, if you start to lie you may get thrown out
you can show them that you have left the country many times what more can they ask?
Aug 13th, 2018, 12:26 AM
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Let's start off with your obnoxious bigotry about Brexit.
Do you want to allow every American to come into your country and start working there without any controls? So what gives you the right to label Britons who resent not only allowing people from far poorer countries unlimited access to their jobs but giving their children state benefits as well "bigots"? Look in the mirror.
As for this "homophobic" crap. The issue of "long term relationships" for homosexuals wouldn't even crop up at Immigration if you didn't volunteer it. No doubt that's what you intend doing - presumably in the hope you'll provoke the bigotry. Again: look in the mirror.
Much of your post easily qualifies as hate speech under our anti-bigotry laws. I suggest you learn to respect our traditions of tolerance before you set foot here.
You might start by an unqualified apology for your bigotry.
Do you want to allow every American to come into your country and start working there without any controls? So what gives you the right to label Britons who resent not only allowing people from far poorer countries unlimited access to their jobs but giving their children state benefits as well "bigots"? Look in the mirror.
As for this "homophobic" crap. The issue of "long term relationships" for homosexuals wouldn't even crop up at Immigration if you didn't volunteer it. No doubt that's what you intend doing - presumably in the hope you'll provoke the bigotry. Again: look in the mirror.
Much of your post easily qualifies as hate speech under our anti-bigotry laws. I suggest you learn to respect our traditions of tolerance before you set foot here.
You might start by an unqualified apology for your bigotry.
Aug 13th, 2018, 01:37 AM
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Got out the wrong side of the bed did we Flanner?
Looking forward to seeing how you harvest crops, make sausages/fishfingers/breakfast cereal/anything involving sh*t work in a factory, deliver parcels/ get those parcels together for delivery and clean hotels/work in bars after you no longer allow those from poorer countries to enter and work. If those working are paying taxes then they are entitled to benefits too.
Looking forward to seeing how you harvest crops, make sausages/fishfingers/breakfast cereal/anything involving sh*t work in a factory, deliver parcels/ get those parcels together for delivery and clean hotels/work in bars after you no longer allow those from poorer countries to enter and work. If those working are paying taxes then they are entitled to benefits too.
Aug 13th, 2018, 04:45 AM
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This old refrain, they are taking our jobs is such baloney! There is a reason those jobs were available in large numbers. The Brits didn't want them then and they don't want them now.
Same here in the US. The jobs picking oranges in 105 degree heat in August or cleaning toilets at McDonalds had Americans waiting in lines to grab them. NOT. What has happened is farmers have crops dying on the vines because they don't have enough Mexican workers.
Same here in the US. The jobs picking oranges in 105 degree heat in August or cleaning toilets at McDonalds had Americans waiting in lines to grab them. NOT. What has happened is farmers have crops dying on the vines because they don't have enough Mexican workers.
Aug 13th, 2018, 04:47 AM
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Aug 13th, 2018, 04:50 AM
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Marriage Visitor Visa UKHi !! I'm a Brazilian woman living in Brazil engaged to a Brit man who lives in UK. I've started to apply to the Marriage Visitor Visa in order to give notice of our intention to marry possibly on 26th Nov18 and get married on 09th March 19.
That being said, I've a couple of enquiries regarding the supporting documents and would be very thankful if someone took its time to answer me.
One of the docs I must provide is “proof that you can support yourself during your trip, for example bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months”. I've got both bank statements and payslips, but they're in Portuguese. Should I translate them to English ? It sounds odd having my financial status seen and translated.
Another doubt comes from the doc “proof of your future plans for the relationship, for example documents to show where you’ll live”. My fiancé lives in a shared house, doesn't hold utility bills (as he pays a monthly rent all bills included) and will only rent a place for us after the wedding (when we will apply for “spouse visa”). So what could I use as evidence of docs showing where will we live ? Can I use Brazilian translated to English docs of mine just for application purposes (even knowing I'll eventually apply for spouse visa in order to settle with him in UK) ?? Any suggestions are very welcome.
That being said, I've a couple of enquiries regarding the supporting documents and would be very thankful if someone took its time to answer me.
One of the docs I must provide is “proof that you can support yourself during your trip, for example bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months”. I've got both bank statements and payslips, but they're in Portuguese. Should I translate them to English ? It sounds odd having my financial status seen and translated.
Another doubt comes from the doc “proof of your future plans for the relationship, for example documents to show where you’ll live”. My fiancé lives in a shared house, doesn't hold utility bills (as he pays a monthly rent all bills included) and will only rent a place for us after the wedding (when we will apply for “spouse visa”). So what could I use as evidence of docs showing where will we live ? Can I use Brazilian translated to English docs of mine just for application purposes (even knowing I'll eventually apply for spouse visa in order to settle with him in UK) ?? Any suggestions are very welcome.
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