thursdaysd

There is no need to "lose" a passport in order to apply for a new one. At least not in the US or UK. You just send in the old one and ask for a new one. Most people don't want to pay the fee to get one early, but I did it when I wanted one without an RFID chip.

MmePerdu

"There is no need to "lose" a passport..."

Oops, yes, "lose". Yes, of course, but in this case, it required convincing, hence my little convincing game. And the girlfriend won't really LOSE hers either, will she?

RM67

I have a hard time believing there isn't some sort of wider record of refusal for entry (ie other than the stamp in the passport itself). My passport has been scanned numerous times and I've seen page copies on the officials computer screens as I've gone through every time, so chances of this data not being saved somewhere are pretty much zero imho.

Silvio17R

A lot of people advised us to make a new passport, put the old one in the washing machine and ask the new one.. And o believe that she is recorded just in UK.

I think the can't deny a new passport when a citizen is asking it

This is a solution to avoid questions around Europe...

globtrotter16

So I just wanted to write a reply to this in case someone googles and is looking for answers.

About 8 years ago I too was visiting a boyfriend that lived in London and was denied entry. I was pretty rude to the immigration officer and I believe this was the reason I was denied entry. I wasn't prepared to be interrogated the way that I was. This was my first time out of the USA and I knew that there would be immigration checks because of course every country has to protect their boarders, but I was not prepared for the line of invasive questions I received. I was asked why I was there and I said I was visiting my boyfriend. After that, they pulled me aside and asked where I met him, how long have we been together, when is the last time I saw him, where do I work, do I have money, where am I staying and on and on and on. As I said before I was pretty rude to the officer and I believe that is why I was denied. I had rented my own apartment that was on the other side of town from his apartment. I was staying for maybe 11 days and I had more than enough money for that period of time. I had a return ticket back to the USA, a job to return to, lots of touristy things booked and all of that information on me. The person who searched through my luggage even commented that I was well organized and prepared for my trip.

Well when I was denied entry I was given a paper that stated why I was denied entry and they did not believe my true intentions in the UK because I was vague about the answers to their questions about my "sponsor". The thing is, the man I was dating at the time was not my sponsor. I had my own agenda because he still had to work during the day, I was not staying with him, I had my own money etc etc. All of that to me makes it clear that I was very independent and was not being sponsored by anyone. All water under the bridge now, the point in me writing this is to tell anyone who googles this that I did not have trouble entering any European country after this incident.

I did get a new passport so that the black X in my passport did not raise eyebrows. Then I met my boyfriend in other countries like France and Germany. I did this for two years back and forth. I also dated someone else from a different country in Europe years after this and never had any problems at all then either. Since this incident with the UK I have traveled all over the world. I have never been asked any questions by the immigration officers when entering any European country other than " What are you here for?" I even traveled to Australia to visit a boyfriend and Australian immigration only wanted me to show them I had enough money to support myself. They called my boyfriend and after they spoke to him they let me go and just told me to make sure not to abuse the visa and overstay. I even left Australia engaged to that boyfriend, went to New Zealand and went back still engaged and was given no problems at all. I did not even have a job to return to in the USA, I told them I was living off savings and they still didn't assume I was going to do anything other than visit my boyfriend and leave when I was suppose to. I left Australia, returned to the USA and my Aussie fiancé came to visit me in the USA and was not given any problems either.

From what I have seen and heard throughout my own personal travels is that it is very common for people to have major problems entering the UK whether they be a student, an old person or a person visiting a loved one. It doesn't matter if you are from a developed country like the USA, Australia, Japan, Canada etc. Obviously this doesn't happen to every person or there would be no tourism in the UK I'm just saying it's common from what I have heard from other people in my travels. Sadly, this experience did ruin my relationship with the English man. It was just too tough not being able to visit him in his home country. I realize that I should not have been so rude, but at the same time I didn't feel I should have been treated like a criminal when all I wanted to do was visit my boyfriend. I understand that you don't have a right to enter any country other than your own and traveling is a privilege but I don't like being treated poorly either & so what happened happened and that's the end. I would not fear travel to other countries because of this it is unlikely you will be treated the same. I am a well seasoned traveler now and the UK has been my only bad experience.

bilboburgler

That is sad, the country that made me get upset was Israel on departure. The officer wanted to know if I'd spoken to any Arabs during my visit and I had to explain that I don't know what an Arab looks like in comparison to a non-Arab in Israel. This got her going and she was leaning over the desk shouting at me. I just had to calm her down and explain that really, I can't tell religious devotion from the outside.

Still I flew into Munich with a Chinese, a Brit, a Pakistani. Four of us walked in and only three walked out as the Pakistani was interviewed at length.

And don't remind me about American staff, first time I flew in I put my passport 6" to the left of where he wanted it and he just shouted at me.

While Canadians when I turned up with a bottle of Scotch, it was as if I'd brought a gun.

janisj

>>I realize that I should not have been so rude, . . .<<

Ya <i>think</i> ?!?

>> . . . but at the same time I didn't feel I should have been treated like a criminal when all I wanted to do was visit my boyfriend.<<

You weren't treated like a criminal. You were treated like a young woman coming into the UK to visit a boyfriend. If you hadn't mouthed off you might have been just fine.

globtrotter16

Janisj Are criminals not interrogated in a hostile manner? Being that I was not a criminal or doing anything wrong, it was my natural reaction to be defensive and rude in return. If I desperately wanted to gain entrance to the UK then I should have allowed myself to be treated that say and just smiled back in return. But I am only human and I treat people the way they treat me. To me, entering another country is not worth being treated that way. Also as I stated, I entered Europe numerous times, more times than I can count, to visit the English boyfriend and another European boyfriend and I was never ever treated the same way by any other country's immigration. This is something that is common with the UK and not something I was willing to subject myself to ever. That's all there is to it, so not sure what your goal is here. I'm baffled as to why you feel you need to add commentary or why you seem to be taking my experience personally but I wrote my experience to let others who may be in the same situation know that being denied entry to the UK does not automatically mean you will have problems traveling anywhere else even when visiting a lover. Do you have a problem with that? Oh wait I don't care. I'm trying to help others, I wasn't looking for your opinion on something that happened almost 10 years ago. Cheers x

janisj

>>This is something that is common with the UK a. . . <<

And you know this how? Since you said you only did it once.

Sorry, but I'm not sympathetic. No one makes points being rude to an immigration officer. Just let a visitor try that entering the States

>>Oh wait I don't care. I'm trying to help others,<<

The best way to help others is to tell them to answer the questions accurately and not pop off.

nytraveler

Is is true the UK Immigration has a reputation for doing very in-depth interviews with young people who they suspect may become illegal immigrants, esp if the person gives them cause - AS IN BEING RUDE TO THEM.

Behaving that way to any bureaucrat is a great way to ensure they do whatever they can to be a PIA to you. Not the way to get along in life.

I have been in and out of the UK for years - even when I was quite young (22 the first time) and I never had any trouble. But I wasn't going to visit a boyfriend - the first giant red flag - and answered each of their questions politely and completely. If you do so they don't want to make your life difficult.