Scruffy young man entering the UK
 

My son (American) plans to fly from NY to London in late October as the first stop in what will essentially be a round-the-world trip. He appears to be precisely the sort of scruffy, hippie-ish young fellow who might be planning to stay indefinitely. In fact, he doesn't plan to stay long in England - maybe two weeks or so? - before heading on, but he is doing one of those make-it-up-as-you-go type of trips. Consequently, he may not have an onward ticket yet. He can bring a bank statement that will show ample money to support himself abroad for several months, and I'm making him get travel medical insurance whether he wants to or not.

I've heard of people like my son having trouble entering because of the suspicion that they're coming to live rather than to visit. Since the dreadlocks, scruffy beard and thrift-store clothes aren't going to change, what should he bring and/or be prepared for to get through passport control without any problems?

I'm sure others will have better answers for you -- but IMO he needs at minimum 1) a firm address for his stay in the UK (hotel/hostel/whatever), and 2) an onward ticket . . . . .

But maybe I'm overly cautious.

When I was young (many years ago) I was extensively questioned upon entering Great Britain on three occasions, despite being well dressed (at least the first time and presentable the other times) and having a return ticket home and enough travelers' checks for the duration of my stay. Last time there were no questions asked but I don't know if it's because I'm older or because things are more lax at immigration.

Your son should at least look neat and clean regardless of where he purchased his clothes. Does he have a job or promise of employment in the future? A degree? Bank statement?

If he is on an around the world trip doesn't he have an around the world plane ticket?

GB is the only country I've had trouble entering.

He's planning on traveling overland as much as possible. Unfortunately for him, he wants his trip to look something like that of the incomparable "sandy" who was posting here a while back - couch-surfing, thumbing, ride-shares, etc. He has a job right now, but obviously will be leaving it to travel, although I think they would be happy to have him back. No degree. He will have a bank statement with $10K+.

He's not entirely unwashed, but "neat" is kind of difficult with the awful dreadlocks (hardly anyone Caucasian can grow decent ones), and he only trims rather than shaves. The explanation is that this is cheaper and easier.

The eyesore you describe will certainly get attention that he doesn't want.

Yeah, I know, I'm fairly sure he's going to get questioned, but we work with what we have. I'm assuming that having frizzy (but at least clean) dreadlocks and a scroungy beard won't categorically rule him out as a visitor. I'm just trying to do what I can to help him head off trouble at the pass.

My consolation is that, despite his barbering choices, he is a very personable, smart, kind, and wonderful human being, and as he's only 21, there's still hope that he will grow out of this eventually. :|

Have him ask his employer to write a letter stating he is a valuable, hard-working employee and they will welcome him back after his grand tour. Is he young enough to claim this is a gap year?

Sorry to hear he wants to emulate Sandy but perhaps this adventure will be the making of him.

It ain't the scruffy that will probably be a problem. Lots of scruffy kids travel.

And if he plans on copying the famous "sandy" - does your son realize that easily 90% of what he posted was totally fake. The consensus is he was a pubescent Canadian posting from his mother's computer somewhere in Ontario.

UK immigration has a reputation for being tough (but so is US, Australian etc), but they work strictly to rules and cannot just turn him way at the whim of an individual official.
Regardless of appearance and first impressions, he will need to satisfy that he will meet all the requirements of a visitor. That means a reason for visiting (such as sightseeing, meeting friends, attending cultural or sporting events etc, with some creditable evidence such as an itinerary, tickets, guide books etc), enough funds to support himself without working (recent bank statement is best) and preferably return or onward ticket/reservation, or enough money to get one in UK. It helps to have accommodation booking for the first few days in UK. He must answer all questions truthfully and politely but don't volunteer opinions or ideas not asked for. Immigration has been known to use leading questions, such as 'Are you thinking of doing any casual, voluntary or unpaid work while you are here?' He should answer with a firm No. Never, ever breathe a word of possibly extending his stay, or wanting to study or doing voluntary work, none of which is allowed as a visitor and is a reason enough for refused admission (activity incompatible with visitor status, not holding a relevant visa etc). So provided he is forewarned and gives short, relevant answer to any questions, and as long as he can show evidence of funds and leaving at then end of his two-week stay, I don't think he will have any difficulty being admitted.

The lack of an onward ticket may be a real problem. Of course the appearance won't help. If he wants to waste his time and money, and not cooperate with bureaucracy, and then get sent back, I guess that is up to him. It's easy enough to comply with the UK's minimal requirements for entry, and easy enough to be obliging to accepted standards of dress and demeanor.

Actually I would be more worried about what the "welcoming" USA Immgration would do to him on return. (At least here in ATL they are worse then anyplace I have been)

I think that if he's articulate and able to explain himself then he should be fine. he should just be perpeared that he may have to do that. It happens. As an earlier poster pointed out, they generally don't deny you due to "looks" alone. (I did see a woman with a sewing machine once who appeared to be having quite the hard time convincing the immigration folks that she wasn't planning to stay. Can't say I blame them.. A sewing machine?)

Opps....didn't see the onward ticket issue. That might be a concern. Hmm....

artsnletters,

My daughter is currently in England studying and had the appropriate visas, letters and proof of financial stability she needed. She did feel that had she not been able to produce proof of her return ticket home, she might not have been admitted. I would strongly suggest your son have an exit ticket booked (plane ticket or Chunnel ticket) before his arrival in the UK.

They will want to see hotel or hostel reservations for at least the first couple of nights and some sort of onward ticket. I'm not sure how you can not have the rest of a round the world ticket - it may be open to changes - but there will be on ongoing ticket.

If you mean he's bought a one-way ticket to the UK and nothing else - that must have been an awfully expensive ticket.

Another issue is if it looks like he may be camping out - as in carrying lots of things typical tourists don't.

Showing assets i s good, but showing intent to move on is often necessary.

Two ideas that may help:

Clothes make s the man, or so I've heard. Scruffy hair and beard are negated by a jacket and necktie. Dreadlocks are often covered by a roomy cap, some of which are designed for just such a purpose.

Onward ticket could be a fully refundable ticket for 2-3 weeks later, and he can then get a refund, no harm done.

nytraveler, he has bought a one-way ticket from New York to London, for a grand total of $211. May I recommend studentuniverse.com?

He's got friends to stay with in London so he can give their name and address, and he's timing his arrival because he has tickets to a concert three days after arrival )which he bought months ago), so there is that. I will have him get the letter from his employer. The bank statement should not be a problem - he'll have $10,000+. He will have a sleeping bag, but I'd think that's reasonable for someone who's planning to hostel in the winter.

BTW, he didn't take his example from Sandy, whom he's never heard of. He has several friends and acquaintances who've done what he is planning to do. In any event, the trip lasts only as long as his money, so if he's wrong about his ability to couch-surf his way around his chosen route, he'll just be home sooner than he wants to be.

The general agenda is:

*Western Europe - London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona?
*Turkey
*India
*Africa - he has friends in Nigeria so that one's for sure, but basically he wants to travel from Morocco down to South Africa or vice versa.

No chance he'll scrounge up a jacket and tie, but he does wear beanies, which make him look considerably less disreputable, and I'll talk to him about finding something reasonably tidy to wear coming off the plane.

It's no joyride having a son who prefers bum couture. The one consolation is that I'm sure he'll eventually outgrow it.

I will definitely broach the subject of the onward ticket.

Not sure what to say about the (lack of) onward tickets. Maybe your son could type up with a "draft" itinerary to show upon arrival...one that clearly indicates his intent to move on to Amsterdam, er, no, Paris on a date certain.

But that aside, and given appearance that you described as only a mother could do...I'd say that attitude is as important as appearance when entering a foreign country. A polite, upbeat demeanor certainly helps. And organizational skill helps too: having travel documents in hand, not fumbling for passport, landing card filled out neatly, etc.

I think his appearance won't be a problem but the lack of travel plans / onward ticket will. Also having friends in London might work against him. Try to think about this from the immigration officer's point of view. He's got money and friends but no onward travel plans.

I agree with KidsToLondon about an itinerary, and getting an onward ticket. Does he have friends in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam or Barcelona? correspondence with them could help.

Actually print of this thread and send it with him.

"He appears to be precisely the sort of scruffy, hippie-ish young fellow who might be planning to stay indefinitely. "

Is, frankly, complete tosh. Talk about motes and beams

People who plan on staying indefinitely come in all sorts of guises, and if dressing like a parody of a 1950s American fratboy got you through immigration, Heathrow would be stuffed with male Stepfords.

As it is, Heathrow's actually stuffed with "scruffy, hippie-ish young fellow" s who are billionaire British businessmen, arriving (but legal) rock stars or just ordinary punters who've spent the night in cattle class from Singapore. At intercontinental rush hour, if you want to attract an immigration officer's attention, dress posh. Scruff is the norm.

Immigration officials get fired for fatuous stereotyping, and fired with the derision of their colleagues if they make their recommendations on the basis of hairlength. <b> There is no dress code for presenting yourself to UK immigration, and faffing about as if there were is to miss the point spectacularly </b>

What WILL worry them, though is vagueness. As you've described it, he ticks far too many "send him home" boxes:
- no onward ticket
- no precise plan for where he's staying
- couch surfing
- no evidence of a specific reason for going home

A non-European arriving at UK immigration with no return ticket and no evidence of a job or full-time course back home
is very likely to be interrogated intensively with a view to deportation. Medical insurance is irrelevant, and cash in the bank (which, BTW, has to be enough to support him IN BRITAIN for the length of time they think he's going to be here - in his case, six months) doesn't help much either.

If he hasn't got hard evidence of a job or real course in a real school he's going back to in the next six months, it really is almost essential to have a ticket out of Britain.

I more or less exactly agree with flanner. I have to say that for Americans, the only difficulties I've encountered have been where they thought the person was coming in to get married and hadn't got the right visa.

However, the comment that an immigration officer "cannot just turn him way at the whim of an individual official." Effectively they can do just that.

Just to add to FlannerUK's post. If they decide to not let him in he won't be deported, he'll be "refused entry." Seems like a small difference but one that's very important for getting future visas.

A decision to refuse entry must be taken by a sunior officer at UK immigration, not just the counter officer. He will first be taken aside and face interroration in an interview room, initially by the counter officer who has doubts about his eligibility, and then by a senior officer who needs to come to an independent decision. All available evidence will be examined, including his luggage (which will be fetched from customs) and phoning up any UK contacts who can verify his statements, or not. Only if two officers agree can then a procedure for removal be initiated, and he will be given a letter setting out grounds for refused entry. Even then, he may be given a couple of days in UK to sort out his affairs before reporting back to Heathrow for removal.

The most sensible option really would be for him to have an onward ticket to his next destination. I know he wants to wing it, but it wouldn't kill him to have one firm date in his travel plans. You can get very inexpensive flights from London-Paris with someone like Ryanair or Easyjet, which would seem to me like a sensible investment. Or even a foot passenger ticket for a ferry out of Dover to Calais? That will cost as little as £15 - see www.poferries.com

As others have pointed out, his appearance is irrelevant.

Interesting point of view Alec. Having dealt with this from the other side of the barrier, it looks a lot like a whim, to me :)

Just an observation. It does seem crazy that UK/US can be so obsessive about letting in an english-speaking "all American" or "British rose" yet these two countries let in the 7/7 bombers and 911 hijackers respectively.

We didn't 'let the 7/7 bombers in'. They were British. They lived here.'

RE the OP - Being scruffy is unlikely to cause many problems (except perhaps a drugs search!). The lack of a return or onward ticket is the real problem. That will almost certainly single him out for extra questioning.

And not quite the same issue, either. Immigration officers aren't police or security officers.

"We didn't 'let the 7/7 bombers in'. They were British. They lived here.'"

They may have been citizens but at some point the families that produced them were let in.

So we ban immigration just in case some descendant turns out wrong.

Or will you allow immigration but prevent them from breeding?

"So we ban immigration just in case some descendant turns out wrong"

What I'm saying is using common sense when it comes to immigration and not allowing in those that are more prone to terrorism or don't assimilate very well and it's a myth that all groups can equally assimilate or even assimilate. Anyway, both the US/UK are in a recession and have had massive immigration over the past several years so I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted.

"I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted." - there doesn't seem to be much common sense in this post, but the BBC was reporting last night that immigration has halted itself as the jobs have dried up. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...igration.shtml

If he is flying from the US, are you sure he will even be allowed on the plane???

This summer DH and I flew to the UK and took the Queen Mary II back. I had to show our QMII reservation at the ticket counter at the airport because we didn't have a round trip ticket.

BTW, this subject has been beaten to death, but he does know about the 90 day Schengen limit after he leaves the UK, right?

Yup, he knows about Schengen. I don't think there's a danger of huim lingering overlong in the Schengen countries due to his financial limitations. We've heard it's best to visit India between November and March, so he'll be heading there, where it's much cheaper, before too long.

I assume he potentially faces all this again when he leaves UK for his first Schengen country? His current thinking is Copenhagen.

artsnletters,

My daughter reports that she has had a much easier time traveling to other European countries than she did with that first entry into the UK. Now, I don't know if that will be your son's experience, but I hope so!

By the way, I love your description of your son's looks. As a parent of two, I know It is not always easy being the parent of "young'uns" who must do things their own way, is it?

Saying he plans to stay with friends is like a red flag to a bull. That makes it sound like he's there for a long time, perhaps semi-permanently, since his lodging will be free.

Agree that he should get some sort of ongoing plane ticket - even if refundable and he turns it back - and also have some sort of reservation at a hotel or hostel - even if he cancels it as soon as he gets through Immigration.

I'm not an immigration expert, but wanted to share my bit of experience. I've stayed with friends in the UK a few times in the past few years, the most recent trip in May of this year. I got questioned more on this trip than I remember being questioned in the past. I always have an address for my friends, my passport and landing card ready to go. On previous trips, I've gotten through immigration with little more than the proper documents and a "What are you here for?" "Sightseeing and visiting friends." This time, they seemed more stern and asked questions like what my friends do for a living, and seemed to pay closer attention to the answers. I was with a few other people and this seemed to be pretty standard now.

I've never had any trouble, because I was able to answer all the questions easily and always had a round-trip ticket and a firm answer to how long I was staying. I agree that looking "scruffy" won't cause too much of an issue (I mean really, almost everyone looks scruffy after an overnight flight, and dreadlocks don't seem that big of a deal), but I do feel like things are more strict and your son should be prepared to answer those sorts of questions (including an onward/return ticket).

This news story illustrates how strict immigration is about any intention to work, even as a volunteer. It happened in June 2009.

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/islington/20...062609_01.html

When thinking about travelling to a country outside the US, ask yourself what hoops do the citizens of that country have to go through to visit the US. Normally the measures are reciprocal. So just as a young man or woman from the UK could not enter the US without clear intention of leaving within a reasonable time so will the UK immigration authorities apply the rules to a young man from the US like your son.

Unfortunately too many people (at least in the US and I assume the UK) enter in as visitors and then do overstay - so who can really blame the immigration officials. If your son is old enough to do the "round the world" adventure - he should be old enough to adjust himself to the realities of immigration and purchase a ticket to an onwards destination.