NOTE: In response to the recent Government report, Exploring the decision-making of Immigration Officers (link given below), we have added this page to assist vulnerable travellers, particularly American women, who are subject to being "bounced" (sent back to the country of origin from a UK port of entry) for attempting to enter the UK in pursuit of a so-caled internet relationship.

This page is of interest to non-visa nationals only (this includes the United States, members of the Commonwealth States, Brazil, and other countries designated as non-visa national). If you, or your friend, are a visa-national, please visit Internet Relationships.

Going from 'virtual' to 'real'

If you have met someone on the internet and decide to meet in person, one of you may opt to enter the UK as a VISITOR. If you are a non-visa national, all that is needed is a current, valid passport. The overwhelming majority of VISITORS to the UK have no problems landing.

Statistics tell us, however, that about 1 arrival out of every 2,400 is turned around and sent back without being able to enter (or in vernacular, they are "bounced"). This page is devoted to exploring why this happens and how to avoid the unfortunate situation of being "bounced".

We'll begin by recounting some personal experiences authored by American women... 

 

Personal Experiences

.I went during Easter break which seemed to upset them, but when I said that I didn't have hotel reservations because I was a guest they wanted to know who and how I knew them. I told them the truth - that we met in ICQ and then I was taken to a separate room where I waited for several hours. They finally came in with an email they found in my luggage that said if our relationship worked out we would go for something more permanent, and they figured this means I am breaking the law somehow some way. I got sent back using the other half of my round trip ticket which I thought was the height of irony. Especially since I had to resume my classes in 3 weeks which didn't seem to affect their thinking. I was afraid to go again and finally [...] came over and we got along great, we will get married after I graduate and I will get a spouse visa because those have the right of appeal-which I didn't.

 

 

 

It was on my 4th visit that the Immigration Officer realized I was in a relationship and I was sent back with a big black stamp in my passport. I got to New York and stayed in a cheap hotel while the consulate processed my fiance visa. In all it took 6 days because they had to get the details of why I had been refused entry. Now I have ILR and they still grill me about the black stamp in my passport every time I enter.

 

 

 

...I went to Wales to visit in March of 2006. We had met online and wanted to meet in person but I'd never flown and didn't know what to say to the IO. So I figured that honesty was the best policy and told them that we'd never met, I was scheduled to see him for 2 weeks and that I might want to stay longer. The IO spent about a half hour questioning me in front of people arriving, then disappeared (at which point my sponsor says his name was called over the PA) and then he came back a bit later to take me to a room to sit down and talk to me some more. Then he disappeared to talk to his CIO and came back and basically told me they were being nice and letting me in for 3 days.

 

 

 

"The only time I did have problems (with the IOs) was the first time I went and said I was visiting my boyfriend. As soon as they heard we met online, I was told to sit aside for further questioning after everyone else went through--they hounded me about why I was there, how we met, where he worked, what I did, how I knew it was a "good"/safe idea, if my parents knew I was there (I had only turned 18 six months beforehand)--then he was called up to answer questions as well, and then I was let through. The next time I went (which was for longer), I had absolutely no problems. He has never had any problems, even when he says he's visiting his fiancee."

 

 

 

I got refused entry on my 2nd visit from Manchester, I had a really b*tchy IO who had set her mind to refusing me. Everbody said we would laugh about it some day but we don't and we really resent the government pushing us into a marriage before we were ready. My own advice is whatever you do DONT [...] or you will be wasting your airfare and be made to hurry up your wedding at a courthouse in the US just to be together.

 

 

 

"I was never worried about getting in before. The first time I went I was naive and never dreamed of being turned away. The IO that time had me sit aside until everyone was through, asked me what I was doing (travelling and visiting), whom was I visiting (my boyfriend), how did you meet (online), don't I think I'm taking a risk (no, I fully trust him), how much money did I have ($550 for the 3 weeks), where was I staying (with my boyfriend), do my parents know where I am (of course they do), what is his name, where does he work, etc...and they even called him and grilled him too (he was waiting at the airport with his grandparents to pick me up). The next time I went (for 3 months) all I got was what was the purpose of my visit (travelling and visiting), was I visiting the same boyfriend from last time (yes), was told that we'd been together a really long time then and was told to have a good summer trip.

 

 

 

So basically, the first time I ever went I was asked really harsh questions once the mention of "boyfriend" came up (and even harsher when I said we met online). They phoned him after I was the only one left with the IO. I don't know what she asked him other than what he told me, because she went to a completely different room to call him. They had to track him down in the airport and put him on a phone with her. I'm assuming to check if our details matched. The second time I went (For a full summer) it wasn't nearly as harsh, but they did give me a little once over. This last time I went, this past christmas, I got a bit more hassle, but I don't know why. Maybe it's because I went through London instead (first 2 times were through Manchester), or just because she was a very wary IO. I had to show her my school ID and how much money I had along with my travel itenerary before she would let me through, but no phone call any time but the first time.

 

 

 

...As far as I know, they asked my fiancee the same things to see if the stories checked out. I was never taken to a separate room -- just told to sit on a group of airport chairs in front of the immigration desks. No one else was there besides the IOs and a few milling security guys -- no other passengers were around -- everyone else had gotten through, and no more were behind us. I can't remember how long it was I sat there, maybe 15 minutes max. Then she came back, had me come back to the desk, and pretty much just sent me on my way, no real explanation of anything that I can recall.

 

 

 

I got sent back as well and the worse part is that I now have a black mark on my passport I STILL get asked questions even now. I am married and have a spousal visa but I still shake every time we go through immigration control. I can't wait to get a new passport..

 

 

 

I got sent back after a long ordeal in Manchester. They asked me what he did for a living and I told them he worked as a dispatcher, then they called him and asked where he worked and he said he was out of work at the moment so our stories didn't match up - but they asked each person different questions. The next time I flew to Dublin then took a train to Belfast and caught a flight to Glasgow. It took a lot more time but there were no inquisitions and no problems. I stayed 2 months and we realized that it didn't work together and I left the same way.

 

 

 

...I haven't been denied entry. But this last trip I was sent to sit off to the side and wait until the whole line went through immigration before I was questioned further. The IO was quite rude and basically told me I was lying when I said I was visiting a friend due to the frequency of my visits. I was honest and told her it was hard to refer to him as my "boyfriend" because of the enormous distance between us and uncertainty of things. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do. No idea, but it scared me enough to worry about being sent home in the future. I have been reading on the visa site and didn't find anything to say this was just for people that had been denied entry in the past, that's too bad, doesn't help me that way.

 

 

 

...I got sent back from Gatwick. I had known my bf from the internet and as soon as I said that to the Immigration Officer I got put aside until everyone on the flight finished. Then I got put in a room with some crazy people all waiting in chairs and each person got called up to the desk to be interviewed. When I was called up they kept asking over and over again why was I comming here, and like I had already told the truth so many times it was like they wanted me to start lying or something. Then I got taken to a separate room where I was alone for a long time and finally a man came in and told me that I was going back. I started to cry and he said that if I wanted to cry he would handcuff me and put me in a cage. I was so scared and lonely at that time I just accepted it. Gareth came to Virginia two months later and we applied for the fiance visa. I got it in 7 days. Now Im here but I will never forgive them.

 

 

 

I could be wrong, but I'm sure they get that often. On my last trip to the UK I had a 5 week return ticket, but because I had brought extra luggage (what they thought was too much - I had only brought some photos and music cds), they didn't believe I was going to be returning to the US at the end of 5 weeks. I was denied entry, but I was granted a 5 week temporary stay, they just kept my passport until I returned to the airport to leave.

 

 

 

...if they think you may overstay your visa for some reason then they're not going to let you in. So, someone coming over saying they're visiting a boyfriend or girlfriend may have trouble when the Immigration Officer wonders if they're coming over to get married or, perhaps, deciding they don't want to go back home because they don't want to be apart anymore. When I came in they just suspected that my sponsor was my boyfriend and denied me entry because they didn't believe I was coming into the UK purely as a visitor and that I might overstay my visa...

 

 

 

I nearly had heart failure when I went to England in March. I had no idea what to expect, had no idea I could even be asked questions. I was stopped and asked a ton of questions. When the officer found out we met on the Internet, he really quizzed me. When I told him I had no intentions of staying in the country and I do have a very good job to return to, that seemed to help. He asked if we met in a chat room or singles site - and I said NO! We just happened to meet on a Catholic message board, it was not a singles site at all.

 

 

 

I met Paul on the poetry forum at [...] and we hit it off right away. After about 7 months of emails and chat I decided to meet him in person so I got two weeks off from my job and flew to London. There was a long line waiting to speak to Customs and when my turn finally came she asked me why I was visiting? (to see the sights and meet someone). Who was I going to meet? (Paul, a friend). How did I meet him? (on the internet). Well from that moment I was doomed. She got really angry and started asking lots of questions like machine gun fire, I didn't know how much money he made or his exact postal address and I was becomming defensive. She said I had an attidude problem and I was taken to a place to wait. Then after a long time they asked more questions and found an email from Paul saying how beautiful it was in Scotland and we should visit there, and they wanted to know why I didn't mention that I was visiting Scotland, and I thought wait a minute, he was just telling me something about his country and it doesn't mean we were actually going to go there in the first minute. But by that time I was in tears and couldn't explain anything. They let me wait for a long time and then sent me back with my own return ticket! After things settled Paul took vacation and we got married in La Jolla and I got my spousal visa from the LA embassy in 12 days.

 

 

 

...as soon as I said that we met on the internet she flipped out and started grilling me about my job, his job, my family, his family, my money his money all in the space of about 2 minutes. How much are you supposed to know about his family when meeting for the first time? She automatically took the notion that I was a liar and there was nothing I could do about it...

 

What can be learnt from these experiences?

It seems immediately obvious that single women travelling alone will attract special attention in clearing UK immigration. First time travelers and very young travelers also appear to be especially vulnerable, and those who do not perform well in their entry interview will be segregated for more detailed questioning. To answer this, we turn to the Boy Scout motto:

Be prepared.

If you fit the profile of a vulnerable traveler, be aware of it and have a strategy for coping with it. Understand that a part of your interview is about your personal circumstances, and another part addresses all of the people who came before you and abused the system (this is especially true for American women - see the report). Interview coaching can be helpful in some cases. Take note that the Immigration Service themselves admit to prejudice against those who meet on the internet. To read the report, go to Exploring the decision-making of Immigration Officers...
What sort of evidence should I carry?

There are no set rules about what to bring, and there are no guarantees that what worked for one person will work for the next person. The best evidence is that which demonstrates your standing and circumstances in the US. This would include your employment contract, your vacation allowance, bank statements, university transcripts (if you are a student), and the like.

A letter confirming your invitation can sometimes be helpful. There is a sample letter at Confirmation Letter

We suggest that you carry your evidence in your hand bag as you will not have access to your checked-in luggage until after your interview.

At the risk of being pedantic, we'll point out that many correspondents had their luggage searched while being held in the waiting area. The search focused on personal items such as diaries, email, chat logs and so on; this ultimately had a harmful effect because the language used in diaries, email (etc) is often informal and simplified. Such language can be ambiguous to a 3rd party like an Immigration Officer and may result in the IO's making an inference which was unintended. And our correspondents report that when Immigration Officers make an inference from text in a diary or email, it is almost always adverse. One couple's email, for example, had used playful terms of endearment for each other that led the Immigration Officer to conclude that the couple's intentions were more serious than they reported. A word to the wise...

Is it better to lie about having met on the internet?

Lying to an Immigration Officer is a criminal act, and we cannot condone it in any way. Some UK Immigration Advisers point out that if the internet has played an important role in bringing two people together, it is better to meet for the first time in a 3rd country. Both Spain and the Netherlands have inexpensive, romantic locales for example.

Does everyone who met on the internet get bounced?

No. In fact only a small percentage do.

If my treatment was overly severe, can I complain about it?

Yes, the IND operates a complaints scheme. We won't give a deep link because the site is undergoing a redesign, but you can navigate to The Immigration and Nationality Directorate and follow the links to "Contact us".

If I complain, can they hold it against me?

No. The complaints channel is segregated and confidential. From our own experience, Transpondia can assert that the IND is utterly professional and above reproach in their handling of complaints. NOTE: While true for the IND, this is not necessarily true for other immigration related agencies in the UK Government, so caution is advised if you plan to take up a complaint with UKvisas, or the OISC in particular.

Besides the advice given above, can anything be done to assure I will not get bounced?

Yes, you can get an entry clearance. There's more about this below.

 

Entry Clearance (extracted from an article at uk-y May 2005)

It's the travel season, and there's always lots of bfs and gfs heading back-and-forth across the pond with romance on their minds, and the same question: "What happens if I get questioned or detained in immigration?".

If you travel in and out of the UK and do it repeatedly, sooner or later you will activate the built-in radar of an Immigration Officer, and you will need to answer some questions. And if you are on your 2nd or 3rd trip to the UK as a visitor with nothing else to explain your visit except that you are "seeing some friends", it makes sense that the Immigration Officer's curiosity would be aroused. And on your 3rd or 4th trip over a short period of time - like 2 years or so, there's a 99% chance you will be caught out. If that happens, there are several outcomes: you might be released into the UK for 24 hours; you might be released into the UK for a specific period of time, like 2 months; or you might get sent back.

The entry refusal rate at our airports runs fairly consistent. 1 person out of every 2,300 arrivals will get detained and sent back. Caribbean people hold the #1 slot for entry refusals at port. There's a tie for 2nd place with Americans, Canadians, South Africans, and so on all running neck and neck. Other nationalities run a distant 3rd place. Of course, visa-nationals, from Pakistan or the Philippines for example, are not generally refused entry at port because they already have entry clearances.

Yes, it's stressful and yes, there's lots of advice on the internet about how to cope with it. So that's not the point of this article. If you are having stress about being refused entry, if you are travelling short of funds, or if your travel history begins to look conspicuous, there's a sure-fire way of coping with it. You can get an entry clearance. It's a type of visa where they ask all the nitty-gritty questions before you travel, and get that part out of the way. If they don't like what's going on or they suspect your intentions, you can learn about it straight-away. American visitors don't need one, but lots get them because of stress.

Here's a rough extract from the Home Office's site:

"...People ... who do not need a visa but would like peace of mind can seek entry clearance before travelling. This takes the form of a certificate placed in their passport. This is not a requirement and does not guarantee entry into the UK, but it may make passage through immigration control easier. Application for entry clearance is made to the British Embassy or High Commission... A fee is charged for entry clearance..."

And here's a quote about the same thing, but from a different point of view:

"...The rate of refusal of leave to enter at the port to visitors from some non-visa national countries ... is higher than for visitors from other countries. It can therefore be advisable for nationals of those countries to obtain entry clearance, and the rules permit though they do not strictly require it (para 23A). Even before the Immigration Order 2000 SI 2000/1161, entry clearance would ease the traveler's passage through immigration control and help to avoid wasted airfares and the distress of refusal at the port..." (source: "Immigration and Asylum Law", Gina Clayton, LLM, Oxford University Press, 2004).

Once again, it's optional. But if you are having stress about the Immigration Officer, if you are travelling with minimal funds, if you have no way to explain what you are doing in the UK, or if your travel history starts to look conspicuous, then the entry clearance is an option to check out.

Is an entry clearance hard to get?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Success is highly dependent upon a number of factors such as the applicant's immigration history, the premise of the visit, the applicant's financial standing, employment, sponsor's credibility and so forth.  We have urged that all applications for entry clearance be completed with care and a 'visitor visa' is no different.  While the overwhelming majority of successful applicants complete the application process by themselves, a qualified solicitor can also help.  We have been recommending Laura Devine Solicitors because they are among the leading UK practitioners in this area, and they have an office in New York.

If an entry clearance is not required, why should I bother?

Here's an extract from an email we received from UKBA in 2006 explaining why an entry clearance can be helpful.

While there is no requirement for US Citizens to obtain visas in order to visit the UK, it is open to them to apply for prior entry clearance (= a visa), if they wish, particularly if they have previously encountered difficulties in entering the UK in the past.

This will simplify progress through Immigration control on arrival in the UK as it gives leave to enter (unless acquired by deception or the holder's circumstances substantially change).

However, I understand from what you [say] that the cases you refer to are not spending more than six months out of twelve in the UK. In this case it could be helpful to obtain a visit visa in these circumstances if a number of visits to the UK are envisaged in the course of the year but the six month limitation will not be exceeded. (source: email communication from UKvisas to Transpondia, 3 Feb 2006).