Taking Argentine Wife For Uk Visit

[Tilda]

Tilda, you don't necessarily have to go through any other EU border control than the Swedish one. Unless your connecting flight is from a different airport or terminal, you can just wait inside the passenger zone. For example in Rome it works like that. Not sure about London. But you should be alright, you guys are married. I don't even think you'll need all those documents, but of course, if they make you feel safer, why not.

Yes, I didn't think about that magic paper we have.

 

[Dada]

Dadá, could you please say more about the countries you have found to be immigration bullies?

The bully nr 1 is USA, UK currently nr 2, Australia nr 3 but by far the most creative (they even have an island where they ship you if they don't like you). Most of my experiences are from pre-Schengen era, and of course, never been to China, North Korea... actually many countries.

Generally, I tend to have it easier than most people at any border, because I'm a big mouth rather than nice. I cleared the US immigration (in Atlanta!) by promising the officer I would do my best to avoid working at all costs, and should it come to the worst, I would find myself a rich boyfriend instead. Six months later again, in Tijuana, by showing the guy my richly stamped passport and asking him if it looks like someone like me can ever stay anywhere.

The only time I've ever been denied entry (to the UK) was in Calais in 2012, and it was because I'd been stupid and forgotten both my passport and national ID in my bed table in London before taking the trip. There were no controls on the French side so I didn't notice until the moment I was at the British border again, on my way back, sitting in a camion I had hitched and found out I only had my British driving license on me. Denied, of course. So I walked back to the highway and hitched a small car (another queue). Denied. So I went to the pedestrian gate, for which I had to buy a pedestrian ticket for the ferry. But there were absolutely no people there, so the nice lady officer had enough time for me. I came humble and explained I'm an idiot who left all my documents in London. Luckily, I also had a demand letter from the HMRC with my name and address. She made a few calls and then let me in, which she was officially not supposed to do, but hey, some of them are still humans.

 

[Gringoboy]

Wonderful post!

 

[Noesdeayer]

Dada:
"If Australia "even has an island where they send you if they don't like you". like Devil's Island or something.
How is it ,in your view,that they have lost out to the USA for the number 1 slot ?

 

[Dada]

Australia has this famous island of Nauru where they have something called "detention centre" where they transfer unwanted immigrants. I'm not saying I like it. The reason why nr 1 belongs to the USA is that both the UK and Australia, despite being harsh, at least respect the right of their own citizens to marry who they want. Yes, they give hard time to boyfriends and girlfriends, but at least they stop it once you're married. Also, once you are allowed in, you are generally also allowed to make a honest living, to a certain extent, on certain conditions.

That's why the USA is unmatched. Ok, I understand that there's a reason why these countries have in place the policies they have. Elisabeth Gilbert wrote a whole book about it, how she and her Brazilian boyfriend were first forced to get married by immigration officers and later given serious obstacles to keep them from doing the exact same thing they'd been forced to do. The name of the book is "Committed" (a sequel of Eat, Pray, Love). And it doesn't end with the immigrants. The country goes even further in their efforts to show you they own you. Chasing the American emmigrants wherever they go, forcing foreign banks to disclose all information about you.

 

[camberiu]

The reason why nr 1 belongs to the USA is that both the UK and Australia, despite being harsh, at least respect the right of their own citizens to marry who they want. Yes, they give hard time to boyfriends and girlfriends, but at least they stop it once you're married.

That is not what the UK case described on this thread demonstrates. it seems that the UK is at least as bad, or even worse, as the US on that regard.

 

[Noesdeayer]

Dada:
Oh..All of this must have begun after I left the U.S. for Argentina in 1979.Before that since 1972 I had been working as an employment manager for Marriott Corp. in NYC and Florida..Most of the employees were Latin immigrants.both legal and illegal.I heard plenty of stories from them about "la migra" checking on them to see if they were living together etc.
However,at that time ,at least, they had no problem in "making an honest living".Moreover,as an U.S. emmigrant myself who has NEVER paid U.S. income taxes since I left the U.S..I was not once even questioned upon my many trips home why I had not not filed a tax return.and my bank accounts in U.S. banks here have never been inquired about.
Gee,lucky me!

 

[joeschmoe1920]

Dada: so your "horror story" with UK immigration is this one occasion when, in your own words, you were "an idiot" traveling with no passport or ID, had not paid your taxes (the HMRC demand letter, for those who don't know) and they still let you into the country. Bullies! Fascists!

Dada:
Oh..All of this must have begun after I left the U.S. for Argentina in 1979.

Or maybe it never happened at all. Dada's pronouncements are light on facts and high on half-digested cliches.

 

[Dada]

Joe, no offence intended. Sorry if I pushed some sensitive buttons.

Of course my experiences are totally subjective, and also positive. Just because I call a country "bully" when it acts like one doesn't mean I don't like the country. Quite the opposite. There's so much more to them than the bullying part! I loved my stay in the US so much that I think I even overstayed by a month or two I appreciate a lot about the UK. (Btw, my taxes are paid, that mean letter was about messed-up paperwork). Many great folks I met. And yes, their governments bully not only the foreigners (should they be imigrants or visitors) but also their own citizens.

That "horror story" is actually an anecdote, like all of my border stories. The horrors happen to other people, but that doesn't make them any smaller, does it. The sad thing about it is that it's always the nice and shy people who get the worst bullying sh.t, while people like me usually sneak through, one way or another. But we are harmless, too. The really dangerous ones have their own ways to get in.

 

[EJLarson]

Dada: so your "horror story" with UK immigration is this one occasion when, in your own words, you were "an idiot" traveling with no passport or ID, had not paid your taxes (the HMRC demand letter, for those who don't know) and they still let you into the country. Bullies! Fascists!
Or maybe it never happened at all. Dada's pronouncements are light on facts and high on half-digested cliches.

I think we could call them "opinions" and "anecdotes." A little judgemental there, are we, Joe?