Taking Argentine Wife For Uk Visit

[semigoodlookin]

Hi all,

I conducted a search on the general topic of the title you see above, but I feel my situation is unique enough to warrant a new thread, esepcially as I couldn't find a specific answer.

Forgive me in advance if this is long, I will try to keep it brief. I am a UK national and me and my wife are thinking of visiting the UK this winter, but we are unclear on the situation of an Argentine visiting. I should point out now that my wife (future wife at the time) was once refused entry at Gatwick airport and shipped back to Spain (we came from Madrid) with little information about what she did wrong, during what you can probably guess was one of the worst evenings of my life.

With that in mind, I am guessing applying for a standard visitor visa before going is the route to take, or do UK nationals on the forum have experience visiting with their wives and just zipping through the customs with no problem?

Considering that deportation (which is just a ridiclous thing to type, an episode that baffles and angers me to this day), does anyone know what the standard visa process is like, is it complicated and is that past problem almost certainly going to deny her entry? I have been on the website, but I am really looking for some first hand accounts.

One more thing, how do I simply make it recognized in the UK that I am married?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Ceviche]

I have traveled to Uk several times on Argentine passport. It depends on the visa officer and the world situation.

Some times, they just stamp you in. No questions asked.

Sometimes, they ask few polite questions..nothing serious...and stamp in you.

Sometimes, they ask serious questions as -

Purpose of visit, how long will you stay, do you have a return ticket, which hotel will you stay in, whats your travel history, where are you coming from, where will you go, what will you do in Uk etc etc etc

One of the officers was almost convinced that my passport was fake, though I had traveled on the same passport to UK few times before..but she flipped it in the air to see some reflections etc..

It also depends if the officer likes or dislikes your race and /or current world situation..

With argie passport, no visa required.

 

[ben]

While I am not familiar with UK immigration procedures, it stands to reason that if your spouse was denied entry to the UK before, she will almost certainly be examined much more carefully on any subsequent visit.

Beyond what ceviche wrote about them liking your face, which is no doubt true to some extent, there is a logic to the immigration process which is not always clear to laymen. It is worth understanding so as to avoid future troubles. Everything I am about to write is largely extrapolating from US immigration rules, but it's likely that very similar logic applies to your situation.

The main thing that an immigration officer must determine, aside from concerns like terrorism etc, is that the person applying for entry, if applying as a tourist/visitor, is planning to leave the country at the end of his/her visit, rather than stay there. For this reason, in the US, when a foreigner visits together with a national, it does not make it more likely they'll be admitted to the country. On the contrary, the foreigner - whether a current or a future spouse - is considered much more likely to stay with their citizen significant other, rather than leave the country, which renders them inadmissible as a tourist. This does not mean that a foreigner married to a US citizen is always denied entry to the US, but it does mean they need to demonstrate, that much more strongly, their ties - employment, financial position, ownership/rental of property, history - to their home country.

One can certainly assume that the same logic would apply to the UK. Whether it's fair or not, one can absolutely see that an immigration officer, faced with an Argentine engaged to a citizen, might presume that they may be planning to stay in the UK, rather than visit and then leave. Particularly if you were arriving not from Argentina, but from next door in Europe. In the case of the US, the equivalent to Spain would be Canada - and you had better believe that third-party nationals are scrutinized pretty carefully when coming from Canada. I am familiar with a lot of horror stories - entry denied, visas revoked etc - on the northern border.

Back to your case, you should check with the consulate here, but I'd guess that your wife wouldn't need a visa just because she was denied entry. What you absolutely should do, is bring whatever documentation you need to make clear that you both reside in Argentina, and plan on returning here after a brief visit. This would include employment information regarding both of you, bank statements (local, of course) for both of you, tax information, any property you own here, - anything and everything that will demonstrate that the likelihood of your remaining in the UK is extremely low. And, it goes without saying, a return ticket to Argentina.

Hope this helps.

PS Every time I entered the UK, on a Commonwealth passport to boot, I was questioned, not rudely but thoroughly, and asked to provide proof I would be leaving. When in Heathrow, I always had to show my onward ticket (I was usually stopping for a day in London between flights). When driving from France with a few friends to attend a wedding, I was asked to show the rental contract, return tickets for the Channel Tunnel, and the wedding invitation.

The only time I remember not having to show documentation was on September 16, 2001 (my original travel date was September 12). When asked when I'll be leaving, I gave the guy a weary look and replied "as soon as I can". He laughed and stamped my passport.

 

[Dada]

Very sad to read what happened to your wife, semigoodlooking. I wish I could have some advice, which I don't, except the generic ones such as "confidence"... They seem to always pick people who look nice and shy. I guess it's just the way a coward's brain works.

Guess I've been lucky so far. Only met a.holes twice and even that ended relatively ok. But I've seen things happening to others at different border controls, and it makes me feel sick. Some countries are just infamous for being bullies. UK is bad but still far from the worst, in general.

On the other hand, it reminds me of the shock when I first came to Argentina. I felt welcome, even valued as a guest! Maybe that's why I see red when I hear of things like that happening to Argentinians in particular. Maybe those British "gentlemen" should come to Argentina, to learn some good manners.

 

[semigoodlookin]

Some countries are just infamous for being bullies. UK is bad but still far from the worst, in general.

She felt pretty bullied at the time too, it was a crap situation where she had a return ticket, details of the hotel she was staying at, and spending money. For whatever reason they decided they didn't like the fact she came in through Spain with an Argentine passport. Didn't believe she really wanted to marry me (we were engaged for over a year at that point and I had lived in Spain with her prior) and one guy even told me on the phone "if I was you mate I would leave her here and never look back". I wasn't able to see her, but she tells me that they treated her terribly too.

PS Every time I entered the UK, on a Commonwealth passport to boot, I was questioned, not rudely but thoroughly, and asked to provide proof I would be leaving. When in Heathrow, I always had to show my onward ticket (I was usually stopping for a day in London between flights). When driving from France with a few friends to attend a wedding, I was asked to show the rental contract, return tickets for the Channel Tunnel, and the wedding invitation.

The only time I remember not having to show documentation was on September 16, 2001 (my original travel date was September 12). When asked when I'll be leaving, I gave the guy a weary look and replied "as soon as I can". He laughed and stamped my passport.

Thanks for the detailed help Ben. I am from the UK, born and raised as they say. Last time I visited I was taken to a side room and questioned quite extensively about where I had been for the last two years, what my plans were for my visit, etc. I thought I was just going home.

I have traveled to Uk several times on Argentine passport. It depends on the visa officer and the world situation.

Some times, they just stamp you in. No questions asked.

Sometimes, they ask few polite questions..nothing serious...and stamp in you.

Sometimes, they ask serious questions as -

Purpose of visit, how long will you stay, do you have a return ticket, which hotel will you stay in, whats your travel history, where are you coming from, where will you go, what will you do in Uk etc etc etc

One of the officers was almost convinced that my passport was fake, though I had traveled on the same passport to UK few times before..but she flipped it in the air to see some reflections etc..

It also depends if the officer likes or dislikes your race and /or current world situation..

With argie passport, no visa required.

Thanks for the sound advice.

 

[Gringoboy]

As far as I know, Argentine citizens don't need a visa for the UK, although I realise this isn't the central point here.
Semigoodlookin, in your second post post you infer that she was refused entry because she was entering the UK as an Argentine via Spain and that her marital status was questioned.
I'm assuming that she went through the non-EC immigration channel and you went through the UK channel which is usual and on that basis she would have been very much on her own so to speak, although she would have said she was travelling with you.
My lady is Argentine and I'm a Brit like you but we're not married as you weren't at the time.
We visited England a few years ago and she was asked a few questions at the kiosk but passed through without incident.
If she hasn't got a criminal record, drugs and that kind of thing, I see no reason that she wouldn't be let through, although surely a record of the previous incident exists and she will be flagged on re entry attempt.
For peace of mind, it may be an idea to investigate with the embassy and see what the score is.

 

[Redbeanz]

Some countries are just infamous for being bullies. UK is bad but still far from the worst, in general.

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

 

[Ceviche]

On the other hand, it reminds me of the shock when I first came to Argentina. I felt welcome, even valued as a guest! Maybe that's why I see red when I hear of things like that happening to Argentinians in particular. Maybe those British "gentlemen" should come to Argentina, to learn some good manners.

This is the first thing I noticed when I arrived in Argentina first time ever and simply fell in love with the immigration blokes here !!

I wanted to stay in this country which has a smile on its face when you first arrive at the country and not treated like a criminal or a terrorist.

 

[Crema Americana]

I must pass through a different line at immigration here, because I don't get that lovey dovey feeling from the agents. They are less intimidating though, and generally will let you pass without too much hassle.

I've only been to the UK a couple times, always on international transfers, but the feeling I got was that the British like to mess with you. I remember once while trying to go from Heathrow to Gatwick, being questioned about my intentions to stay in the UK. I had no intention of staying... I wanted to get to Spain, but was running a little short on time. "You'll never make it" they told me... "Well I'm going to try!" I said looking at my watch. After some talking among themselves, they finally stamped my passport, I said thank you and ran off. I made it, but not only did they hold me up but made me nervous for no reason to boot.

I find it strange that they would deport her without letting her know if/when she can return. Since she's been deported once, I would try to apply for a visitor's visa before her next travel and bring proof/documentation of her roots here and her intentions to return.

Honestly this type of thing really bothers me. Somehow immigrants get in every which way, but those who wish to legally and legitimately simply travel with their spouses (or stay? who cares? she's your wife and it's your country) are given a hard time. Sometimes I think these agents simply out of spite, or a feeling that the local person is being taken advantage of in some way, carry out their own justice.

 

[Ceviche]

, carry out their own justice.

Thats the key word. they try to act like ""the police, the judge and the prison hanging bloke"" at the same time!!