Immigration checks at LHR

Hi - with gf jetting in to LHR on 4 Nov. I am curious as to the degree of scrutiny / questioning she's likely to face by entry officials.

I appreciate that immigration officials have power to deny entry if they feel they have just cause - even in circumstances where the passenger has full documentation, including visa, but I just wondered how much of a "grilling" Kris may face.

Have there been any cases where despite all the paperwork being kosher the poor soul gets refused entry?

I guess what I'm asking is whether the immigration staff attempt to second guess the assessment already undertaken by Embassy officials in Manila who issued the visa in the first place?

No mate don't worry, whats the purpose off your visit, standard questions TBH.

My wife entered UK in 2014. She had no trouble getting through passport control in the Glasgow but she got a grilling leaving Manila airport

She almost missed her flight as a result of being stopped and was asked so many questions.

She had to get her suitcase back after she had already checked it on to show them photo's of us and some other documents that were used for the application

I would suggest just have all the documentation in her hand carry luggage and all will be well I am sure

Might be a bit of a difference between LHR and other UK based airports. I have always found the immigration staff very arrogant in LHR in contrast to say, MAN. But as DJB says, they should be just routine questions of which she should already know the answer so no worries.

My Mrs was asked a load of questions when leaving Manila...and then the same questions at LHR..

When I was in LHR last 7 months ago to visit my husband (first time), the immigration officer ask me my husband's complete address I told him just the apartment name and the city and he asked back 'You don't know the complete address?' I answered 'I do sir, but you make you me nervous' and smiled at him but he didn't smile back so I just answer him, giving him the complete address with postcode that is when he smiled back at me

second question he ask is since I was in a tourist visa, is there any specific place apart from my husband's parents house, wants to visit ? I told him, my husband will be bringing me to the Yorkshire dales and see the Malham Cove and Bolton Abbey, he told me that his family went there, even told me that I will love the place lol! (I've read before that it is very helpful to mention a landmark of the place that you will visit

third question, how me and my husband keep going with our relationship. Told him we talk everyday using Skype before I live home and when I got home and sometimes when we are both at work, we send sneaky chat on each other

I think it was just 5 minutes interview and then he stamp my passport and let me in

Many thanks everyone - reassuring I think. Useful advice for both Manila and LHR airports..

Kris has started packing her suitcase - indeed she started doing so before we even knew outcome of visa application! That's keenness for you! Lol

G

Your answer ('I do sir, but you make me nervous') make me laugh cuz I think I can imagine myself being nervous when the time I arrive in the uk Thanks for that info anyway cuz I'll be nervous really if I dunno how they interview with the serious face

I have to admit after living a single mans life for 2 years I suddenly got very nervous when my Girl was due to stay with me for 6 months. You kinda get used to being on your own. But when she came, within 2 days she had organised my life and home hehehehe and honestly I loved it

Yeeee happy for you

Agree with DJB,I have lived alone for 15 years and only stayed a month when visiting my wife,so was nervous when wife and son came to live with me and now they have been here 8 weeks,I can honestly say I would be lost if they was not here with me now,as have got use to someone living here now,you can not beat the feeling waking up next to someone you love lol.

Be careful of leaving Manila - allow ample time and have all documents in hand carried baggage. Do remember the post code at Heathrow.

when my better half came last year (this was our first time meeting each other) she was questioned both ends she also very nearly missed the plane.
while I was waiting in the arrivals at LHR I got a phone call from one of the immigration staff, asking loads of questions:
was I expecting anyone today? who was you expecting? whats her age and date of birth? where is she from? how much was the ticket? is it a return ticket? where will she be staying? what will happen if we fall out and she wants to return early?

when she arrived 16th September this year they didn't really ask much, either end, I did have along wait tho as some of the immigration staff had gone home and there was massive ques to get through, think the plane landed at 8.30pm I eventually saw her just after midnight.

but I would say one of best feelings to finally see a loved one again

That's really bad, whats the point in undergoing the stress and strains off a Visa application, if some snotty nosed f****r at the airport asks questions like the above. Grrrrrrr makes my blood boil.

I've always warned my Fiance that his life will be different once we get there with our son. He has been a bachelor for 34 years and he will be coming back home as a Father. And just today, I found out how he doesn't have salt in his kitchen which I say will never happen once I get there. A lot of things to discover, strange and new, exciting!

Something that makes a difference for white and pinoy travelers. When I landed in Japan I was asked to show what's in my suitcase so I had to open it for the world to see. Shame but I had to comply while Fiance has never been asked for such a thing in any countries.

The salt thing...

There is a reason for this. Pinoy food is generally quite salty and this is for a string of reasons both good and bad (food preservation, hot climate, tradition, the need to make dishes with rather unremarkable ingredients appetising, etc.) In Britain we have been told by our Government that too much salt in our diets is bad for us and that there is never any need to add salt to food in cooking as we get quite enough salt anyway.

Salt is seriously bad for your health, and the high salt content in the Filipino diet accounts for many heart attacks in younger people (hence the myth of the aswang) and for the high incidence of kidney failure and of stones.

I never use salt in cooking - not even when the recipe calls for it. Corina does make much saltier dishes but I have noticed the salt usage falling away as she gets more used to the taste of food with less salt. In general Britain is well known internationally for the high quality of the ingredients that go into our food (what we do with them may be another matter!) and you will find when you are here that you can get excellent vegetables, fish, bread and meat, particularly from the greengrocer, the butcher, the fishmonger and the baker , rather than from the supermarket.

There's a good reason for it. The Immigration staff are checking that the person on the plane is the person to whom the visa relates. People trafficking is a real crime and quite widespread; one of the tricks used by traffickers is to use a genuine application for the wrong person. "Yes there are biometrics" but these can be faked...

So what your saying is that a people trafficker would go through the whole visa process in the less than 50/50 chance that they actually get a visa and with all the cost involved, flights included and they then substitute the real person with a fake ????

Well you learn something every day