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Old 18th October 2009, 11:04 PM
Joppa Joppa is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Lancashire
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Joppa is a jewel in the roughJoppa is a jewel in the roughJoppa is a jewel in the rough

Originally from uk. Expat in spain.
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In theory you should be able to come over as a visitor, even though you are now married, but in practice it depends on the immigration officer you'll meet and their perception of your 'true intention' may be. You can be honest and upfront and tell them you are just coming to visit your husband and leaving in so many days, and if asked, provide evidence such as return ticket and reasons for going back stateside. Or you can just play a typical tourist coming to sightsee in UK, with a rough itinerary, booked accommodation (which can be cancelled if staying with your husband), enough money to support yourself and return ticket. The latter, though slightly disingeneous, is easier of the two if all you want is a visitor's stamp in your passport, but you must stick to your script and don't breeze a word about having a British husband, which will complicate things no end. The downside of honesty in the first instance is that immigration officer may refuse to believe you and think you really intend to settle in UK without a spouse visa. In that case you will have more than a bit of explaining to do, and it's easy to say the wrong thing and incriminate yourself in the intimidating atmosphere of an interview room - the immigration service is well up on interrogation techniques and asking leading questions.
So the choice is yours. I've tried to outline the issues as best I can.
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