Going to UK before Study Visa date

[LiseyLou]

Hi,

Can anyone help me with this question? I have tried phoning the British Embassy etc in Canberra (at $$ per minute) and have gotten nothing!

I have been granted a student visa to study at Leeds University. The date of entry on my student visa is 15 Sept 2008.

I am leaving next Sunday to go to UK to travel around there and Europe before I start my course.

Will I get stopped at UK immigration when they see that my student visa doesn't start until 15 Sept?

I am genuinely wanting to travel as a tourist before then ie. no work.

I have booked tickets etc to travel after I land in UK next week and have proof that I have over $10,000 funds to support myself.

What I am thinking is it will be ok as tourist as long as I leave UK and reenter on 15 Sept?

In saying that is it ok just to go over to say Dublin? Or will I have to go to say Denmark/France/Spain?

Any help would be so appreciated.

Thanks,
LiseyLou

[Bevdeforges]

Hopefully someone who knows the precise rules for the UK will drop by here, but based on my experience, I think you're taking a huge risk in coming over before the date of your student visa. I'm not sure about the UK, but a couple other countries I know really are insistent that you not turn up as a "tourist" before your entry date.

Last I knew (several years ago) you need a tourist visa to visit France (for example) when coming from Australia. But, since France is part of Schengen, you can visit all the Schengen countries for 90 days on your tourist visa for any of the Schengen countries. If you have your visa sorted out for the Schengen countries, why not do your tourist thing there first, and then arrive in the UK on 15 Sept. like you're supposed to? (On arrival in the UK, if you're "just passing through" on your way to Paris or Madrid, I doubt you'll have any problem as long as you have an onward flight.)
Cheers,
Bev

[freelj2435]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hopefully someone who knows the precise rules for the UK will drop by here, but based on my experience, I think you're taking a huge risk in coming over before the date of your student visa. I'm not sure about the UK, but a couple other countries I know really are insistent that you not turn up as a "tourist" before your entry date.

Last I knew (several years ago) you need a tourist visa to visit France (for example) when coming from Australia. But, since France is part of Schengen, you can visit all the Schengen countries for 90 days on your tourist visa for any of the Schengen countries. If you have your visa sorted out for the Schengen countries, why not do your tourist thing there first, and then arrive in the UK on 15 Sept. like you're supposed to? (On arrival in the UK, if you're "just passing through" on your way to Paris or Madrid, I doubt you'll have any problem as long as you have an onward flight.)
Cheers,
Bev

Please let me know how that went, I am facing the same issue and pulling my hair out over it, one person is telling me one thing and others are telling me other things. Even the UK embassy in DC was confused.
I am planning on coming about 20 days before the begin date of my student visa, but it is for a less than 6 month course, so the website says you can only come a week before. However, I, too, am only planning on being "in transit" so I will be leaving the very next day, and will have a ticket to prove it.
Since I am only in transit, yet arriving before my begin date, what should I do? I have considered traveling straight on and skiping my transit stop in London, but then I do not know what to do with my large packed bags, as I cannot drag them with me on small planes and trains and busses everywhere I go.
HELP!
How did this situation work out for you last time?
-jf

[kbird]

I suppose I'm in that boat as well. I'm allowed in one month in advance from the start of my course date (which is the 28th of September). Well really... I only need to go in advance one month and a day...
I have managed to grab a hold of Reading Festival tickets.. which, ironically starts on the 28th of August. Of course, it would be nice to be able to fly over and have a days rest instead of just jumping off the plane and into a festival. Can you say 'no sleep at all'?

My boyfriend (who is from the UK) is studying in France for a year and so I could always enter the UK, leave and visit France and then return once again. But I'm not sure if this is possible or if I have to fly all the way back over to the states and back again(which would be a lot of money).

You'd think with so many similar questions the Border Agency would be able to answer this fairly quickly. Surely someone out there has been in a similar situation..

[freelj2435]

Originally Posted by kbird

I suppose I'm in that boat as well. I'm allowed in one month in advance from the start of my course date (which is the 28th of September). Well really... I only need to go in advance one month and a day...
I have managed to grab a hold of Reading Festival tickets.. which, ironically starts on the 28th of August. Of course, it would be nice to be able to fly over and have a days rest instead of just jumping off the plane and into a festival. Can you say 'no sleep at all'?

My boyfriend (who is from the UK) is studying in France for a year and so I could always enter the UK, leave and visit France and then return once again. But I'm not sure if this is possible or if I have to fly all the way back over to the states and back again(which would be a lot of money).

You'd think with so many similar questions the Border Agency would be able to answer this fairly quickly. Surely someone out there has been in a similar situation..

I don't know about the other visas, but for the student visa tha I have, I cannot enter the country from now (when it was issued) until the first date on the visa, even in transit. They are very strict about this.

[kbird]

Originally Posted by freelj2435

I don't know about the other visas, but for the student visa tha I have, I cannot enter the country from now (when it was issued) until the first date on the visa, even in transit. They are very strict about this.

For the visa start date... do they put it as the 'up to' date (either one month or one week depending on how long you're studying) or do they just pick a random date?

Because on my acceptance letter the official start date is 28th September. So if I arrived in the UK early morning of 28th August that's the first day of the festival and I wouldn't miss it (or have wasted my money). Although I have no idea What I'm going to do with my suitcases.

[freelj2435]

Originally Posted by kbird

For the visa start date... do they put it as the 'up to' date (either one month or one week depending on how long you're studying) or do they just pick a random date?

Because on my acceptance letter the official start date is 28th September. So if I arrived in the UK early morning of 28th August that's the first day of the festival and I wouldn't miss it (or have wasted my money). Although I have no idea What I'm going to do with my suitcases.

If your program begins the 28th, then you either have a week before the begin date of your program to enter, or a month, depending on the length of your program. For example, if I enter the 2nd of Sept., then I can enter the UK the 26th of August, or one week befoe the begin date of my short course program. My uk visa says the 26th is my start date, as it is the first day I can enter the country, even though my program begins the 2nd. Does this answer your question?

[kbird]

Yes it does. Cheers!
And best of luck with your studies!!!