helpmeplease123

I met my boyfriend a year and a half ago while studying abroad, I think came back to the UK and we spent 6/7 months in a long distance relationship. In January this year he came to the UK on a student visa which ran out in June at which point he went back to the US to apply for a summer postgraduate visa which would allow him to work here during the summer (before he begins the second year of his course in September). Despite having proof from well known companies of an internship, proof of funds, proof of school etc. he was denied the visa but on a basis that must have been a mistake (his University is not accredited - it ism the University of Sussex). The appeals process takes months so he decided rather than not see each other all summer he would come here anyway on a tourist visa and apply for his student visa (whcih would start in September) while he was here - because he has checked with home office and they confirmed he could do that. On that basis he arrived in the UK this morning with a return flight in December - longer than a normal tourist stay would allow but as he would be restarting University in September, he would only actually be staying as a tourist for 2 months or so. They told him he wasnt allowed to apply for his student visa here but had to do it in America and based on that his flight booking involved overstaying his welcome. He offered to change the return ticket to a month from now - a tourist period he would be allowed but the refused saying his original intention had been otherwise and he is now sitting on a place back to the US and I am devestated. Any previous experience of something like this? Suggestions? Thank you.

Mummy in the foothills

Sounds like an episode of UK border force.
A very common occurrence apparently, A uni that isn't accredited and then trying to enter as a holiday maker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCWR8...eature=related
There are loads of episodes about what has happened to your friend. Especially the college part. Why doesn't he apply to a proper college instead.

helpmeplease123

In what world is the University of Sussex not accredited please?!

I've just realised you are American...so excuse your ignorance... it is the equivalent of UCLA or something - it is a well known and prestigious University.

helpmeplease123

And what exactly is posting a youtube clip about a Jamaican man involved in a fictitious wedding and an Asian family with kids claiming random studying (who by the way was allowed to stay in this clip) supposed to acheive?

Mummy in the foothills

Ugh No I'm a British ExPat, hence the name of the site you are on.
If UK immigration doesn't count it as an accredited college then something has happened. Maybe there has been trouble with students claiming they go to Sussex and have false documents, so everyone claiming to go there becomes suspect. The clip was a random one there are hours and hours of this show, many showing students who have paid a lot of money to non accredited colleges being turned away at immigration.
There are accredited and non accredited colleges here in the US, too, a foreign student has to be enrolled in an accredited one too.
I'll excuse you calling me ignorant seeing this all happened to you and your friend today and your emotions are probably running high.

The biggest piece of advice I'd give is have your friend join www.uk-yankee.com and have all the Americans who have moved to the UK on all kinds of visas help him sort it out.

helpmeplease123

The UK does count it, it is accredited, as I said it is one of the better Universities in this country...hence my point on the ridiculousness of him being denied the visa and it being a mistake. Yes, as you are aware my emotions are of course running high - which is why I was upset to see a complete stranger antagonising me, I asked for help or advice, not: "why doesn't he go to a proper college instead"/youtube clips of random immigration incidents.

roaringmouse

Presumably advice was sought from the University of Sussex before his attempted entry into the UK? And would most definitely be sought after now.

Pollyana

Hi and welcome to British Expats,

Firstly it doesn't matter how good Sussex Uni is (and I'm very familiar with it after 20 years in Brighton!), the question is whether its accredited for student visa purposes. Two completely different issues.
It would've made sense to have sought clarification from Sussex at the tinme of the initial refusal as to whether the university is accredited or not, but its obviously too late now for that.

Mummy in the Foothills wasn't trying to antagonise you at all, merely pointing out that its a very common occurence at immigration. And I'm afraid you will put people's backs up round here by insulting Americans - or any other race - as the site is predominantly an Expat one but does have members from all over the world.

So now, If he still intends to study at Sussex, I suggest he talks to them before he makes any more plans. They always had a huge international intake and will be able to tell him whether he can get a visa to study there or not nowadays. Also visit the uk yankee website that you've been given the link to. This website is mainly for Brit Expats abroad, but uk yankee caters for people heading for the UK

Good luck

SVG

Pollyanna is right, there are some funny little places that look like sheds in the UK that are overseas student accredited. The normal uni's are not set up just for international students, where as the little funny places are private collleges just for them.

allpeopleunite

Yes when going through British points of entry, one should never admit coming to the country for any other purpose than what your visa entails.

Your partner must have been seen as very suspicious almost immediately, being as he was coming to the UK after having been refused a student visa, arriving in time to start classes. Just having had a visa refused is grounds for suspicion, as one had obviously harboured intentions of settling in the UK for whatever amount of time, which is the litmus test for refusing or allowing a tourist entry clearance (the goal is to determine whether or not there is reasonable doubt that the passenger will not overstay there visa and pursue employment or settlement).

Another red flag would have been him admitting that he was here to take up a course of study after hoping to get a visa which was already refused to him, one which would have been impossible to obtain from within the UK. There is no type of visa which can be obtained from within the UK by a person on a General Visitor Tourist visitor. Not for partners, highly skilled workers, students, nobody.

There is one option which would have worked, and that would have been the Prospective Student visa, which is a type of visitor visa that allows someone finalising arrangements for studies to switch into Tier 4 Student Visa within six months of their arrival.

Manc

if he mentioned British girlfriend it would have been a red flag too