Mrs Lambi

Hi all,

My British spouse and I would like to spend the Summer in the UK, but as I am not a UK citizen, I have to apply for a family visitor visa. However, we will apply from Turkey where we both work without work permits. Although we have residency permits, we are worried that I will be refused entry into the UK because I do not have the right papers to work in Turkey. The UK border agency says that one can apply from abroad if you have the right to live there (which we do), but what are the repercussions, if any, for working illegally abroad? Other than this issue, we have everything else we need (sufficient funds, a job to come back to etc.)

Your responses will be greatly appreciated as this is a very unusual situation.

Jerseygirl

Welcome to BE.

I am moving your thread over to our Moving Back To The UK Forum. Hopefully our members who post in that forum will be able to help you.

SanDiegogirl

What nationality are you and how long do you intend to stay in the UK? I ask this because I am curious as to why you are filing for a family visit visa when you say that you and your husband just want to spend the summer in the UK. Why not just the general visitor visa?

I doubt whether the UK immigration officials will be aware of you working illegally in Turkey; however they will be interested as to your intentions in the UK.

You cannot work on a visitor's visa.

Mrs Lambi

Hi,

I'm South African and we want to stay in the UK for about three months. I am eligible for a family visitor visa as I intend to visit my family in the UK (both mine and my husband's). We also want to have a holiday there after we've spent enough time with our family. We've been abroad for a few years and haven't seen some people in years.

They might become aware of us working illegally when we apply in Turkey because we have lots of evidence to show that we have a job, and importantly, a job to come back to.

Our biggest fear is that when we get to the UK border control, even with a UK visa, they interrogate me as to why I have a job in Turkey without a work permit.

I've read up on why they normally refuse people entry, but working illegally in the country you've applied from never comes up. Does anyone know anything about this?

dunroving

I would think that a history of working illegally in one country will lead to concerns that you could be entering the UK with the intention of working illegally.

What will you answer if the border security staff ask you where you live? How you can afford to live there? Whether you have a job there? Do you have permission to work there?

These are all reasonable and possible questions you will be asked. If asked, you can either a) lie [not recommended - these people atre trained to spot a lie a mile away], or b) tell the truth and run the risk that the border agency will refuse you entry on the basis that they think you are entering with the intention of working.

Mrs Lambi

Hi,

Thanks for that. I don't intend to lie. I am very aware of the consequences. I intend to tell the truth as I have documents to support the fact that I am working here. I can answer all the questions regarding my life in Turkey honestly, however, if they ask if I have permission to work here, I have to say no. I am worried about what they will say and do if I tell them that I don't have permission to work here. I fear refusal of entry, them contacting the Turkish authorities and paying a very hefty fine etc. My employment contract expires on June 8th and I intend to travel after that. So I will not be under contract, nor technically working illegally. I will also apply for a work permit once I return. Surely, the last two points are mitigating factors?

pennylessinindia

If you are working illegally in one country why would you think it ok for an Entry Clearance Officer to give you a visa to enter the UK? Apply when you are working legally then you would stand a better chance.

dunroving

I doubt UK Border Control would contact the Turkish authorities to tell them you are working illegally, but I don't think they will be interested in your mitigating factors.

The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour - so if they determine you are currently working illegally in another country, that would surely be taken into account in terms of judging whether they think you will work in the UK.

Mrs Lambi

I have no desire to work in the UK. I have a job, home and life in Turkey. I have three months off during the Summer school holidays and I just want to see my family. We haven't seen them in three years. My husband and I have the same job here and are both technically working illegally. We were told by numerous people that the majority of English teachers here work without work permits as they are incredibly hard to get. When we found out that it could be considered illegal (we were told that teachers rarely got pulled up for it) we pressured our company to get us permits for the next school year.

The bottom line is that we have all the evidence to prove that we have lives and jobs here, and importantly, jobs for next year. The only problem is that we don't have a work permit to support this. The border control authorities might ask why we don't have one, and we can tell them the truth. It's up to them and their policies whether they allow me entry or not. They'll have to decide whether I will return to Turkey to work and not stay in the UK.

dunroving

Looks like you answered your own question, then. Good luck.

[Forgot to mention - having a return ticket in hand will help your case]

Mrs Lambi

Thanks, we will definitely have return tickets! As I said, we have to start work in September and we'll be leaving most of our possessions here during the Summer. Staying indefinitely in the UK is not an option.

moneypenny20

I'm very confused by some of the replies. If they have right to reside in Turkey, why would the British border control people want to know how they're supporting themselves in Turkey? I can't imagine it would interest them in the least and it's nothing to do with them. Providing they have the necessary papers - either British Passport or South African Passport and visitors visa plus return tickets, I can't see a problem.

dunroving

It's not so much a question of how they are supporting themselves as whether they are a risk to enter the country - more specifically, whether they are likely to be entering in order to work illegally.

Immigration officers are trying to determine things like the following:

Does this person have the necessary papers to enter the country?
What is this person's reasons for entering the country?
Are those reasons acceptable? (Do they intend to overstay? Or to work illegally?)

In order to determine these things, an imigration officer can ask almost anything they deem to be relevant. If a person is a citizen of Country A, but living in Country B, it seems very likely that their residence and work status would be a line of questioning.

Having answered some pretty bizarre questions on dozens of occasions entering the US (and having been denied entry twice), I've learned that anything is possible.

pennylessinindia

A persons previous history is a pretty good predictor of their future activity and working illegally in one country is a good predictor that they may do it in another, so any good Entry Clearance Officer would be right to question what you are doing in Turkey and may well refuse you. To be honest and why souldn't they , that is what they are paid to do , look at risk from the information supplied to them. If as you say it is well known that the Turkish authorities turn a blind eye, then there is a chance the ECO may be aware of this and may also do the same, but do not be surprised if they refuse you. You may get away with it as a family visitor too.