Visa Addendum

Living in a foreign country, we try to be aware of what’s going on in the world, so we subscribe to a variety of news outlets – from the San Francisco Chronicle’s online feeds, to Der Spiegel’s International Feed, to the BBC and the Guardian. One of the things we also subscribe to is the U.S. Embassy London American Citizens’ Newsletter (email [email protected] to subscribe). The US Embassy Newsletter had this to say to us today:

TRAVELING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM? CHECK UK VISA REQUIREMENTS FIRST!

As the major overhaul of the United Kingdom’s immigration rules continues, more Americans may find they require a visa, or entry clearance, as well as a work permit, to enter the country. These changes affect, but are not limited to, spouses/fiancés/partners/children of UK citizens, students (current, future, and prospective), interns, and businesspeople. If you fall into one of these categories and do not have a visa from a UK consulateprior to traveling, you will not be allowed to enter the United Kingdom. UK immigration authorities can hold you in a detention facility until the next available flight back to the United States. The U.S. Embassy cannot interfere with or influence the decisions of UK immigration authorities. If you are denied entry, you may also face a 10-year ban from re-entering the United Kingdom.

Please remind your family and friends visiting the United Kingdom to check with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) before traveling, or to consult with the nearest British consulate in the United States for information. The UKBA website is:http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/. The website for the British consulates in the United States is: http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en.

We’re quite happy that we managed to get things done, and didn’t try to just get our passports stamped on the way in! It was one of the options, or so we thought. Now … it isn’t!

– D & T

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