2 urgent questions

[joshuawbb]

My apologies for barging through the door with questions. I have 2 short issues that I need clarifying as urgently as possible.

My girlfriend (Chinese) and I are travelling to the UK together to visit my family - her UK visitor visa was accepted (overjoyed with this). We are planning to transit through Hong Kong, with only an hour and a half in the airport transit area, and after reading the Hong Kong government website, it sounds like she does not need to apply for a transit visa to be there. But since I'm nervous to avoid problems (we went through a heck of a lot of trouble to get this UK visa), can someone confirm that she absolutely does not need a transit visa? Obviously she won't be entering HK.

The government website states: Chinese passport holders who are in transit through Hong Kong to and from another country or territory may be granted a stay of seven days on each landing without the prior need to obtain an entry permit provided that usual immigration requirements are met, including possession of valid entry facilities for the destination and confirmed onward booking for the overseas journey.[/font]

She of course has her visa and we will be booking return flights. They don't expand on these 'usual immigration requirements', that's all that makes me a bit unsure.[/font]

Secondly, and most importantly, her UK visitor visa is already valid - from Jan 10th to July 10th (visitor visas for the UK are granted for a 6 month period, however you state which date you are going and leaving in your application form. The 6 months is an allowance for difficulties in leaving.) The flights we saw with Cathay Pacific are on the 29th and we would arrive in London on the same day, however we stated on the itinerary that we would be leaving on the 30th. Following UK Border Agency advice we did not book flights before applying for the visa and so had to pick a day. Flights however on the 30th are as you'd expect - awfully expensive and far more so than on our visa application date. The flights we saw for the 29th are very ideal. We chose the 30th because it was most in line with my girlfriend's holidays.[/font]

We're anxious to avoid any problems entering the UK. Bearing in mind her visa is valid now anyway, and that most people must experience travel setbacks/itinerary adjustments sometime, will it be fine to enter the UK a day earlier than we stated, providing we make a quick note on a printed itinerary? I presume the UKBA computer records may state that we are expected to arrive on the 30th. I say all this because my girlfriend must still provide the documentation proving what she'll be doing in the UK upon arrival at the border.

I can't find information addressing this on the UKBA website.

Many thanks everyone!

[GaryM]

If you are flying from a Chinese airport to Hong King airport, and only changing planes at Hong Kong I see no reason why she would need a transit visa.

If you are worried about the UK Border Officials, then one thing that I have done in the past is accompany my friends through customs, despite the fact that they told me "you are in the wrong queue" (I am a UK passport holder). Typically they will refuse to address any questions to you, but it helps to corroborate your friends stated intent in visiting the UK.

The UK Border Officials may appear very strict and unfriendly sometimes, but despite this I have found them to be very fair. If your girlfriend is a guenuine visitor to the UK with the intent of visiting your family (which she is), I don't think you will have any problems. Have a great trip!

[jbradfor]

This was back in 2008, but the last time I transferred through Hong Kong, I'm pretty sure we did not have to go through immigration at all. So you should be OK.

Regarding your second question, I have no idea. I agree with you that it would be totally unreasonable to hold one to the exact date, but in dealing with government bureaucracy, "totally unreasonable" does not seem to faze them.

[歐博思]

Edit: OP found what they were looking for.

[joshuawbb]

Edit: from looking more carefully at the UKBA website, I finally found the visa holder page that settles the entry date issue, stating that entry any time from the valid date is fine. http://www.ukba.home...s/visa-holders/

Thanks for the replies, looks like the Hong Kong thing is cleared up, and my parents also asked a few Chinese people who said that they had no trouble either.

Ouch, that got me a bit worried. One one hand I can understand them perhaps holding on to the exact date since after all, it was stated in the application. On the other hand, it does seem unreasonable to me to hang onto the exact date, and since airlines occasionally have to alter things according to unexpected circumstances; (happened to me once before, a flight time last year was set earlier by several hours, which could change the arrival day if the flight originally happened to arrive around early morning hours), it would seem unfair to strictly make people arrive on that one day. Added to that, the visa is valid from January 10th, not strictly from the 30th, which gives me the impression that, whilst it may not actually be true, arrival times are somewhat flexible.

What I mean by that is: say someone without the foresight to ask about this issue gets a visa, sees that the validity time already began and books a flight a day earlier than planned due to substantial flight price differences. Since UKBA appear to have made no mention of this issue on their website, application notes or visa itself, this sounds like something that must have happened before, e.g. down to an honest mistake.

Not that I'm trying to answer my own question, but just providing my own reasoning.

[imron]

Have a great trip!

[skylee]

The UK Border Officials may appear very strict and unfriendly sometimes,

And cynical, for no apparent reasons. This was how I felt when I Iast visited the UK and they questioned why I was there so often. Which might be a reason (subconsciously) that I have stopped taking BA and VS and opted for Italy instead ...

Yes have a nice trip Joshua.