Can departing earlier than scheduled cause problems with UK Immigration?

score:4

Accepted answer

From the Visit Guidance:

Assessing an applicant’s personal circumstances

See: paragraph V 4.2 of appendix V: visitor rules.

The following factors will help you assess if an applicant is a genuine visitor: • their previous immigration history, including visits to the UK and other countries • the duration of previous visits and whether this was significantly longer than they originally stated on their visa application or on arrival - if this is the case, you should not automatically presume that the visitor is not genuine, but this may be a reason to question the applicant’s overall intentions

Since no mention of staying shorter than originally stated is made, it would appear staying shorter is not viewed as a negative.

However evidence gathered from immigration solicitors indicates leaving earlier sometimes leads to subsequent refusals.

“I have also come across numerous cases where visitors – predominately from African and Indian sub-continent countries – have returned to their countries before the expiry of their visitor visa due to some compelling factors. Further visit visa applications from such clients are regularly refused simply on the basis that they did not adhere to their original travel itinerary.”

Upvote:4

No, it won't cause any problems. Plans change. Everyone knows that.

Edit: I've visited the UK 10+ times. I have changed my travel dates by 2-3 weeks on many occasions. Once I had a return booking 5 days beyond the expiry of my visa. The IO simply asked me to change the booking.

I have had changed plans on my visits to the USA as well. I've never had a problem. It was easier when airlines allowed one change free. I would always book my flight 2 weeks late and then change. Now they charge $100+ so I try to be more precise.

The controlling technical reference for the question is in Part 9 of the rules, "General Grounds".

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