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I met my boyfriend online last April and we have been in a long distance relationship for over a year with texting and video calling every single day, I adore this man and all we want is to meet each other.

We are both South African citizens but he is in the military in the UK and still has four years to go. I am working in the Netherlands for a year. I have leave in August for three weeks and finally have the opportunity to go meet him, I want to visit him for two weeks and I'll be staying at his grandparents house in the UK. My host family is sponsoring the whole trip.

I know there is a part that you have to show that you have met each other before and proof of the relationship. We make the best out of what we have, we have a thousand miles between us but our relationship is as real as any other.

Everybody is telling not to mention him and just go as a tourist, but I don't want to lie. I just want to meet him and hug him in person. I won't overstay cause I have a year contract with my host family in the Netherlands. Should I mention him or not?

DavidRecallsMonica
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user120424
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1 Answers1

26

Yes, say that he is the reason for your visit.

Saying that you have a boyfriend in the UK will cause immigration to examine your application in case you are going to go underground and stay with him in the UK. However they will not always assume you will do it - it depends on other factors. You have some good factors in your favour:

  1. You have a job to return to in the Netherlands, and somewhere to live;
  2. Living conditions in the UK are not much different from the Netherlands, so you have little economic incentive to flee to the UK.
  3. Your boyfriend is not permanently in the UK, and is in a job where harbouring a fugitive immigrant will cause problems for him.

On the other hand the negatives are:

  1. you have never met him in person, which makes your relationship less believable. If possible include lots of details about your relationship to show that it is genuine.
  2. Your host family is sponsoring the trip. Why are they doing that? It's not a normal thing for an employer to do.

So there is a very reasonable chance that your visit will be approved, even if you tell them about your boyfriend.

On the other hand, if you don't tell them about him, and they find out, then you are likely to be facing a long term ban from the UK, meaning you will not get to visit him until his time in the UK is over.

DJClayworth
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