Entry clearance into the UK post voluntary re-entry ban expiration

[azwinar]

Hi

I am a Malaysian who agreed to a voluntary re-entry ban back in 2009, my family’s flight tickets back home to Malaysia were paid by Secretary of State (Home Office) after exhausting all of my appeals for a permanent residence status in the UK (after my daughter was born in Manchester).

Now, fully established as a professional accountant in Malaysia, my daughter, 11, would like to go to KidZania London & Harry Potter Studios as well visit family & friends we dearly missed.

Do we still need any kind of visa to enter the UK, because we were advised that our re-entry ban should have expired years ago (Considering we have not been back to UK almost 10 years now). Will we have any problem to enter into the UK for a short 2 weeks stay? In normal circumstances, Malaysians (Commonwealth country) do not need any visa for a short vacation stay in the UK. Do we need to get any form of clearance with our history with past re-entry ban?

Thank you.

[Frontier Mole]

My advice is that you and you alone apply for a visit visa pre entry - this will ensure that you have the right to enter and are not subject to a mandatory refusal period.

Once confirmed all ok you can travel safe in the knowledge you will not have an issue on arrival in the UK.

[Frontier Mole]

Having thought about the date you left the UK and the age of your child,,,, did your family unit, you, Spouse(?) and daughter all leave the UK in 2009?

If that is the case expand my idea of pre entry visa to the adult members of the party that were administratively removed in 2009

[azwinar]

Yes, my husband & i are Malaysians, my daughter was born in the UK, in 2008, all 3 of us got the flight tickets home from the Home Office. Are you sure I won’t need a visitor visa for my daughter? The visa is £93 each, it is pretty expensive, but wouldn’t immigration officer at the border be suspicious as to why I got myself a tourist visa but not my daughter?

[Frontier Mole]

I was trying to narrow your costs - she left as a minor and is returning as a minor and to be honest she should not really need a pre entry visa as you as her parents will have visas. It would be an extremely harsh Border Force Officer that takes exception to her not having a visa. As visa free nationals you do not need to get visit visas so the fact that you have opted to do so due to your previous immigration history should be seen as a positive rather a negative against your child.

£93 for her in the great scale of things is not a massive cost ( in Uk terms ) to be absolutely sure. It is your call.