Expired Visa and re-entering

[OiA]

I'm a US Citizen who had a Student Visa running from mid 08' to late 09' which recently just expired. The expired Visa is still sitting on my Passport and my worry is that I can run into a gorge of issues if I was to re-visit the Country for vacation. I have Family in-law in the UK but when I am set to travel but they will not be in the Country at the time (I will be staying at their Home while I'm there).

Are my issues going to amount to sitting in Immigration for hours having this sorted out or can this be something quick I can handle before traveling?

Something to include that might be important is that I let the Visa expire and have never contacted the Embassy to update my situation.

[joh118]

I'm a US Citizen who had a Student Visa running from mid 08' to late 09' which recently just expired. The expired Visa is still sitting on my Passport and my worry is that I can run into a gorge of issues if I was to re-visit the Country for vacation. I have Family in-law in the UK but when I am set to travel but they will not be in the Country at the time (I will be staying at their Home while I'm there).

Are my issues going to amount to sitting in Immigration for hours having this sorted out or can this be something quick I can handle before traveling?

Something to include that might be important is that I let the Visa expire and have never contacted the Embassy to update my situation.

As long as you genuinely intend to visit as a visitor for less than 6 months, it should be fine. You must prove that you have available funds to support yourself for the period and perhaps a letter from your in-laws confirming that you will stay at their home. Make sure you give the impression that you will have to go back at some point for eg. because you have a job. Make sure that you tell the IO clearly that you have no intentions of working or living in the uk. Think of some things back home that you have that makes it immpossible for you to stay in the UK forever. All they want to make sure is that you will leave at some point within the 6 months.

HOWEVER if you left the UK AFTER your student visa expired, they may keep you in immigration for a LONG LONG time.., long time for like interviews and so on.

[OiA]

As long as you genuinely intend to visit as a visitor for less than 6 months, it should be fine. You must prove that you have available funds to support yourself for the period and perhaps a letter from your in-laws confirming that you will stay at their home. Make sure you give the impression that you will have to go back at some point for eg. because you have a job. Make sure that you tell the IO clearly that you have no intentions of working or living in the uk. Think of some things back home that you have that makes it immpossible for you to stay in the UK forever. All they want to make sure is that you will leave at some point within the 6 months.

HOWEVER if you left the UK AFTER your student visa expired, they may keep you in immigration for a LONG LONG time.., long time for like interviews and so on.

I was back in the States long before this Visa expired.

My issue now seems that I don't really have anything binding me to returning to the States other then the plain fact I live here; I have no job, I'm not in School and my funding is in the hands of my Father (who is how I'm related to my in-laws).

Surely the excuse that I would of filed for the proper Visa if I was coming to stay/work wouldn't fly a minute in Immigration.

Hmm.. I'm really in a bind here.

Edit: The in-law is not a British Citizen, she has a Visa (She is a Citizen of an European Country though)