American citizen overstayed visa in the UK and wants to return home. Some questions
I'm an American citizen and I've overstayed my visa in the UK for years now. I want to book my flight back to the US ASAP on my own dime but I have a some questions about traveling home.
A lot of flights I've seen back to the US have a connecting flight in either The Netherlands or the Republic of Ireland (not in the UK).
Would it be an issue to travel through these countries considering I'll likely need to be issued a transit visa upon arrival and I've overstayed a visa in the UK?
Would it be best to find a flight that goes directly to the US, no stops in other countries?
And I also wanted to ask about the airport. What can I expect when I'm there?
1.) Is there anything specific I should bring with me (I'll have my valid US passport and a print out of my flight details)?
2.) Should I go directly to immigration and speak to them? Will I be detained and/or issued a fine/ban?
3.) Do they check passports when you leave (I'll likely need to take a flight out of Heathrow in London if I can't transit through other countries)? I don't believe there are formal exit controls in the UK but don't they do random checks?
4.) Can I just go and board my flight as normal?
I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing so as to allow this to go as smoothly as possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
Since the UK doesn't operate exit checks you can just buy a ticket and fly home. Airlines give passport information about their passengers to the authorities in advance, but the UK's main interest at this point will be to see you gone, so they have no interest in trying to stop you from leaving. Do not expect to be let back in anytime soon (no matter how you leave).
You will not get any particular benefits out of trying to contact UK authorities directly before you leave.
There are many airlines that operate direct flights from London to the US, so you should not have any particular problems finding one. However, if you find a bargain deal with a layover in Amsterdam or elsewhere in continental Europe, that shouldn't be a problem for you either.
American citizens do not need any visa to transit through the Netherlands or other Schengen countries. If you're only changing planes, you won't even come into contact with immigration authorities at all. The airline will want to check that you're allowed to transit without an airport transit visa, but a US passport will more than sufficient to satisfy that need, no matter what your travel history is.
I'm not sure about Ireland though -- the Common Travel Area works in non-intuitive ways sometimes, and I think you'd actually need to enter Ireland in order to change planes there, and need to pass through an Irish immigration check. If so, your history as an overstayer may create problems for you at that point. Personally I'd steer away from that risk, given the plethora of other possibilities.
Pictures about "American citizen overstayed visa in the UK and wants to return home. Some questions"
Can you go to jail for overstaying your visa in UK?
It is a criminal offence to overstay your visa without a good reason. You will not be lawfully allowed to work, and if caught doing so, could also face a prison sentence. If your period of overstay exceeds the 90 day limit, you will more likely than not face an exclusion on re-entering the UK for at least one year.What happens if you overstay a visa in the UK?
If you don't leave voluntarily within 30 days of your visa or leave expiring, you could be deported. Check what to do if you're going to be deported. If you leave after 30 days, you could be banned from re-entering the UK for between 1 and 10 years.Can I reenter the US after overstaying?
Overstays & Unlawful Presence If you enter the United States with a valid visa (for example, a tourist or student visa) and overstay by less than 180 days, your visa will be considered void and you'll need to get a new visa in your home country if you want to come back to the United States.What is the punishment for overstaying in UK?
Changes to the Immigration Act and law on overstaying are likely to take effect in 2022. The new rules would see the punishment for knowingly overstaying in the UK being increased to up to four years' imprisonment, as opposed to the current six-month maximum period.Overstayed Visa. Why This #1 Option For A Green Card Is So Tricky.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Harrison Haines, Mary Taylor, Pixabay, Mike B