What period of time must pass until a removed person can re-enter the UK?

A friend, an Australian citizen, was removed from the UK after being caught overstaying by 15 years. She was arrested at a MOT inspection point and was found to be in the United Kingdom illegally. Three years later she flew to Scotland after booking and paying in advance for everything. She was detained at Glasgow airport and put on a flight back to Australia. She lost a total of 3,600 dollars. The following year, she flew to NZ and was refused entry. Another $2000 lost in prepaid accommodations and activities.

Is there a period of time that must pass before she can apply for a visa to travel to the UK or other Commonwealth country?

uk australian-citizens removal

Best Answer

You are asking a lot but let's break it down.

First, the Commonwealth has little to do with this, certain countries share information with the UK but that includes the USA which is not in the Commonwealth. Also, while the Trans Tasmanian Agreement gives free movement rights to AU-NZ citizens in these two countries, New Zealand legislation says:

No visa or entry permission may be granted, and no visa waiver may apply, to any person—

who has, at any time, been removed, excluded, or deported from another country.

The ban is 10 years for this overstay. After that, your friend is much better off asking for an entry clearance from the UK which she will most likely not get. She can attempt to build a travel history which over the next decade shows a pattern of entering and leaving as prescribed to some Asian countries and then try but this is dubious. Best is to accept that her travels to the developed parts of the world is over. Sorry, but that's just how this is.

For the UK the controlling reference is the Immigration Rules. In your case specifically the rule affecting you (and your UK history) is at Paragraph 320, "Refusal of entry clearance or leave to enter the United Kingdom".