Proofs required and what to expect with Immigration officer interview, visiting UK for Job interview

Question

I will be visiting London, UK for an onsite Job interview next week. For the purpose of this visit, I applied and got a standard visitor visa. I have booked return ticket, hotel, pickup and drop service for airport & travel insurance. I am carrying printout for all of them. Besides that, I am also carrying a printout of PDF of invite letter from my prospective employer & a confirmation email. I am also carrying a copy of my current employment certificate along with business cards. I have also kept a few copies of my resume. It is a short 3 day trip.

• What additional documents they might ask for?
• What kind of questions can I expect?
• I am carrying some Pound sterling in cash and have international credit cards. Will this be OK for proof of funds?

As far as I understand, if asked a direct question - 'What is the purpose of visit?', I should tell the truth that I am here for a Job interview and I should not lie. However I am skeptical, that it might arise unnecessary suspicion that I might stay here if I get the job. I understand that on a visitor visa I am not allowed to work. In case I get the job, I intend to return to UK on a different visa which allows me to work.

Does anyone has any experience with any such things, attending interview for job abroad? By the way, I have citizenship of India.

Answer 1

Let's pretend for a moment that you're not going to be allowed in if you answer "for a job interview" when they ask you. I don't think that's the case, but let's pretend.

You are carrying several different piece of paper that demonstrate unequivocally that you are here for a job interview. You have an appointment in your phone that says "job interview" on a date between your arrival and departure. You doubtless also have a number of emails in your phone setting up the appointment. Absolutely everything you are carrying says that you are here for a job interview.

The only difference between telling the truth and lying is that you will have torpedoed your entire chances by lying. You will not get away with the lie: everything you have with you tells the truth for you. So there is no benefit to lying. And there is a cost - there is always a cost. Because it's their job to find out if you're lying, and then you're denied (maybe permanently), for lying. Even though your original reason may have been ok.

You said in the letter you're here for an interview, and you got your visa. So being here for an interview is ok. Yes, if you get the job, you'll need to apply for a different visa. You want them to believe that you will dutifully go home and apply for that. About the only thing you have to show them that is that you tell the truth about everything when you're interviewed. Be honest. Be forthright. Be a person who follows the rules. You can't get away with less.

Answer 2

Don't panic! If you applied for a standard visitor visa, stating you were planning to visit for three days to attend a job interview, and you then received a visa, it means they already have had the chance to examine the information you provided and believe you are a genuine visitor. If there was anything suspicious in your application or anything dodgy about the company you are interviewing with, they would have been able to spot that at the time.

If they thought you were going to overstay, you would not have been issued the visa.

Therefore, because you have already done the right thing by applying for a visa with all the information they required, further scrutiny at the border is likely to be minimal unless you do something that suggests you have plans other than those you have already declared - e.g. if you turned up with a very large amount of baggage or you don't have a return ticket. Keep documents like hotel bookings in a folder you can easily access, in case they do ask for them, but hotel booking and return ticket is probably about all they'll be interested in. Only hand them over if asked - they don't always need to see everything.

They have proof of your finances already, since you presumably gave them bank statements as part of getting the visa.

More scrutiny would definitely apply if you had applied for a visitor visa giving other plans - e.g. saying you were going on holiday - or if you had a longer term visitor visa for the purposes of visiting family, and then you showed up at the border saying you had a job interview.

Answer 3

I can think of two points:

1. If you have friends or relatives in the UK and have been contacting them on Whatsapp or FB messenger you may want to delete those accounts from your phone. Immigration officers know that messages like 'I can't wait to see you again, can we go to the cricket?' are normal but asking questions and judging reactions is their job, so give them no reason to ask any extra questions. Don't have a completely blank phone either. Appear uninteresting. Just normal facebook chatter to other Indians in India.

2. Email your potential employer and say 'I'm a first time visitor to the UK. My arrival will be at 7pm on the 10th November 2018. Can you please send the details and direct mobile phone numbers of two staff in human resources who will be available at that time of the day in case the airport authorities have any questions.'

3. Carry 3 copies of your flight details, interviewer contact info and hotel details: one set in your pocket with your passport, one set in your checked luggage and one set in your carryon luggage. Just in case.