Would it be hard for a woman to pass Ireland immigration who is travelling alone from HK [closed]

Question

My boyfriend is a UK citizen. He is now living in Belfast temporarily. I want to meet up with him in Dublin travelling from HK (Visa Free) (connecting flight in Amsterdam). I will have a return ticket to fly back to HK in 2 weeks later from Dublin.

But I'm worried I will have a hard time at Dublin immigration since I'm travelling by myself as a female (I'm 29).

I had a hard time at Belfast immigration 2 months ago. He questioned us and nearly refused me entry. I don't know if UK immigration has the record or not. If they do, I don't know if UK and Ireland immigration share the information, or they are separate and don't share information.

Would it be hard for me to pass Dublin immigration?

Also, I have two options flying to Dublin from HK:

1. connecting flight in London
2. connecting flight in Amsterdam

Since I had a hard time at Belfast immigration, changing flights in London will not be a good choice for me, right?

The story of having a hard time in Belfast immigration:

I hold a Hong Kong passport which grants me visa-free to the UK for 6 months.

I first arrived in the UK as a visitor on 31st Oct, 2019 with my boyfriend. The office just asked me some general questions and gave me a stamp (refer to pic 1) saying "Leave to enter for six months" from Heathrow airport immigration. He didn't ask if I have a return flight ticket to HK.

After couple months, I left the UK for Amsterdam with my boyfriend for a short vacation on 27th Dec, 2019 and re-entered the UK on 29th Dec, 2019 at Belfast airport.

This time, the immigration officer gave me a hard time after learning I didn't have a return flight ticket to HK (plus, I think it's because my boyfriend's attitude wasn't that nice to him). He took my passport and detained me and walked away (I guess he went to the office). After he came back, he interviewed my boyfriend not me. After the interview, he said to my boyfriend there are two options: (1) send me back to Amsterdam right away, or (2) I can enter but have to leave the UK by 31 Jan 2020.

Of course he chose the second option, and got a stamp similar to the one from Heathrow saying "Leave to enter for/until 31 Jan 2020" (refer to pic 2)

Other than that, he didn't give me any documents or anything.

Answer 1

I agree with the existing answers, but wanted to raise a subtle issue that you may be able to adjust to improve your chances.

In the title, you call yourself a "girl" rather than a "woman". During your previous entry at Belfast the immigration officer ended up talking about you with your boyfriend, rather than talking with you directly, and you let your boyfriend decide what you were going to do.

It is possible that you are subconsciously communicating an attitude of dependence, rather than of being a fully competent adult. That could matter, especially if you travel without a visa and need to convince the immigration officer, in person, that you will not overstay. The more you give an impression of dependence, the higher the perceived risk of overstay.

The ideal impression to give is that you are a capable woman, running your own life in Hong Kong, although you do enjoy visiting your boyfriend. Of course, you also need solid documentation of that life, as discussed in earlier answers.

I have have traveled internationally while alone and female many, many times, starting in my early 20's, and it has never seemed to be a problem.

Answer 2

Bring hard copies of any and all evidence of ties to HK (in a soft binder) to present at Dublin/Belfast airport if asked, and never lie about anything.

Signed/stamped employment/school letter with contact details, utility bills, proof of family ties, proof of income, bank statements, return ticket, notarised invitation letter from your boyfriend etc. Anything and everything to convince them that you can support yourself without resorting to employment/public funds and that you'll return home, and not live in Ireland/the UK through multiple visits.

Have a look at this post, especially the "DOCUMENTS I CARRIED ALONG" section.

If you want the opinion of border control at Dublin airport, you can e-mail them at [email protected]. In that case, explain your circumstances (ties to HK) in detail and tell about your recent problems in Belfast. Don't mention anything irrelevant, but everything that is relevant.

Answer 3

Would it be hard for a girl to pass Ireland immigration who is travelling alone from HK?

Not usually.

Would it be hard for a girl to pass Ireland immigration who is travelling alone from HK (when you are obviously using it as a means to avoid UK immigration hassles)?

Yes.

The problem is not your gender or where you are from, but the fact you are obviously using Ireland as a way to avoid UK immigration. The two immigration services are in close cooperation and are on the lookout for just this kind of thing.

As others have already said, apply for a UK visitor visa, clearly stating your ties to home and the fact you have a return ticket. Either that, or encourage your boyfriend to visit you in Hong Kong.

Answer 4

Instead of taking a risk at the border, you may want to consider asking for a UK visa.

If you get rejected at the border, this will mean lost money (the cost of the ticket and any other non-refundable reservations you may have made), a stain on your record, a lot of hassle and trouble (as you noticed last time, it can be quite stressful when they start asking questions beyond the usual, so imagine if they actually say "no", put you in a holding room — which in some places in more of a cell than a room, and send you on the first flight back home).

Given that:

• You have a boyfriend in the UK
• You have already stayed about 3 months in the last 4 in the UK, if I understand your travel history
• The last time you entered the UK, you were given only a one-month Leave To Enter instead of the usual 6 months
• You may seem to be trying to circumvent UK immigration by using alternative means of entrance in the CTA

The chances you would be rejected are not negligible.

Getting a visa, even though not a guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the UK with one, would significantly reduce your chances of being rejected at the border (if you were truthful in your visa application).

Requesting a visa will give you more time to gather all the required evidence (and understand what they expect — even from someone who would normally allowed to enter without a visa) and present your case in better conditions (with a lot less stress) than at the border.

You may also want to check if there aren't any types of visas that could be more adapted to your specific situation (it's unclear from your questions whether you are planning to spend a lot of time in the UK with your boyfriend or even intend to marry him). Weigh the pros and cons of the various types of visas carefully though.

As to the title of the question, no, being a girl travelling alone should not make much of a difference, if at all. It's more likely it's your travel history which is the issue.