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I am an Indian national and was refused a UK visa in 2009 in NYC and given a 10 year ban, but now I'm a US citizen.

Would the ban still apply if I wanted to visit the UK?

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    A good way to get your ban extended is to enter the UK under a different identity while a ban is in effect. It's covered in Paragraph 321 of the rules and I suggest reading it.
    – Gayot Fow
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 8:25
  • Are you asking whether they will know that it's still you?
    – Quora Feans
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 12:39
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    Were your biometrics enrolled in the UK database? And do you still have the same name? Unless the answer is 'no' to both, the UK can definitely know it's you.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented May 10, 2017 at 9:40
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    Curious, why were you banned and why can you not wait 18 months? As a British citizen, I would like to think that if you were banned from my country, it was for a good reason. A ban is far more serious than being turned away and the length would suggest that you have a very real reason to be kept out.
    – ggdx
    Commented May 10, 2017 at 13:16
  • 1
    Oh, congrats on becoming a US citizen!
    – Robert Columbia
    Commented May 10, 2017 at 14:22

1 Answer 1

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The ban is not against your passport, it is against you the human being bearing the passport and hence regardless of whichever different nationalities you assume or acquire (barring somehow acquiring British or EU citizenship), the ban remains in effect.

If you decide you still want to visit the UK after your ban is over, make sure you get entry clearance to ensure a smoother (your landing is virtually guaranteed to be a bit rocky regardless of whether you get entry clearance or not because of the ban which is a serious black mark) landing process when you arrive in the UK although you are allowed visa free entry as a US citizen. Attempting to enter visa free can lead to much grief as happened to another recently naturalized American UK visitor in a somewhat similar situation to yours.

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    Note that a ban is much more serious than simple refused entry. I'd say your chances of getting through without at least some additional disruption are only if they fail to notice you had the previous ban.
    – CMaster
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 12:16
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    "regardless of whatever different nationalities you assume or acquire" I realise this is a nitpick, but gaining British nationality would be an exception to this.
    – Vality
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 15:40
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    @Vality or marrying a British national, gaining EU nationality or marrying an EU national. Or if there are human rights considerations. Or if it's deemed to be in the public good.
    – user58558
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 15:51
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    @Mehrdad: this is not true. If you carry both your old passport with visas together with the new one, the visas will be valid. There are some exception, but this is generally the case.
    – Quora Feans
    Commented May 9, 2017 at 22:20
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    @Mehrdad it is, which is why they let you use it when you provide adequate evidence. The difference is, it's up to you to prove you should be let in, but they don't leave it up to you to prove that you're banned ;)
    – hobbs
    Commented May 10, 2017 at 1:50

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