HL Deb 19 July 1984 vol 454 cc1736-7WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether an intending visitor to Britain, whose purpose is to meet a girl with a view to marriage, arranged by their families, will normally be admitted provided that the immigration officer is satisfied that he will leave at the end of his visit, and submit a fresh application to come in as a fiancé, assuming that the parties so decide.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)

Any person seeking entry as a visitor will normally be admitted if the immigration officer is satisfied that he is genuinely seeking entry for the stated period of the visit and he can meet the other requirements of the immigration rules relating to the admission of visitors. The factors taken into account in making that judgment will depend on the circumstances of the particular case. Where a visitor seeks entry in order, among other things, to satisfy Rule 41(c) (HC 169) for a prospective settlement application in the context of an arranged marriage, the immigration officer will need to assure himself that the visitor will not try to achieve settlement without joining the queue for subsequent admission.