Leave to enter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leave to Enter is the technical term for someone granted entry to the United Kingdom by British immigration officers. There is no practical difference between the British "Leave to Enter" and the entry granted to anyone crossing any other international border by the admitting country.

At present, British entry stamps for US and most non-European Union citizens who arrive as tourists read "Leave to Enter for Six Months: Employment and Recourse to Public Funds Prohibited." This essentially means that the person may stay in the UK for up to 6 months, but must pay for certain services that are free to UK and EU citizens, such as the free health care provided by Britain's National Health Service (NHS).

Longer, more wordy Leave to Remain stamps exist for those intending to remain in the UK for longer than 6 months. These spell out specific conditions of entry (e.g. "employment prohibited" or "(entry granted) on the condition that the holder does not change employment without the consent of the Secretary of State for Employment" etc.)