Originally Posted by
ajax
Here's where it gets interesting. When (for instance) US passport-holders come to the UK as tourists, they can (usually) enter without a visa and are granted entry clearance upon crossing the border. As we know, this is usually for six months although is at the discretion of the agent.
However, in my friend's case, he has not only been given a visa but also already been given entry clearance, right? ISTR that the Tier 1 Post-Study work visa, after approval, gives him entry clearance for the full two years. Where does the discretion of the immigration agent factor into this? Could he be denied entry at any point in the initial two years of its validity?
I find that immigration officers are a lot more wary if there is a visa (or residence permit) in the passport. My wife had an (expired) German residence permit in her old passport, from the time when she was studying there, and another from when she worked in Germany. Her passport and nationality allow visa-free entry for 90 days. Still, she was grilled on a regular basis re why she was coming to Germany when her residence permit had expired several years ago (answer: now UK based, going to Germany on business or, indeed, as a tourist). All that stopped the minute she got a new passport w/o any visible trace of old residence permits. Entry into Germany is now usually a 30-seconds affair (the time it takes to scan the passport and stamp it).
BTW your friend isn't Aussie, Kiwi or white Saffer? They're odds-on for a thorough working over esp by LHR immigration if they look in any way like they'll try to overstay.