are coming to stay as a guest with relatives or friends, unless the Immigration Officer has reason to believe that you are going to take permanent employment or that your presence in the United Kingdom is likely to result in a charge on public funds. If you wish, you may apply for an entry certificate in advance (see para- graph 12).
4. Will there be any restrictions on my stay in the United Kingdom? Visitors are admitted for a limited period, generally six months. The stamp which the Immigration Officer puts in your passport when arrive will show how long you are allowed to stay. The Home Office will freely extend the period if good cause is shown (see paragraph 5).
Some visitors come to the United Kingdom with the intention of taking a certain amount of employment in the course of their visit to help them to pay the expenses of their holiday. They will nevertheless be admitted as visitors, provided that any employ- ment they may propose to take is clearly incidental to the main purpose of their visit and that they have every intention of returning to their own country. If you come within this category, you are strongly advised, in good time before leaving home, to apply for an entry certificate; unless you have taken this pre- caution, you may encounter difficulty at the port of arrival. Taking work during a visit will not give a Commonwealth citizen any entitlement to stay on after his permitted time.
When he is not satisfied about a visitor's intentions, the Immigration Officer may sometimes impose a condition pro- hibiting a visitor from taking employment. If so, the Immigration Officer's stamp in the passport will show clearly that the visitor is not allowed to take work.
5. What must I do if I want to extend my stay in the United Kingdom?
You must apply in good time to the Home Office (Immigra- tion and Nationality Department, 271-276 High Holborn, London, W.C.1) preferably in writing. You should state your reasons for wanting to stay longer and enclose your passport. It would be an offence under the law to contravene a condition on which you were admitted to the United Kingdom.
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