If visa close to expiry, can you be refused re-entry?

[Mancala Hour]

My company applied for its sponsorship license on May 16, and my friend's company applied for its license on May 17. Because they have a lawyer with connections, their license has already been granted, while I'm assuming my company's is still bogged down in this "We are now assessing applications we received in early April" ridiculousness. My friend attempted to make an expedited appointment and was told that they were all booked for the next six weeks and that she'd be better off applying by post.

I reckon that we're still six to eight weeks away from having our license go through (or who knows, maybe even longer). My present PSW visa expires on December 30. My question is, if I go home to the US for Christmas, then try to re-enter the UK on, like, the 27th of December, at which point I would then apply for my visa (because I don't want to get stuck here at Christmas again -- the UKBA grounded me two years ago, and I was really dismayed about it), can they refuse to let me in? I've heard that they can. If so, on what grounds can they do this, when my visa is still valid? Or what if I go home in November for Thanksgiving/early Christmas and try to re-enter the UK in late November? Can they refuse me entry?

This is absolutely maddening. Any advice you guys have would be most welcome. I thought we had applied in plenty of time so that I'd avoid getting stuck in England for Christmas again. I could cry about this, I'm so upset.

[Lucapooka]

Whatever it is that you are trying to say makes absolutely no sense and, unless you can indicate otherwise, the text and content has all the appearances of a troll post by a mischievous teenager! If, however, you are a genuine visa applicant with a genuine issue, I would suggest you elaborate your situation in a mature and detailed form, and then perhaps people might help.

[Mancala Hour]

Wow, that's really uncalled for. All I'm saying is that since my company's sponsorship license seems to be at least a month from coming through, and there won't probably be any way for me to expedite my own Tier 2 visa once it has been granted, I will probably have to apply by post, and thus won't have my passport back by the time Christmas rolls around. I remember that when I was still on my student visa, I was advised not to leave the country and try to re-enter right before it expired. Is that because I was on a student visa? Would there be an issue with my trying to leave and re-enter the country shortly before my PSW expires on December 30? Once I came back into the UK, I would apply for my Tier 2 at that time.

[Lucapooka]

Well perhaps it was "called for" because it seems to have prompted you to write in terms that are easy to understand, and without all the glib comments that only serve to confuse. Readers now know your circumstances and can make an informed comment.

From my perspective, there is no problem re-entering the UK with a short-dated leave if the conditions of that leave still exist.