Visiting UK from USA without a visa.

[JC.]

Visitors to the UK from the US do not have to have a visa according to what I have been reading.

There is a cap on absolubt stay of 6 months.

I have a friend in the US who wants to come over to the UK and have a holiday with me for 2 months. What happens or what is the process that we have to follow if she decides she wants to stay on a little longer than two months? Say maybe 4 months?

This would be the first stamp in her passport. She has never had a passport before.

[gadgets]

upon entry your friend does not have to declare how many months your friend is staying, so there is no action needed if your friend decides to stay for more than anticipated just as long as it is within 6 months. Once he/she over stays beyond the six months, that is is different story.

The one thing to consider is that the airline may charge your friend a change fee when changing the return date.

[Christophe]

Normally, when US citizens (among other nationalities) present themselves at the immigration counter at a port of entry to the UK, leave will be given to enter the UK for six months, even if (as is usually the case) the proposed length of the stay is shorter than that.

Your friend will almost certainly be asked how long she plans to stay. If she says two months, is given leave to enter for six and then later, after entry, decides she wants to stay for four (or any length of time up to six months) then that is not a problem.

Leave to enter for six months is not guaranteed, however - it is at the discretion of the the immigration officer. Based on what you say, though, the plan sounds reasonable. Note that her leave to enter will specifically preclude the right to work or study or to access public funds, and she must of course not stay more than the permitted time. For a relatively protracted stay (which two months is for a simple visit), she is not unlikely to be asked to demonstrate proof of funds to support herself during her stay.

(I assume, of course, that she is a US citizen and not a resident of the US with another nationality?)