I am American (29F) and have been with my English boyfriend (23M) for two years now, one of them long distance. We met in Australia while on Working Holiday visas. He has visited me twice in the US in the past year and had no trouble getting through border security. I entered the UK in the EU line with him after leaving Australia and we were questioned at Heathrow but nothing too intense.

Im visiting him for 3 weeks in May and will be staying with him and his family in various locations (Birmingham, London etc). I will have a printed out itinerary for the visit. I have a return ticket booked as well as travel insurance.

My concern is that I have just been terminated from my job (for asking for time off for this trip!). Im very worried that I will be denied entry at Gatwick for being unable to show strong ties to the USA, as I currently live with my parents, hence no lease, and am recently unemployed. I am concerned that they will think I quit my job to move to the UK illegally if I tell them I am recently unemployed. If I have job interviews and/or doctors appointments set up for when I return, would that satisfy the border agents? I work very part time for my fathers business as a marketing assistant, but I dont have any evidence of pay deposits. Would a letter from him saying I am employed by his business help or would they disregard that, since he is my dad?

I will have a few thousand dollars in my checking account. What are the odds of me being given a hard time and denied entry? I am terrified that I will be detained and sent back home and almost want to just cancel the trip. I have had a stressful enough time as it it lately and I dont think I could handle that trauma.