Heathrow Passport Control

[Bukseeda]

It's worth knowing that if you are travelling to the UK with your Thai wife, she is allowed to go through passport control with you, and not wait with all the others on a foreign passport.

As I said earlier, my information from an IO at Heathrow is that this is an unofficial concession at the discretion of the individual IO on duty, and is unlikely to be allowed on a person's first entry with a settlement visa or any entry with a non settlement visa.

If you have information that it is in fact officially allowed, can you please provide it's source?

As said before, If traveling into the UK with your non EU partner, I'd recommend that they join the non EU queue while you go and ask the IO on duty at the EU gate.

Lancashirelad,

To add to theodgit's reply, if you still believe that a visa does not give one the right to enter the UK, can you explain why the immigration rules do not call them 'visas' but 'leave to enter' and 'entry clearance'?

The rules also lay down specific circumstances where someone who holds a valid entry clearance is to be refused entry (Para 321), and also say that an IO cannot do so on their own but must have the decision confirmed by a superior officer. (Para 10).

I have told that you can twice by two different officers. The first one said "you do know that if she's with you she can come through the same line?" when shwe saw me waiting. She actually got up and called her over. I don't know if it's official policy but it certainly seems standard practice.

[2long]

Quick and late replies to 7by7 and PostmanPat..

I teach English in Thailand. My student is going there (the UK) to study English.

I can't prepare her for, or help her with, strong accents, but I want to prepare her with the main questions they'll ask. She is low level English and I remember that the grammar and vocab they use is quite difficult for elementary level students.

[ignis]

My last trip I mentioned I was an Australian in London for 5 days & going to Thai Embassy for a visa

so basically in London for a visa run.

Customs guy asked me "What is a Visa run"?

I also told him he should go to Thaivisa.com

Ha ha ha, so they are the same as Australian Passport Control then.... I'm English and went to Perth, they had no idea what a Visa run was or that there was even a Thai Consulate in Perth.

Nice 5 days in Perth but was even hotter than here in Thailand.

[Seismic]

It's worth knowing that if you are travelling to the UK with your Thai wife, she is allowed to go through passport control with you, and not wait with all the others on a foreign passport.

As I said earlier, my information from an IO at Heathrow is that this is an unofficial concession at the discretion of the individual IO on duty, and is unlikely to be allowed on a person's first entry with a settlement visa or any entry with a non settlement visa.

If you have information that it is in fact officially allowed, can you please provide it's source?

As said before, If traveling into the UK with your non EU partner, I'd recommend that they join the non EU queue while you go and ask the IO on duty at the EU gate.

I cannot find the specific reference right now 7 but I am sure I read that families travelling together (where one is a UK national)should stay together and pass through the UK section.

On another note, the last time my wife and daughter travelled to UK I was unavoidably detained in namibia due to work commitments. The IO gave her a very hard time over the fact that I (as sponsor) was not travelling with her, almost to the point where she believed she was not going to be granted entry. This even though when applying for the visa's we did state that there was a very high chance that I would not be travelling with them. It was bad enough that three UK nationals who she had been talking with on the flight sought to intervene with the IO as they walked past to collect their baggage.

regards