End of Iris? [effective 17 September 2013]

Old May 20, 2011, 6:30 am
  #151  
 
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Originally Posted by ant_west
...Spoke to the immigration officer there and he said that he wasn't sure what had happened but he said that as they were getting rid of the IRIS machines not to worry about it and they may not be renewing registrations - he said the machines in T3 will be gone "before the summer". He did say the IRIS registration office in T3 had closed already and wasn't sure when the other terminals would close their offices but it would be soon as staff can be better used elsewhere.
Having noticed this thread from time to time, I was indeed under the impression that IRIS is coming to an end. Somewhat to my surprise, however, my other half enroled in IRIS on his own at LHR T5 in the first week of this month... received the letter on the spot, and apparently already used it earlier this week in order to enter the UK for about 20 minutes on a connection NCE-LHR-GRU (having forgotten his glasses at a hotel in London, he had them sent by messenger to LHR during his connection).

All this was quite a bit more resourceful (particularly the IRIS matter) than he usually is when it comes to travel-related things. If they are indeed shutting it down, why keep accepting new applications (and issuing new letters for two year validity periods)?
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Old May 20, 2011, 6:34 am
  #152  
 
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Originally Posted by paulwuk

If they're getting rid of iris, I want fast-track eu for golds!
Well, simply offering fast-track throughout the day for eligible passengers (F/CW/CE would be a start) rather than cutting it off at whatever time they do. Queue minders in the Immigration area have always told me that it was because BA only paid for Fast Track during certain hours (which left me with a strange feeling that, so far as I know, BA hadn't discounted my F/CW/CE ticket on the basis of it being an afternoon arrival...)
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Old May 20, 2011, 7:08 am
  #153  
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Thanks to help earlier on this thread, the OH and I successfully enrolled for IRIS when outbound on 27 April ... and have Registration Reports to prove it!

On returning through T5 on 18 May, I passed through the IRIS booth with no difficulty ... but the OH's attempt failed completely. The e-passport booth did, however, work for her.

So ... 50% success, but at least I now have 3 ways of getting back into UK, and she has 2 options
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Old May 20, 2011, 7:50 am
  #154  
 
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Originally Posted by Schultzois
Having noticed this thread from time to time, I was indeed under the impression that IRIS is coming to an end. Somewhat to my surprise, however, my other half enroled in IRIS on his own at LHR T5 in the first week of this month... received the letter on the spot, and apparently already used it earlier this week in order to enter the UK for about 20 minutes on a connection NCE-LHR-GRU (having forgotten his glasses at a hotel in London, he had them sent by messenger to LHR during his connection).

All this was quite a bit more resourceful (particularly the IRIS matter) than he usually is when it comes to travel-related things. If they are indeed shutting it down, why keep accepting new applications (and issuing new letters for two year validity periods)?
Originally Posted by T8191
Thanks to help earlier on this thread, the OH and I successfully enrolled for IRIS when outbound on 27 April ... and have Registration Reports to prove it!

On returning through T5 on 18 May, I passed through the IRIS booth with no difficulty ... but the OH's attempt failed completely. The e-passport booth did, however, work for her.

So ... 50% success, but at least I now have 3 ways of getting back into UK, and she has 2 options
I checked the Uk Immigration web pages also and there is no mention of suspension of the programme and it still invites eligible passengers to enroll. As noted above it does state that one the LGW and LHR T3 enrollment offices will be closed until further notice. I assumed the T3 one had closed because of all the building work going on in that area.

Next time I wander on past the T5 enrollment office I might ask the question about the service and how much longer it will be a viable option for those of us who aren't EU citizens.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:35 am
  #155  
 
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Originally Posted by ant_west
As I found out yesterday evening at T3 this may no longer be true - I'm a UK citizen, use IRIS regularly having enrolled some time ago (before Terminal 5 opened) and have lots of time left to run on the registered passport. Last night the IRIS machine recognised me but spat out a little note that said:

"Your iris pattern has been recognised but your permission to use the automated barrier is currently not valid. This may be because your permission to use IRIS has expired or because you have not used an automated barrier for two years or for another reason.

Please leave the IRIS barrier area and follow the signs, according to your nationality, to the appropriate area of the normal immigration control.

At the immigration control you should present yourself and your travel document to an immigration officer."

Under that it gave my enrollee number along with my name, nationality and gave an "Expiry Date" of 11/5/2013 (I last used the IRIS machine at T5 on 12/5/2011 so this would be 2 years after that point).

The machine then spat me out and I had to do the walk of shame to the main queue. Spoke to the immigration officer there and he said that he wasn't sure what had happened but he said that as they were getting rid of the IRIS machines not to worry about it and they may not be renewing registrations - he said the machines in T3 will be gone "before the summer". He did say the IRIS registration office in T3 had closed already and wasn't sure when the other terminals would close their offices but it would be soon as staff can be better used elsewhere.
Funnily enough I had exactly the same thing happen to me at T3 yesterday evening, as did the guy in front of me in the queue. The immigration officer looked at the piece of paper it spat out and told me "it's probably easiest just to re-register" - no mention of the programme coming to an end. I suspect it's just some kind of fault with the machines.
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Old May 20, 2011, 12:51 pm
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by tomatocracy
Funnily enough I had exactly the same thing happen to me at T3 yesterday evening, as did the guy in front of me in the queue. The immigration officer looked at the piece of paper it spat out and told me "it's probably easiest just to re-register" - no mention of the programme coming to an end. I suspect it's just some kind of fault with the machines.
you weren't on the 465 from Madrid by any chance were you?
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Old May 23, 2011, 8:15 am
  #157  
 
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T3 Iris (both open) spat out the dreaded receipt to me today, less than a year after I registered. It *claimed* it expired on Monday 16th May, however I used it on the 17th with no problems at T5!

Haven't used T3 since April, when it worked fine.

Fortunately there was no queue. The immigration officer was very helpful, and told me it had expired on the 16th (I could see that). I stated I'd used it on the 1th, and asked if there was a problem. "No problem, all I know is what's on the receipt".

Sigh, I'd been on course to beat 10 minutes Plane->Train too

Last edited by paulwuk; May 23, 2011 at 8:25 am
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Old May 23, 2011, 9:16 am
  #158  
 
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When I signed up for Iris, they told me that my Iris registration would expire when my long-term UK visa expired (i.e. in three years). In the 2+ years since then, I've used Iris about once a month and have never had a problem.

The way they answered my question indicated to me that each person's Iris registration period is linked to the type of entry clearance each person has. I would take it to mean that there is no standard length of registration and it varies from person to person.
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Old May 23, 2011, 3:25 pm
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Originally Posted by ExpatExp
When I signed up for Iris, they told me that my Iris registration would expire when my long-term UK visa expired (i.e. in three years). In the 2+ years since then, I've used Iris about once a month and have never had a problem.

The way they answered my question indicated to me that each person's Iris registration period is linked to the type of entry clearance each person has. I would take it to mean that there is no standard length of registration and it varies from person to person.
As a British citizen I'd hope my entry clearance would be a bit longer than 11 months!

On closer inspection the expiry date on the receipt was the 16th may 2013, which makes sense (2 years since I last used it)
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Old May 23, 2011, 4:58 pm
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Originally Posted by paulwuk
T3 Iris (both open) spat out the dreaded receipt to me today, less than a year after I registered. It *claimed* it expired on Monday 16th May, however I used it on the 17th with no problems at T5!

Haven't used T3 since April, when it worked fine.

Fortunately there was no queue. The immigration officer was very helpful, and told me it had expired on the 16th (I could see that). I stated I'd used it on the 1th, and asked if there was a problem. "No problem, all I know is what's on the receipt".

Sigh, I'd been on course to beat 10 minutes Plane->Train too
After a 24 hour journey CNF-GRU-MAD-LHR it was nice to touchdown at 225pm, bus to T3, Iris working (2 machines), priority labelled bag already on belt as I arrived in the hall after a pee, doors closed on HEx as I jumped aboard - pulled into Paddington at 310pm. Short cab queue meant I was home in Covent Garden at 330pm.

James
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Old May 24, 2011, 8:21 am
  #161  
 
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Originally Posted by ant_west
you weren't on the 465 from Madrid by any chance were you?
Yep, that's the one.
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Old Jun 3, 2011, 8:22 am
  #162  
 
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Originally Posted by Moomba
Next time I wander on past the T5 enrollment office I might ask the question about the service and how much longer it will be a viable option for those of us who aren't EU citizens.
As promised I popped into the enrollment room at T5 last Friday.

The lady there said there was no confirmed date for the end of IRIS but it will happen. The reason why there is no confirmed date was that the replacement system is not yet operational.

I asked if non EU passport residents would have some other option available. She said there will be a system in place for us after IRIS has been removed. She didn't ellaborate as to what form it would take and I didn't press the point.

Of course she may have just wanted to get rid of a ranting Aussie and spun me a line. Time will tell....

Last edited by Moomba; Jun 3, 2011 at 11:49 am
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Old Jun 3, 2011, 9:31 am
  #163  
 
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Originally Posted by Moomba
As promised I popped into the enrollment room at T5 last Friday.
Thanks for checking, Moomba. Hopefully the "system in place for us" isn't to stand at the back of the 3 hour long All Other Passports queue before I can get home to the family.

There used to be this nice "UK Residents with non EU Passports" queue in T1. Alas, no more.
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Old Jun 24, 2011, 8:39 pm
  #164  
 
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Originally Posted by Moomba
I asked if non EU passport residents would have some other option available. She said there will be a system in place for us after IRIS has been removed.
I wish they'd hurry up and tell us what they're going to offer non-EU passport residents.
Went through T4 on 22/Jun and could not see a way to reach IRIS. I think she was hiding behind the banks of ePassport lanes..
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Old Jul 15, 2011, 5:24 pm
  #165  
 
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So.. anyone know what the IRIS and post IRIS plan is exactly?

Spoke to the guys at Enrolment recently..they mentioned it could around till the end of the year. Fact or fiction?
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