rikardo456

AS AN EUROPEAN CITIZEN I REALLY THINK NON-EUROPEAN CITIZENS SHOULD NOT USE THE EU LINE, BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY FOR EU CITIZENS AND IT'S JUST THE RULES THAT YOU HAVE TO OBEY WHEN ENTERING THE EUROPEAN UNION CONUNTIRES. WHEN I WENT TO US , I WOULDN'T BE COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT ABLE TO USE THE US CITIZEN LINE ALTHOUGH I AM PERMANENT RESIDENT AND SOMETIMES PERMANENT RESIDENT CANNOT USE THE LINE FOR US CITIZENS ONLY.

THE REASON THAT THERE ARE EU LINES AND NON-EU LINES ARE BECAUSE THE ARGEEMENTS THAT MADE BY EU NATIONS AND THEY ARE FOLLWOING A SET OF RULES TO REGULATE THEIR PASSPORT CONTROL AS AN UNIFORMED SYSTEM.

IF U ARE NON-EU, THEN USE THE REGULAR LINE, BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE RULES. HAVE SOME DIGNITY!

Traveloguy

For the record, if you have permanent residency or right of abode (and I think a few other visa classes) to the UK on a foreign passport, you have the right to use the EU line when entering the UK.

LACouple

We actually fly twice a month across the pond into LHR and the IO gang in T3 are just horrid overall and there questioning is pure rubbish. Mr. LACouple made up a bag of bogus answers the last time through out of frustration and the IO looked completely lost and confused (the poor thing) and passively waved him through!


Cheers


LACouple

PUCCI GALORE

Sorry - did you meand there as is in place or their as in belonging to them.

Whatever Mr. LAC said, I hope that he remembers as these things can and do get recorded subsequently. I assume that you do not use Fast Track as other posters do not seem to have shared your problem.

Anyhow of far greater interest since this fascinating topic has been resurrected (no wonder ScottC considers these threads somehwhat innappropriat to the BA Forum - I would like to know how Papa Penguin fared after ll - before this thread gets shunted off to OMNI where it belongs.

Andrius

I saw these signs for a "fast queue" or something at T3, but NEVER in the past decade have I seen it actually being operated.

I can vaguely recall one period one brief period where at Stansted (I think) holders of Indefinite Leave to Remain could go to the same queue as EU + Norway & Swiss passport holders but that was a few years ago.

Stewie Mac

Guys,

where are your manners ?

First, a big BA Board welcome to FT to rikardo456.

Then, a huge ^ ^ for searching so hard that he's found a three year old thread to post to, rather than starting a new one.

And finally, a teeny little plea - typing your post in ALL CAPITALS is a little loud ... please use lowercase.
thx

LACouple

Not to worry my dear ......trust us ........not to worry one bit!


Cheers,


LACouple

hobarthoney

I tell you what gets me angry about immigration in the UK is when Australians have to go in the massive line and wait for a long time to get through. Last time I looked Australia is part of the monarch and the Queen is the head of our state. Surely we should be fast tracked compared to some other nations. Any way I had to get that off my chest!

I also find it funny that every country makes it easy for their citizens to get through but when you get back to Australia we line up for ages and the visitors have short lines. I guess I just hate waiting for customs!

Dave Noble

When there is a quid-pro-quo mebe. Not only do UK citizens (can you be a citizen in a monarchy anyway?) have to join the other passports line , but they need to get a visa to enter Australia.

The Australian Passports line does tend to be quicker ime than the other passports line. Australian passport holders can also get an APEC card to pretty much bypass all the queues

Dave

Globaliser

Just because of the visa requirement that you impose on us, you should go behind all the other countries.

ajax

Are you referring to the special queue for UK Residents/Visa Holders? I can assure you that all passport control areas (there are two at T1 IIRC) in LHR have these queues and they have been in operation for a few years now.

Are you sure? I've never heard this. That would be interesting if true. I didn't even know they had stamps. Although as a US passport holder with ILR, I still get stamped every time I enter the UK. I believe the policy to stamp the passports of every non-EU citizen regardless of immigration status came into effect in late July 2004.

Although on EU flights these days it's usually much quicker to go through the non-EU queue; it's almost always deserted and the EU queue is out the door (and moving slowly!)

I know that the purpose of this thread might be to compare US and UK immigration officers, but I've always found them both equally dull and functional and completely unexciting. I've entered the UK a few hundred times over the years and have never had anything but a couple of questions and a smile.

An American mate is an I-Banker in the City and he regularly gets grilled when coming through immigration ("You say you work in real estate debt markets in the City? What's the US yield curve trading at this week?" For real). And my Pakistani-student boyfriend never has any trouble coming in. Go figure.

Gooner505

I have encountered some of the most 'challenging' people at passport control at Heathrow, they ask the most mundane questions which each time recieve and equally mundane answer and they think im full of crap.

"What money are you going to support yourself with"?
"English money"
"What English money"?
"The English money on my credit card, in my bag as travellers cheques and what Barclays is going to give to me here"
"Can you prove that"?
"Yes by calling Barclays"
"Can you call them now"?
"Yes"
"Ok, then I need you to call them"
I pull out my mobile and start dialing
"You can't call them from here"
"Alright then can you call somebody to take me to where I can"?
Fine go through.

I was being very .....y but the previous questions/statements from her were some what of a daft manner.

"South African's can't own land in England" etc.

21 yr old student, 5 yr old passport, 18 UK stamps, 6 Schengen Visas, 1 US Visa and 1 AUS residents visa, maybe I get around a bit and with a residents visa for AUS why would I want to be be a barman in wimbledon? When I can go and live in aus and flip burger patties at McDonalds in Sydney instead.

Travelling with my GF is always a fun exercise, she has an EU passport,

'Tell me and I want you to tell me honestly, are you and your girlfriend actually going to live here and get jobs'?
"No, were both students back home"
'If I catch you lying to me there will be grave consequences'
"Look this is my 3rd entry to the UK this year, doesn't that indicate I am from a wealthy enough family that I don't need to seek asylum here flipping burgers at McDonalds and that I can travel back and forth, that I will be returning home'
'Don't get checky with me'

Also happiness is being asked to show my return ticket, get quizzed on my class of travel and the fare.

"Why were you in transit in Madrid"?
"Why are there 2 different classes between Madrid and London and Johannesburg and Madrid"?
"What was the fare of this ticket?"

My crowning moment at Heathrow passport control, was my response to the difference in class questions listed above.

My Response: "Because IB don't have first class from Madrid to London, where as from Johannesburg to Madrid they do"

Ok then enjoy your stay in England.

jhm

As a British citizen at the EU line at LHR, I've been asked before why I'm entering the UK! "I was born here, raised here, educated here, work here, live here!"

hobarthoney

Hey you guys had your turn when you could come in on a free ship with no problems. We should get a go getting into the UK

CustomsFlyer

Agreed, the Immigration Idiots at LHR make the US Border Agents look like gentle, friendly, sensitive rocket engineers! Just a horrid gang of un-civil-ized servants. Just a shame for the UK really.