Experiences: Indian passport - Travel to UK with US Advance Parole

[aaifor]

Hi,
My wife, an Indian Passport holder has a 6-month UK visa and plans to visit the UK. We live in the US and she is awaiting a pending I-485 adjudication.

She plans to come back to the US using her valid AP.

Do UK authorities give you grief while boarding a return flight to the US if you have an Advance Parole and were visiting the UK?

Seeking people's experiences if they have traveled to UK as tourists when their entry to US was via an AP

(I want to distinguish this from cases where people were travelling via UK to India and not holding either a DATV or UK transit visa)

 

[Jackolantern]

I'm not from India, but I'm from a country for which the UK requires a visa to visit. When my I-485 was pending, I obtained a UK visa and visited there with Advance Parole.

The airline agent was familiar with Advance Parole; she asked me something like "do you have a US visa or parole"? And when I handed her the AP, her behavior showed that she knew exactly what it was.

After going through security and I reached the gate to board the flight, they put me through another security check to search my bag and person. They also asked for my passport. I gave them the passport with the AP, and the security guy said something like "OK, you have parole."

That was at Heathrow. That airport gets a bazillion travelers from all over the world, so the airline agents, security people, and immigration officers must be very familiar with all sorts of documents from everywhere.

Just a word of warning: Due to the huge crowds at Heathrow, the check-in and security lines are reeeeeeaaaaaallllly long. You should arrive at the airport at least 3.5 hours, preferably 4 hours before the flight leaves. I got there 3 hours before and barely made the flight. I was actually the last person to board it.

 

[aaifor]

Thanks Jackolantern.

You are very helpful as usual. Much appreciated!

The wife is going to UK with our son (USC) spending a week there and going on to India. After 2 months, she is coming back to the UK (to break journey) and spending 5 days again in the UK. And then coming back to US.

She has a multiple entry UK visit visa valid for these days. And the Advance Parole is valid more than 3 months beyond her second UK visit.

I have called Virgin Atlantic (the airline) and couldn't get an answer. The UK consulate in San Francisco doesn't answer visa questions on phone so trying to ensure there is no issue.

(If anyone else has traveled recently to UK and used AP to board a US bound flight please share your opinions too.)