Is US travel document equivalent to US VISA ?

netshare

netshare

New Member
HI Everyone:
I need to transit to the UK for my vacation. There is a visa-free for if u hold US visa.
JFK--->LHR--->Africa

I'm an asylee, GC didn't receive yet, I only have a national passport and US travel document.
I don't know if can transit in the UK or need apply for a transit VISA. Please advise?
 
The following are the exemptions for DATV. If you don’t have one of these you must apply for a transit visa.



Exemptions
You don’t need a visa if you have one of the following:

  • a visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA (this can be used for travel to any country)
  • a residence permit issued by Australia or New Zealand
  • a common format residence permit issued by an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
  • a resident permit issued by Canada after 28 June 2002
  • a uniform format category D visa for entry into a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
  • an Irish biometric visa (marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the ‘Remarks’ section)
  • a Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling to the Schengen country that issued the visa
  • a flight ticket from the Schengen area, if you can prove that you entered the Schengen area in the previous 30 days on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa
  • a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa issued by the USA (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted)
  • a valid USA permanent residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998
  • an expired USA I-551 Permanent Residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998, with a valid I-797 letter authorising extension
  • a valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B issued by the USA (attached to a sealed brown envelope)
All visas and residence permits must be valid.
 
Home Office is the UK’s own agency. Like you don’t need a visa for the US if you have a US-issued travel document.

Anyway, I posted what is officially on the list. I am not a UK official. My own experience with the UK is that things are taken literally. It’s your trip, your decision what to do.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Home Office is the UK’s own agency. Like you don’t need a visa for the US if you have a US-issued travel document.

Anyway, I posted what is officially on the list. I am not a UK official. My own experience with the UK is that things are taken literally. It’s your trip, your decision what to do.
Click to expand...
Okay ,Thanks for your reply . But I have applied DATV transit VISA got refusal. I think change the airline
 
SusieQQQ said:
You don’t need a visa if you have one of the following:

  • a visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA (this can be used for travel to any country)
  • a residence permit issued by Australia or New Zealand
  • a common format residence permit issued by an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
  • a resident permit issued by Canada after 28 June 2002
  • a uniform format category D visa for entry into a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
  • an Irish biometric visa (marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the ‘Remarks’ section)
  • a Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling to the Schengen country that issued the visa
  • a flight ticket from the Schengen area, if you can prove that you entered the Schengen area in the previous 30 days on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa
  • a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa issued by the USA (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted)
  • a valid USA permanent residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998
  • an expired USA I-551 Permanent Residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998, with a valid I-797 letter authorising extension
  • a valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B issued by the USA (attached to a sealed brown envelope)
All visas and residence permits must be valid.
Click to expand...

Bit off topic than OP's.. I'm a bit surprised the UK finds the expired gc+Extension letter combo credible, but not an i551 stamp in a passport.

Yeah I know they (UK) decides what is acceptable to them :)
 
1AurCitizen said:
Bit off topic than OP's.. I'm a bit surprised the UK finds the expired gc+Extension letter combo credible, but not an i551 stamp in a passport.

Yeah I know they (UK) decides what is acceptable to them :)
Click to expand...

I’m guessing it’s because they can still see a physical green card with the former, and the stamp is probably not too difficult to forge should one be so inclined (at least if the google images are still representative).

They don’t seem to have an option for those newly arriving immigrants whose packets get sent electronically.
 
netshare said:
Okay ,Thanks for your reply . But I have applied DATV transit VISA got refusal. I think change the airline
Click to expand...

Yep, a refusal makes transiting the UK a no-go. Try a non-European airline, perhaps ME-based carriers (Emirates etc) that do not require transit visas.
 
1AurCitizen said:
Yep, a refusal makes transiting the UK a no-go. Try a non-European airline, perhaps ME-based carriers (Emirates etc) that do not require transit visas.
Click to expand...
Oh, he means change routing not just airline - now I get it lol

Depending where in Africa he is might also make sense to get one of the direct flights from US there and fly on to ..destination. I was going to say home country, but surely as an asylee he is not going “home”.
 
1AurCitizen said:
Yep, a refusal makes transiting the UK a no-go. Try a non-European airline, perhaps ME-based carriers (Emirates etc) that do not require transit visas.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that many ME countries do not accept or recognize the RTD at all. So if you travel through the ME, make sure you don't have to go through immigration while changing planes. Also check with the airline as they may not even let you on the plane as pretty much all of them are the countries' flag carriers.
 
Dubai/Doha (Emirates'/Qatar's home base) do not require going thru immigration while in transit. Passengers have to pass an additional layer of security, but no immigration during international transit. Of course depends on OP's country of destination and whether ME transit is an option. Without knowing the country of final destination, hard to advise.

Best to check with the particular airline.
 
There are direct flights afaik from US to Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. I know Africa is big but between those one can probably end up max another few hours’ flight from whatever airport is the final destination in Africa. And visas are usually either not required or not a problem to get for other African countries.
 
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