Transit Visa for Britain

V

Venkat Kalyan

New Member
Hi!

My mother in law is planning to visit the US in the summer. Does she need a transit visa for UK. She will be returning within 3 months

Thanks
Venkat
 
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/F...t/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1006977149962
Do I Need A UK Visa


You asked if a national of India needs a visa to pass through the UK in transit.

Yes, you need a Direct Airside Transit (DAT) visa, unless you qualify for exemption because you hold one of the following:

a valid visa for entry to USA or when you are travelling from a third country to the USA or Canada, regardless of your routing;
a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from Canada or the USA to another country or territory, providing that you do not seek to transit the United Kingdom on a date more than six months from the date on which you last entered Canada or the USA with a valid visa;
a valid US I - 551 Permanent Residence Card (Green Card) issued on or after 21 April 1998;
a valid US Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration - Form 155
an expired I - 551 Permanent Residence Card (issued on or after 21 April 1998) and a valid I-797 letter issued by the Bureau of Citizenship authorising its extension;
a valid Canadian Permanent Residence Card issued on or after 28 June 2002;
a valid common format Category D visa issued by EU/EEA member states;
a valid common format EU residence permit issued under Council Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002.

Note:

Holding an I-512 Parole letter or an I-797C (Notice of Action) instead of a valid US visa; or a Tranportation Letter instead of a valid US Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21 April 1998 does NOT qualify you for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.
Holding a valid travel document with an ADIT stamp - worded "PROCESSED FOR I-551. TEMPORARY EVIDENCE OF LAWFUL ADMISSION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE VALID UNTIL ......EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED" - does NOT qualify you for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.
If you are a DAT national transiting the UK by air on your way TO Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man you will need a visit visa for the UK. If you qualify for DATV exemption however, you may transit without a visa (TWOV).
If you are a DAT national transiting the UK on your way FROM Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man to another country you will need a visitor in transit or a visit visa for the UK. If you qualify for DATV exemption however, you may transit without a visa (TWOV).

Nationals of certain countries, which includes India - unless exempt as detailed above - must have a DAT visa to transit through the United Kingdom. The visa does not allow entry to the UK: other than to catch a connecting flight; leaving from the same airport on the same day; where you do not need to pass through immigration control to catch the flight. This is called Direct Airside Transit.

Please read Guidance - Visitors for more information.

To apply for a visa you will need to fill in form VAF3 - DATV.

Any dependants under 16 years old, included on your passport, can be included on the same form, but those older will need to fill in separate forms.

Please make your application to Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York.

If you are applying to our visa sections in the USA, you can now make your application online though the visa4UK website.
 
Transit visa in UK rule is changed. Compared to my last post above
Language is more Clear this time...What a joke.....

http://www.britainusa.com/visas/other_show.asp?SarticleType=25&Other_ID=313

Direct Airside Transit Visa

Passport holders from the following countries require a Direct Airside Transit Visa to transit the United Kingdom. This is the case even if you only intend to remain airside or remain on the plane and not pass through UK Immigration.

AFGHANISTAN, ALBANIA, ALGERIA, ANGOLA, BANGLADESH, BELARUS, BURMA (MYANMAR), BURUNDI, CAMEROON, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA, COLOMBIA, CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (ZAIRE), ECUADOR, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, GAMBIA, GHANA, GUINEA, GUINEA-BISSAU, INDIA, IRAN, IRAQ, IVORY COAST, KENYA, LEBANON, LIBERIA, MACEDONIA, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, RWANDA, SENEGAL, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO, SIERRA LEONE, SOMALIA, SRI LANKA, SUDAN, TANZANIA, TURKEY, TRNC, UGANDA, VIETNAM, YUGOSLAVIA, ZAIRE (FORMERLY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO), ZIMBABWE.

If you hold a passport from one of the above countries, you will need a visa unless you qualify under one of the exemptions listed below. If you need to pass through UK immigration (e.g. to change airports or to stay overnight) you will need a visitor in transit visa.


Exemptions: Certain exemptions to this requirement have been introduced and apply to all DATV nationals. The following categories of traveller are not required to hold a DATV and may still benefit from the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) concession.
YOU ARE EXEMPT IF:
You are travelling FROM the US with a valid US visa and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom to another country; or

You are travelling TO the US from another country and hold a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom and a valid US visa; or


You last entered the US with a valid US visa which has now expired but you hold a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom to another country and you are intending to transit the United Kingdom within 6 months of your last date of entry to the US; or

You have a valid US I - 551 Permanent Residence Card (Green Card) issued on or after 21 April 1998 (but see Note 1 and 2 below); or

You have a valid US Immigrant Visa packet (form 155A / 155B); or

You have an expired I - 551 Permanent Residence Card (issued on or after 21 April 1998) and a valid I-797 letter issued by the Bureau of Citizenship authorising its extension (but see Note 1 and 2 below); or


You have a valid Canadian Permanent Residence Card issued on or after 28 June 2002; or


You have a valid common format Category D visa issued by EU/EEA member states; or

You have a valid common format EU residence permit issued under Council Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002;

You hold a diplomatic or a service passport issued by the People's Republic of China; or

You hold a diplomatic or an official passport issued by the government of India; or

You hold a diplomatic or an official passport issued by the government of Vietnam.
Note:

Holding an I-512 Parole letter or an I-797C (Notice of Action) instead of a valid US visa; or a Transportation Letter instead of a valid US Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21 April 1998 does NOT qualify you for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.

Holding a valid travel document with an ADIT stamp - worded "PROCESSED FOR I-551. TEMPORARY EVIDENCE OF LAWFUL ADMISSION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE VALID UNTIL ......EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED" - does NOT qualify you for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.

Whether holders of non-national (including refugee travel documents) require a DATV depends on their nationality and whether they qualify for one of the exemptions listed above. So, for instance, the holder of a non-national travel document (eg. a refugee travel document) who is a national or a citizen of one of the countries listed on the DATV list (eg. Afghanistan) will require a direct airside transit visa if they are travelling to the UK to transit onto a third country.
There are separate exemptions for holders of Australian, Canadian and New Zealand visas. Please click here for details.



Transiting to the Republic of Ireland:

Passengers must pass through immigration control in order to take a flight to Ireland. Visa nationals (and passengers qualifying for DATV exemption above) may transit without visa providing they fullfil the TWOV conditions and are properly documented for entry into Ireland.

DATV nationals transiting to Ireland must obtain a visit visa - NOT a Visitor in transit visa which is only for transit to destination outside the common travel area.

All visa nationals wishing to transit the UK but spend longer doing so than th 24 hours permitted under the TWOV condition must obtain a visitor in transit visa for stays up to 48 hours or a visit visa.

If you do not qualify from one of the above exemptions you should apply online and submit the following documents to your nearest entry clearance issuing post.

If you intend to change airports in the United Kingdom you will require a Visit Visa.

Please click here for frequently asked questions regarding Direct Airside Transit Visas


Supporting Documents
You will need to supply all of the following in original form:
Your passport (note: It should be the original document and have ample validity).

One passport size photograph (Click here for example).

Evidence of your Immigration Status in the USA. Please submit the original document. Copies will only delay your application.
Alien Registration Card (Greencard)
H1-B Visa
Advance Parole Document
Employment Authorisation Card
Valid IAP66/DS 2019
Valid I20, signed on the reverse by designated school official
Valid I-94
Confirmed Flight Reservation
(Do NOT purchase the ticket before the Visa is issued).

Please provide original documents and copies of all requested documents in support of your application. Please also provide a daytime telephone number.
Visa fees and payment options
Click here for the Direct Airside Transit visa fee and payment options.



Application
Click here to apply on line via the E-fastrack system
Return to the visas and Entry Clearance homepage
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top