UK Transit visa

V

vidchin

Registered Users (C)
My wife applied for UK transit Visa through drop box. She is travelling on AP. Consulate guys told her to get Direct Airtransit Visa on the phone. But her passport was sent back to the same drop box(Visa Facilitation Services Center) without issuing her Visa because Transit Visa is not required for AP holders also. Not sure what else we can do. I just told her to call consulate again and re-confirm it. Hopefully she will not have any trouble in London Airport. She is not leaving the airport.

Did anyone have any experiences with Transit visa, travel through London? Please share your experiences.
 
we to have same problem.
so, we decided not to fly over london (to avoid confusion) i am get ticket via paris or amasterdam so that my wife will not have any problem.
 
Guys my tickets got confirmed through Air India which goes via London. I would be travelling on AP, what to do know, previouly when I read one of the transit visa thread here people said that for AP you require transit visa. I tried calling UK consullate also tried the option 7, after listening to 15-20 minute message the line went through but no one picked the phone. What to do? Please advice
 
I would suggest that if they say that transit visa is not required for AP holders, it is best to ask them to send a letter or an email, so that you can take a copy with you to show in case of a problem.

Govts make all these rules and all employees never understand them and everyone has his/her own interpretation so there is always a possibility of getting screwed for no fault of yours. It's better to be on the safer side.

Also check their website if it defines a criterion about who needs a transit visa.
 
My wife travelled to india through London last month. She is returning on Nov 12 using AP. She went in person yesterday to Chennai British High commission to apply for DAT Visa. She was told DAT Visa is not neccessary since she has Valid AP to enter USA.

Hope this helps
 
Originally posted by imramesh
My wife travelled to india through London last month. She is returning on Nov 12 using AP. She went in person yesterday to Chennai British High commission to apply for DAT Visa. She was told DAT Visa is not neccessary since she has Valid AP to enter USA.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Good, atleast that clears the confusion around here.
 
This is still a confusion issue, what will happen if they dont let us board on the plane if we wish not to take transit visa. On there Web site its not written that AP guys dont require transit visa. I tried calling UK consullate no one pcisk the phone
 
Originally posted by harapattawaiter
This is still a confusion issue, what will happen if they dont let us board on the plane if we wish not to take transit visa. On there Web site its not written that AP guys dont require transit visa. I tried calling UK consullate no one pcisk the phone
Click to expand...

They might issue the transit visa right there. I took a 24 Hour transit visa (in London) at the airport due to a cancellation of my flight and had to checkout my luggage.
 
Travel via London

My wife and daughter went to India via London (British Airways) on 19 Oct 2003. My wife has valid AP and H4. She hasn't got the stamping in the passport for H4. Anyway, she didn't had any problem in London. As for my daughter, she is US citizen.
 
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dhai, it means on AP transit visa is not required thats what you wanna say. There is one more thread going on, on this message board where people are saying transit visa is required and they did send there passport to UK consullate to get there visa stamped. I am totally confused, what to do??
 
100% sure that people on AP need DATV

I have personally talked several times in last week with UK consulate.
They had grace period till 20th Oct. U need DATV after that.

look for another thread " New transit visa...: in this forum which have already discussed this in details.

BTW you have to press 2 and then 9 at UK consulate phone.
 
harapattawaiter,
I am not sure even any visa/immigration comes in picture, till you reach your destination.
When you fly out of US, only security checking is done. You don't come across immigration here.
In transit airport, if you are not going out, you don't face immigration.
But when you reach India you go through immigration.
 
Guys,
I have been in same kind of situation last week, had two Air India and one Ausrtian Air bookings confirmed. Then I see this new DATV condition, spoke to UK embassy and they asked me to obtain the DATV, if I want to travel on AP.

Just to avoid any kind of confusion I decided to go through Austrian Air and cancelled Air India tickets.

I think OP should better avoid the risk and take the tickets from some other airlines.

Hope this helps OP.
 
Guys, clear your doubts (I am saying this entirely from the verbal responses-phone talks with British Consualte, NY and written responses- emails from Britain). Any person who is on Advance Parole/Travel Documents will need a Transit Visa. My son is US Citizen, he don't need a visa at all. My parents has 10 year multiple entry visitor visa for USA, they don't need a transit visa. My wife and myself have AP (Travel Document), we do need a visa to go through London, even if we are not going out of the airport.
Now, if there are any differences in the visa requirements in travelling from US to India and from India to US, that I am not sure of.
Also see my another thread in which couple of links are there and one of the links explains that you need original AP to apply for transit visa (if you are on AP), which means that if you are on AP, you need a transit visa.
I talked to British Consulate in Boston (I am from Metro Boston) as well as Newyork and they were very kind in explaining the things. I am not sure why they are not picking now. May be because of two many calls on this topic. I called them early, when this new rule of Transit visa just started. This is correct that if you purchased your ticket before 10/15 and travelled through London before October 20th and returning before Nov. 12th, you don't need any visa, no matter what.
Hope this helps.

Regards,
Bharat.
 
Yes, I got DATV for AP from Chicago send by FEDEX

I had send my application for DATV (transit visa) on trursday and got stamed visa pasport back on tuesday. I am in MN so send to Chicago.
Yes, definately if you h1/h4 is expired and you are on AP then you need visa.
 
Guys,

It looks like one must need transit visa, if one is on AP and do not have visa:

Today I sent a mail to British Consulate. The whole letter is posted at the bottom:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The deadline is till 23:59 hours BST on 12 November 2003.
Even this deadline is applicable for the following cases:



In order to minimise inconvenience to genuine travellers a grace period will apply during which travellers may benefit from the following concession:

Until 23:59 hours BST on 12 November 2003, nationals of these countries on the return leg of their journey may transit the UK without a visa provided that;

They originally passed through the UK in transit (with or without a visa) on the outward leg of their journey; and,

They started their outward journey from their point of origin on or before 15 October 2003 and,

They arrive in the UK by air with confirmed onward booking by air within 24 hours of their scheduled arrival; and,

They have the necessary documentation, such as a genuine valid visa for their destination.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: consular_visa@britainusa.com
Subject: Transit Visa. Please help.


Sir/Madam,

I am Indian passport holder, working in USA on work permit. I am travelling to India, on Nov 13th, through Heathrow
International Airport by Kuwait Airways. I do not have visa in my passport, but I have valid work permit, and also Advance Parole (AP). I have all original documents with me which proves, I authorized to work and reside in USA. My concern is do I need Transit Visa, which permits me to travel through UK. As I am not leaving airport, do I still need it? There are conflicting answers, and I could not able to speak with any consulate person
regarding this. Can you please let me know, as we are very concerned about travelling through UK, as we have made all travel arrangements.

Thanking You,
Sincerely,


Reply to the above mail:


Yes, if you are currently on Advance Parole status you will need to obtain a Transit visa to transit the UK (even if you are not leaving the airport).

Details of how to apply/forms/fees & requirements are here.
http://www.britainusa.com/visas/yestransit.asp

Regards,

Ben Allen
ECO New York

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guys,

Also remember. If you forget to get transit visa and intentionally try to go through UK, thinking that they might issue visa at the airport. It might not likely. They might put you on the different plane and send you back. They will not likely issue transit visa for you in the airport.

Though I am not sure about the above, it's very logical. This what I got from Kuwait Airways personnel.

If anybody knows better, find out and post the details here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Contradiction info - so much of confusion

With consulate officers giving contradictinf information its so confusing. I have sent emails to consulates and UK visa services. Hopefully someone will clarify.

What can anyone do if the consulate in India refuses to issue a transit Visa because holders of Advace Parole do not required it? Its easy if you have't yet travelled out of the country. What about people who are already outside the country? Spend hundreds of dollars and buy ticket on another Airline? This sucks.
 
The whole shpill

Okay folks... here are the links you need to follow in order to obtain all the information asked in this thread.....

Please note the countries that DO NOT fall even under the exemption\waiver rule. So if you are holding citizenship of anyone of those countries - you need the transit Visa unless you fall under the exemption (have valid entry visa into the US or Canada and took the same route going as coming).

http://www.britainusa.com/visas/notransit.asp

The other URL for the Transit Visa General infomration is....

http://www.britainusa.com/visas/visas.asp


There is a Grace Period given to travellers - this is why some people who were out of the country did not have a problem returning. Here are the details on the Grace Period.

http://www.britainusa.com/consular/other_show.asp?SarticleType=25&Other_ID=597
 
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went through all

I checked all the websites. They are not of much use to AP holders. They just say if you a valid visa in the passport you don't need a transit visa. These websites don't help at all.
 
Vidchin

What I understand from the websites is to obtain the Transit Visa if you do not have a valid US visa in your ppt.
Since AP does not fall in the "visa in the ppt" catergory I would say AP or no AP - a DATV has to be obtained by the Nationals of the countries listed under "waiver does not apply to Nationals of these countries...."

Unfortunately cannot post personal experience as I have always traveled to the UK and never via and am not a National of the countires listed...
 
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