Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
Mar 14th 2012, 7:56 am
#1
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Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
Can anyone tell me what the procedure is for entering the UK with my Australian husband who has just got his spouse visa...
As his sponsor, do I have to accompany him through the passport control line for non-UK/non-EU citizens, or does he go through on his own and I go through the UK citizens line?
Sorry if this is a silly question, or has been answered before, but I can't seem to find anything about it, and I don't want to stuff it up!!
As his sponsor, do I have to accompany him through the passport control line for non-UK/non-EU citizens, or does he go through on his own and I go through the UK citizens line?
Sorry if this is a silly question, or has been answered before, but I can't seem to find anything about it, and I don't want to stuff it up!!
Mar 14th 2012, 8:24 am
#2
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Posts: 3,043
Re: Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
No, you can usually together to the UK cit line. We do it all the time. Even before Mrs TB got her SV and we just used to go on holiday to the UK, they always let us in the UK queue, but we usually just got a quick 'ok' from the guy managing the lines.
If he travels on his own in the future then obviously the non UK queue, but always pays to let them know, sometimes they bump you up. Happens to my wife a lot as she usually enters from a Korean flight where very few have any kind of res visa for the UK, so when she is on her own she lets them know and gets shuffled to the front.
Just as an aside, we've done two 'initial entries' on spouse visas as Mrs TB had one in 2006 and one in 2010. In 2006 when we entered we were told that usually the spouse has to have a medical at the airport but because she was an Australian citizen, they would waive it. Not sure if that was accurate or not, in 2010 nobody said anything. Being that your husband is an Oz cit, I doubt it will get brought up (Mrs TB is Korean originally so this may have just been him double checking).
If he travels on his own in the future then obviously the non UK queue, but always pays to let them know, sometimes they bump you up. Happens to my wife a lot as she usually enters from a Korean flight where very few have any kind of res visa for the UK, so when she is on her own she lets them know and gets shuffled to the front.
Just as an aside, we've done two 'initial entries' on spouse visas as Mrs TB had one in 2006 and one in 2010. In 2006 when we entered we were told that usually the spouse has to have a medical at the airport but because she was an Australian citizen, they would waive it. Not sure if that was accurate or not, in 2010 nobody said anything. Being that your husband is an Oz cit, I doubt it will get brought up (Mrs TB is Korean originally so this may have just been him double checking).
Last edited by Tr1boy; Mar 14th 2012 at 8:26 am.
Mar 14th 2012, 9:30 am
#3
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Re: Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
No, you can usually together to the UK cit line. We do it all the time. Even before Mrs TB got her SV and we just used to go on holiday to the UK, they always let us in the UK queue, but we usually just got a quick 'ok' from the guy managing the lines.
If he travels on his own in the future then obviously the non UK queue, but always pays to let them know, sometimes they bump you up. Happens to my wife a lot as she usually enters from a Korean flight where very few have any kind of res visa for the UK, so when she is on her own she lets them know and gets shuffled to the front.
Just as an aside, we've done two 'initial entries' on spouse visas as Mrs TB had one in 2006 and one in 2010. In 2006 when we entered we were told that usually the spouse has to have a medical at the airport but because she was an Australian citizen, they would waive it. Not sure if that was accurate or not, in 2010 nobody said anything. Being that your husband is an Oz cit, I doubt it will get brought up (Mrs TB is Korean originally so this may have just been him double checking).
If he travels on his own in the future then obviously the non UK queue, but always pays to let them know, sometimes they bump you up. Happens to my wife a lot as she usually enters from a Korean flight where very few have any kind of res visa for the UK, so when she is on her own she lets them know and gets shuffled to the front.
Just as an aside, we've done two 'initial entries' on spouse visas as Mrs TB had one in 2006 and one in 2010. In 2006 when we entered we were told that usually the spouse has to have a medical at the airport but because she was an Australian citizen, they would waive it. Not sure if that was accurate or not, in 2010 nobody said anything. Being that your husband is an Oz cit, I doubt it will get brought up (Mrs TB is Korean originally so this may have just been him double checking).
Mar 14th 2012, 1:24 pm
#4
Back from India
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 793
Re: Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
if there are long queues check with the person managing it if OK to join the EU UK one, explaining the settlement visa. The IO will need to have a stamp etc to put on the visa, (which not all of them have in the EU desks as these passport holders do not need stamps.)
He may or may not be asked to have a medical, pretty unlikley but be prepared
He may or may not be asked to have a medical, pretty unlikley but be prepared
Last edited by pennylessinindia; Mar 14th 2012 at 1:26 pm. Reason: typo
Mar 14th 2012, 6:22 pm
#5
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Posts: 8,378
Re: Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
We split up as a family the first time we all came through (DH, d-i-l and grandkids on Aussie passports, son and me on UK) and were told that we should all go through the UK line together in future which is what we did the last time around and it was simple - no questions.
Mar 16th 2012, 7:08 pm
#6
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Re: Question about entering UK with spouse who has visa
We split up as a family the first time we all came through (DH, d-i-l and grandkids on Aussie passports, son and me on UK) and were told that we should all go through the UK line together in future which is what we did the last time around and it was simple - no questions.
We've left Oz now and are in Dubai. Get to LHR tomorrow (17th,) around lunchtime and right now I'm doing a very happy dance
And tomorrow is my birthday... Hmmm, people could think I'd planned it this way as a nice present to myself!
We'll check if the UK line is ok, and definitely go through that way if yes.
After all the stress of applying and getting his ILE, this had better all go smoothly!!
