robin1234

I fly to England every so often for a holiday/family visit, and I always fly into Heathrow Terminal Three. Leaving England, it always used to be that, directly after passing through security to get to the departure area, you'd pass through UK immigration control & they'd check your passport. Flying back last Friday (to return to Ottawa - I live in northern NY state), however, there was nobody at the immigration control desk so we all just walked right through. I'm now thinking - do the British authorities think I'm still in the UK? This is a concern because, from what I've read, if you spend more than 90 days in the UK they can consider you a resident for tax purposes.

Or maybe the UKBA doesn't keep any such records? I know when a UK passport holder enters the country, they look at your passport, but do they record your entry?

Anyone shed light on this??

Peter Newton

I wouldn't worry- I assume your passport was stamped on your re-entry to the US. You also have your plane tickets. If it ever came up you can easily document that you left the UK.

begmohsin

And make sure you also have a pint of blood with you as well, that will be needed for Testing purposes. And other checks such as virginity checks, pulse checks are also documented these are the latest security checks.

You should get directly in touch with the American embassy in new york and see if the british authorities need to document your passport.

Oh you walked right through without immigration control, some yank should have been sitting there it doesnt matter if he is fat or not but should have been there !

Brown is good in these kind of things ask and find out cause he usually is always yawning on the media these days !nothing to do

SEL_boy

Are you sure they used to look at your passport on the way out?

I have flown back and forth dozens of times in the last few years and I'm sure they only check passports for immigration purposes on entry, both on the US and UK sides.

Could be wrong, but I don't think so...

robin1234

There's an American Embassy in New York now? Whoa, strange times we live in!

robin1234

Yes -- I particularly remember it, because on one occasion I mistakenly showed the officer my US passport. She questioned it because there was no entry stamp, since I had used my British Passport to enter the country. So at that point I showed her my British Passport. The other day, the desks and signage were still there, just no one on duty.

begmohsin

its in the city, NY, beside the New York publc library you canny miss it even if you wanted to miss it.

begmohsin

ofcourse they do !!!, they check it but also record, every country in the world keeps tracks of who goes in and who goes out, its documented.

He needs to to inform the embassay and let them know.

SEL_boy

I'm pretty sure they don't for immigration.
Actually, why would UK passport control check a UK passport on the way out?

I could see them needing to check a foreign national's stamp to see if they've overstayed...


For security, yes, they look, but that's just for ID, to make sure the ticket name matches the passport name and face.

Jerseygirl

There is no American Embassy in NYC...why would there be New York is in America?

Englishmum

They haven't had exit checks after going through security at LHR for many years; however there was an exception when I went through soon after the July underground and bus bombings a few years ago and everyone was being checked immediately before going through the X-ray machines...I assume whenever there is a terrorist threat they put on extra immigration staff at the exits. They certainly weren't stamping any passports, either British or foreign.

I know that there is the APIS (Advanced Passenger Information System) for all international flights into the US as the airlines have to inform the US authorities 1 hour before the flight is in the US jurisdiction of the names of all passengers on board; I had checked in online for a Singapore Airlines flight to JFK and it was in transit in Frankfurt. I was called to the gate agent's desk as they didn't have details of my green card in their system.

Most airlines 'swipe' passports if someone is checking in at the airport or if checking bags....presumably the O/P had checked in some baggage? If so, then there would be a record generated.

Did the O/P fly into Ottawa, Canada and then drive across the border into the US? Which passport was this on - UK or US?

It might be worth calling the airline if he/she is worried.

md95065

No.

While pretty much every country in the world tries to keep track of people entering the country not all of them keep track of people leaving the country.

bruceba

Gone off your Meds. again????

Ozzidoc

Over the last three years or so I've had my UK & Oz PPs examined by UK immigration just prior to numerous Heathrow outbound flights.

Ginblossom

DHS have introduced exit notification at major airports.

O Hare for example requires to e submit to DHS via machine that you are leaving the US.