Travel to/from USA-UK
#1
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Travel to/from USA-UK
This is a fairly unimportant issue, but I was wondering...
I'm a Brit married to a US Citizen. We're visiting England in December this year, and I was wondering about what will happen at the airport. IIRC, there are separate Customs queues in UK airports for Brits/Europeans and Non-Europeans (likewise, when landing back in the USA, there are queues for USA citizens and foreigners). Will the hubby and I have to queue separately, as he has a US passport and I only have my UK passport right now?
Just wondering!
-TrippyKitten
I'm a Brit married to a US Citizen. We're visiting England in December this year, and I was wondering about what will happen at the airport. IIRC, there are separate Customs queues in UK airports for Brits/Europeans and Non-Europeans (likewise, when landing back in the USA, there are queues for USA citizens and foreigners). Will the hubby and I have to queue separately, as he has a US passport and I only have my UK passport right now?
Just wondering!
-TrippyKitten
#2
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Yes separate lines. Dh didn't have his UK passport when we visited one time (expired and was too lazy to get it renewed for our holiday) and he line up in the non EU line and me and the kids flew through the returning EU and UK line.
#4
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Separate lines, unless you are business class and can both go to the 'premier' line. Shouldn't really be a big problem as you will still wait together after entry at the luggage claim, and chances are even after he is through you'll both still be waiting for your bags.
Lines aren't really bad unless you are landing behind another plane from Asia or Africa or something. Most of the time I fly through the line with barely one or two questions.
Lines aren't really bad unless you are landing behind another plane from Asia or Africa or something. Most of the time I fly through the line with barely one or two questions.
#5
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Oh and forget about the priority sticker they put on your bag , they come out arbitrarily , like the rest of them .
#6
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Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Westminster, CA
Posts: 2
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Going to UK, there's nothing to stop you joining the same line as your husband in the non-EU line. I have done that. I haven't been doing it for the past year or so because I signed up for the 'Iris scan' thing and have been testing that out - never had any lines, but of course have to wait for everyone else to catch up anyway.
Coming back, if you have a green card you are a 'US Person' and can go through the same line as US Citizens.
Coming back, if you have a green card you are a 'US Person' and can go through the same line as US Citizens.
#7
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Hmmm....usually go through *EU* line with my US citizen spouse (and 2 dual citizen children) - we used to separate, but were told once to go through EU lane as a family and it's been fine.
She gets asked standard questions, her passport get stamped and we proceed to get our luggage...this is at LHR, if that helps.
She gets asked standard questions, her passport get stamped and we proceed to get our luggage...this is at LHR, if that helps.
#8
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
The one time we went back I went through the EU line so I could run ahead and grab the bags from the carousel. Worked out perfectly - I had just enough time to visit the bog and grab the luggage before the wife and son got through the non-EU line
Helped us beat the queues at the rental car office anyway.
Helped us beat the queues at the rental car office anyway.
#10
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
All the airports I've come into seems to have had signs that said "US Citizens and Permanent Residents", the other lines were visitors.
The only difference is that on the the recent entries it seems they photograph and fingerprint the people without a US passport.
It made little difference on the last few trips coming back into the US, there were 10 times as many gates open for visitors as there was for the rest of us.
The only difference is that on the the recent entries it seems they photograph and fingerprint the people without a US passport.
It made little difference on the last few trips coming back into the US, there were 10 times as many gates open for visitors as there was for the rest of us.
#11
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Being a bit picky here, but customs is the same for everybody - it's immigration (aka passport control) where you get separated. My non-UK wife (at the time; she now has a British passport) has beaten me through immigration before. All depends on queues at the time.
#12
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 40
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
On entering the UK, you and your husband can join either queue i.e the EU or non-EU lines. Or at least you can at Heathrow - there is a sign at the beginning of the line stating this (but if, in doubt, ask one of the attendants - that's my wife and I did because it seemed so unlikely!). As for the US, my experience is that you can only queue together in the non-US line (but I don't know about the status of PLRs). Actually, it was quite an eye-opener for my wife when we went through the non-US line together at Logan airport (Boston) - she got to experience first-hand how unbelievably rude, aggressive and offensive the CBP officials who monitor the queues are.
#13
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Eugene, OR
Posts: 1,352
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
I think the lesson to take away from all these experiences is...no matter which line(s) you choose, someone will tell you that you should have done it differently.
#14
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 134
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
On entering the UK, you and your husband can join either queue i.e the EU or non-EU lines. Or at least you can at Heathrow - there is a sign at the beginning of the line stating this (but if, in doubt, ask one of the attendants - that's my wife and I did because it seemed so unlikely!). As for the US, my experience is that you can only queue together in the non-US line (but I don't know about the status of PLRs). Actually, it was quite an eye-opener for my wife when we went through the non-US line together at Logan airport (Boston) - she got to experience first-hand how unbelievably rude, aggressive and offensive the CBP officials who monitor the queues are.
It often seems to me that a substantial number of the CBP agents at US POE´s have been trained to discourage as many "alien" visitors as possible to come back to the US by being as nasty as possible.
I find this highly regrettable, as it certainly is perfectly feasible for immigration and customs officers in any country to be strict and correct without behaving in a downright insulting fashion.
#15
Re: Travel to/from USA-UK
Unfortunately, I can only attest to your last sentence there.
It often seems to me that a substantial number of the CBP agents at US POE´s have been trained to discourage as many "alien" visitors as possible to come back to the US by being as nasty as possible.
I find this highly regrettable, as it certainly is perfectly feasible for immigration and customs officers in any country to be strict and correct without behaving in a downright insulting fashion.
It often seems to me that a substantial number of the CBP agents at US POE´s have been trained to discourage as many "alien" visitors as possible to come back to the US by being as nasty as possible.
I find this highly regrettable, as it certainly is perfectly feasible for immigration and customs officers in any country to be strict and correct without behaving in a downright insulting fashion.