I'm sure this has been asked before but I couldn't find it.

When I go through immigration at Gatwick, do I just show them my UK passport or green card too?

Also can Dave come through the EU passport holders bit with me, or does he still have to go through non EU passport holders?

He's just worried if they ask him where he's staying, where's his money etc and I've already gone through, they'll send him back!!

Thanks in advance.

Helen

Sorry, but isn't that idea just a BIT ridiculous? You're certainly one of many international couples entering the UK on any given day...why onearth would he be sent home?

Umm.. I was kidding

Don't you just LOVE VJ.....


I am sure when they see its you... they will turn you away anyway!!!


xx

That's it, I'm calling Liverpool and telling them to never let you back in!

xx

It's a good job i lived just outside liverpool then.... clever clogs!!!!


Does anyone here have a PROPER and HELPFUL answer for Helen.....??

I didn't see any joke in there - just simple POE questions?

He's just worried if they ask him where he's staying, where's his money etc and I've already gone through, they'll send him back!! <<< JOKE. If it wasn't, I'd agree, it would have been ridiculous.

Yes the rest were simple POE questions. Do you have any answers?

Helen, these are just guesses, so take them with a grain of salt, basically. (That said, I realize they won't help you much, but I'm posting em anyway, ok???)

I'm sure your hubby should still go thru the non citizen line...just because you're married nowdoesn't make him a citizen...as you well know after all this crap...so he will have to go thru his own line.

You likely just have to show your passport...the Green Card will come into play when you enter the US again....there would be no reason to have to show it, since you're still a citizen of the UK....you're just a *resident* of America....(at this point at least!)

Whenever you're going have a fantastic time..wish WE were going! (and I'm sure you prob. were kidding...but they have no reason to not let hubby in...esp. when you're already thru the process...unless he plans to bring some drugs or summin with him...) HAve fun! (ETA: D *can* be a bit blunt sometimes, but I think it was hard to tell it was a joke...I couldn't tell if you were serious either!)

ETA again: as you likely do know already,coming home you can go thru the same line as it's for citizens AND perm. residents... M.

Helen I personally thought your joke was hillarious.... infact i am still laughing now!

Thanks Michelle, that's exactly what I thought, just wanted to check with any couples who have been through it to make sure we didn't go on seperate lines, only for one of us to be called to the other line etc etc.

Hehehe no drugs for him, he's a good boy

Kat you're a nut! Scary that you get my jokes that nobody else does AND you laugh at them.

Hx

Nope, no EU passport for him.

cheeky - i haven't been through the same thing, but, by analogy, I have heard that for non-USCs coming into US POEs, the USC has the option of standing in the non-US line (much more than vice-versa). Worst they say is "back to the other line!"

As for worries about UK POE reaction to the USC - I had a moment of freak-out when I went to the UK to visit for the first time as a "fiancee" rather than a "girlfriend." I had even taken all my I-129F docs with me, just in case they thought my frequent entries warranted a secondary check.

UK laws are similar to our in terms of presumptions and ties-to-home-country issues. If you're just going for a visit, and it gives you peace of mind (should you be separated for the lines), have him carry a letter from his employer, etc, a few things you might've carried for travel to the US if you were concerned.

I never had to use my extra stuff, by the way. I answered "pleasure" for the biz/pleasure question. Said "fiance and future in-laws" for who I was visiting, and had their address on the landing card. Not a flicker of concern.

As indicated - mixed-nationality couples aren't too novel.

Show them your UK passport. They don't need to see your green card; you need not even tell them you have one.



If he does not hold an EU passport, he must go in the non-EU passport queue. I have a permanent resident visa in the UK and I still have to stand in the non-EU passport queue; he doesn't get special privileges if I don't!



They will ask him where he's staying; they always did that to me. They may or may not ask him how much money he brought with him. They may ask for the address of where he's staying. Make sure he has it on him. It's so unusual for the UK to not allow legitimate American travelers through passport control that it's not even worth thinking about, so stop worrying.

When traveling to the UK I never, ever carried any evidence of my intent to return home to the USA other than a return ticket.

Actually, this is certainly true at Heathrow but I do not know about Gatwick, a spouse of a UKC CAN go through the 'short' line when travelling with their spouse. I actually stopped to ask the first time we travelled together, when there were five flights all arriving in Terminal 1 at once from non-EU places, and the long queue was loooooooong. The immigration officer told me that the policy is direct relatives (spouse, parent, child) may come through the queue with the UKC. Not six family members, mind you, as the people in front of us last time were trying - all except one got sent to the 'long' queue.

My husband has always come through the EU-citizens queue with me at Heathrow, they take both our passports together, his US and my UK one.

I tried that once and was sent to the back of the non-EU queue. Haven't ever tried it again!

Besides, when I've come in the non-EU and the EU queues seem to be about the same length and one doesn't seem to move any faster than the other.

When we went home for the first time I went to the non-EU line with my husband..... when we got to the immigration officer he said he was sorry we had had a long wait, but we had no issues at all....



Kez

Lol Helen, I thought your joke was funny

Sorry no real answers for ya about the eu non-eu line....Gatwick was where I was detained all those years ago, and seeing the name gives me chills to this day, lol.

I would assume your visa is pointless to Immi there.

In response to the OP:

It is akin to me entering at Calgary between Dec. 1999 and Apr. 2005 (when i had Canadian Passport and Green Card). The US Green Card would be an irrelevant document, so only your passport need be shown to UK Immigration (you do need the GC to reenter US).

A good question is if a dual Limey-Yank could "brazen" into UK with the US passport (say if the UK passport is expired, and the Limey hasn't renewed it yet). I'll prolly be trying the Canuck equivalent (@ Ambassador Bridge) around Thanksgiving this year.

Helen, tell your bloke not to wear a purple furry jacket and he'll be fine.

Sounds like USC spouses of UKCs have had mixed luck going through the non EU line at Heathrow, damn it. Guess it depends on whose working that day...!

I'd probably just get in the non EU line and let Chas breeze through the other line (and then go get our luggage).

This is exactly what I've always done -- both my husbands have complied with a little gentle persuasion!

For a short time, Terminal 4 at Heathrow had a "Long-term Visa Holders Only" queue which was fantastic for us LLR/ILR people -- no queue to speak of! Then one time I went and it was all gone, no explanation beyond "there wasn't a lot of need for it". Well I sure needed it!

Thanks for the replies and experiences.

I'll be the Gatwick ambassador and try to bring him through the EU line. I'll let you know how it goes!

Awww damn mags, who told you about Dave's purple furry jacket?

Want me to kick an immigration officer on my way thru LisaD?









*warning* this post is full of sarcasm and jokes

LOL!

and tell him not to wear his 'yield to the princess' tshirt either



LOL I'd say yes, but I"m still too traumatized so they have me frozen in fear

Why would you leave him to go the the non-EU line alone...... go through the non-EU together thats what we did just because you have a UK passport does not mean you cant go through the non-EU line with your husband....

Kez