Travel visa required while travelling via London for GC holders?

[sridhy_ny 0]

Hi,

My husband is US citizen and I got my green card as a dependent 2 yrs back ( IR 1 ). This Tuesday, am travelling to Hyderabad via London from EWR ( New Jersey ).

Do I need any transit visa etc., ? Flight departs from EWR at 9:20pm and arrives in London ( Terminal 5 ) at 9am UK time and starts from the same terminal at 1pm UK time to Hyderabad.

Do I need to worry about any special visas like airside visa etc.,?

Please let me know if anyone recently travelled via London.

Thanks

NJ

Edited November 29, 2013 by sridhy_ny

[Canerican 242]

Here are some links that I looked up as well as some quotes from those sites:

It looks like you will not need a visa to get to the UK as you fall into this category, "transiting without a visa Concession" (TWOC). Here is the link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/transitthroughtheuk/visa-to-transit-landside/

Below is a quote from the above website:

If you are a visa national or recognised as stateless, you may be able to transit the UK landside without a visa under the transit without a visa (TWOV) concession. The concession is operated at the border where you arrive in the UK and is at the discretion of Border Force officers. You may not be permitted to benefit from this concession and may be refused entry to the UK. If you are unsure whether you benefit from the concession, you should apply for a transit visa prior to travel.

To be considered under this concession you must be transiting and meet the following conditions:

• you must arrive and depart by air;
• your onward flight must be confirmed, and must depart within 24 hours; and
• you must have proper documentation for your destination, including a visa if required

If you are a national of a country covered by the Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) requirement you must normally have a visa to transit the UK even if you are remaining in the same airport and not passing through immigration control. However you may benefit from the transit without visa concession if you are transiting, meet the above conditions and you hold or a person with whom you arrive in the UK holds on your behalf one or more of the following documents:

1) a valid visa for entry to Canada or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom from another country or territory to the country in respect of which the visa is held; or
2) a valid visa for entry to Canada or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom from the country in respect of which the visa was held to another country or territory; or
3) a valid airline ticket for travel via the UK as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, if you are transiting the UK no more than 6 months after the date when you last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA with a valid entry visa for that country; or
4) a valid USA I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998; or
5) an expired I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998, accompanied by a valid I-797 extension letter issued by the Bureau of Citizenship; or
6) a valid Canadian permanent resident card issued on or after 28 June 2002; or
7 ) a valid common format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland; or
8) a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA state or Switzerland under Council Regulation (EC) number 1030/2002; or
9) a valid UK residence card; or
10) a valid EEA family permit issued by the UK government; or
11) a diplomatic or service passport issued by the People's Republic of China; or
12) a diplomatic or official passport issued by India; or
13) a diplomatic or official passport issued by Vietnam;

It would seem that under 4) a valid USA I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998 you would qualify to transit through the UK without a visa and the same for coming back to the USA.

[JayJayH 546]

I agree with the poster above. It does not seem like you need a visa just to transit, if the transit time is less than 24 hours.