Avoid Heathrow airport!!!

[vncviewer]

Dear All,

It has come to my knowledge that Heathrow air port did interview to first time immigrant. They ask how did you get visa, which category (something like harsh) like that type of question in transit time. For that reason some are advice avoid Heathrow airport for transit, use direct airlines from Dubai.

Is it true or just bogus information? 

[wxyz123]

Dear All,

It has come to my knowledge that Heathrow air port did interview to first time immigrant. They ask how did you get visa, which category (something like harsh) like that type of question in transit time. For that reason some are advice avoid Heathrow airport for transit, use direct airlines from Dubai.

Is it true or just bogus information? 

buddy this is 100% true. i have been transitted myself not for canada but other countries and they ask you lots of unnecesary questions. a very grumpy immigration. avoid this airport at all costs unless you have no other option.i saw many people been detained there and interviewed 2nd or 3rd time. transit from dubai or other european country like france or germany.

[vncviewer]

Thanks brother for ur reply... your opinion will help us...

buddy this is 100% true. i have been transitted myself not for canada but other countries and they ask you lots of unnecesary questions. a very grumpy immigration. avoid this airport at all costs unless you have no other option.i saw many people been detained there and interviewed 2nd or 3rd time. transit from dubai or other european country like france or germany.

[hiabhay]

I have just passed through Heathrow airport to come to Toronto and didnt experience anything of such sort.

LHR is a very big airport and is important for the person to follow the right directions. New person may find it difficult but no such interviews or transit visa requirements unless you are entering into UK or changing from LHR to Gatwick airport. The person should always use FLIGHT CONNECTIONS for the changing flights and during my stay at LHR, I just showed the boarding passes for my onward flight and no one asked for passport except at the gate when I was boarding another flight for Toronto.

Let me know if you need any more information.

[vncviewer]

 @  hiabhay , this is great...

[Leon]

I did not go through Heathrow as a landing PR but I had heard that years ago when people were carrying their landing document inside their passport because PR cards did not yet exist, Heathrow gave some guy a world of trouble because at some point since landing, years earlier, he had renewed his passport so his passport number did not match his landing documents.  I forget if they let him through in the end but really, I don't know why they are interfering.  Ultimately it should be up to Canada to decide who they let in.

[kabayan]

Thanks for the tip...

[professional 1]

That is true, about the Heathrow Airport,


In 2008, when i first came to Canada as an international student, i landed 6 hours transit at Heathrow Airport (bear in mind that it was my choice to go through their Airport, which it is not the only way to get to Canada).


When i arrived the Heathrow Airport, i was almost lost, and did not know where to go because it was the first time to travel such a flight. Anyway, i kept asking until i found out my way to get to the gate of my Airplane (Air Canada).

While i was setting in the waiting area for my flight, a white british lady holding somthing like a small touch screen, came to me and asked me some questions about how easy was it to get to the gate, and find things in the Airport, actually she was very nice and polite, and she did that with so many other people setting in the waiting area. I think she was getting feedback to improve the Airport, to better serve people.


After my flight was announced ready, we lined up to ride the Airplane, and when i got into my turn, a black guy asked me so many questions such as;

Do you live in Canada ?

No

Why are you going to Canada ?

Student. (the problem is that he has my passport in hand and the visa says student, and he is still asking why are you going !)


What are you going to study ?


English language, and college.


Where in Canada ?

Nova Scotia.


Have you ever been to Canada before ?

No.

How long are you going to stay in Canada ?


Might be 4 years.


Do you have acceptance letters from the educational institutions in Canada ?


Here actually i wanted to say, NO, i do not have, and they gave me the student visa at the Canadian embassy because they fell in love with me ! what a question ! but i kept calm.

Anyway, my answer was Yes.


May i see your acceptance letters ?


Yes, and while i was opening my bag to get the acceptance letter, he said "that is fine, i do not wanna see it, you can get in the Airplane" !


All these things happened while i was standing in the line, to get into the plane.

[vncviewer]

Thanks...

Confuse what to do...

[TH77]

Guys,
No one needs transit visa to UK in below cases..
have valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel through the UK as part of a journey from another country or territory to the country for which you have the entry visa.  you do not even need to go to passport control, just direct to the gates..no questions should be asked
i believe if you print the info from the website it can help you avoid nonsense questions - my experience with transit in UK before was all smooth - just be confident that you know the rules and nobody should delay you..

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf20transit

[maran1976]

UK is a hotspot for assylum seekers ( for the benefits etc ) and illegal immigrants , who gain entry on forged papers etc.

I suppose, they ask you so many questions just to ensure you are genuine and dont rip up your documents while waiting in transit and claim assylum in UK !!

I have seen many a people seek assylm on arrival at LHR !

[professional 1]

UK is a hotspot for assylum seekers ( for the benefits etc ) and illegal immigrants , who gain entry on forged papers etc.

I suppose, they ask you so many questions just to ensure you are genuine and dont rip up your documents while waiting in transit and claim assylum in UK !!

I have seen many a people seek assylm on arrival at LHR !

The refugee claimant issue happens as well in Canada, USA, Australia....etc, but if that was the reason of questioning me that way, why did they wait 6 hours until i was about to ride the plane to leave their country !

If someone wanted to rip up his documents to make a refugee claimant, he would have done that as soon as he got into their airport not after 6 hours, and even i was leaving their airport voluntarily with all of my documents ready in hand.


Keep in mind that they are asking you these questions while you are leaving their country, and not while you are entring the country !

[maran1976]

Keep in mind that they are asking you these questions while you are leaving their country, and not while you are entring the country !

Ooops, I misunderstood !

Could it also be that the liability is on UK to accept back a person if the PR papers turned out to be forged and people are turned back from POE back to where they flew into Canada ?

I am just trying to think of a reason....

[professional 1]

Ooops, I misunderstood !

Could it also be that the liability is on UK to accept back a person if the PR papers turned out to be forged and people are turned back from POE back to where they flew into Canada ?

I am just trying to think of a reason....

Maybe,

Actually i do not know the reason as well, but what iam sure about is:

If the PR, student, work.....etc visas and documents are fake, the holder of those documents will be more than wlecomed in Canada at the port of entry. They are not gonna send him back anywhere else because he will be hosted in the Canadian jails for ages Facing charges such as; Prospective terrorist activities, National security threat, fraudulent, ....etc. .

[maran1976]

Maybe,

Actually i do not know the reason as well, but what iam sure about is:

If the PR, student, work.....etc visas and documents are fake, the holder of those documents will be more than wlecomed in Canada at the port of entry. They are not gonna send him back anywhere else because he will be hosted in the Canadian jails for ages Facing charges such as; Prospective terrorist activities, National security threat, fraudulent, ....etc. .

May be, to avoid being detained on such serious offences people rip them off in the toilets and claim assylm in Canada. In assylum cases, proving nationality is a big headache . This is probably a step to minimize fradulent assylum cases.

Where you asked the above questions by the UK immigration or while waiting in a queue by the airline staff ? Because it was while you were seated by your gate, I presume it was the airline staff. It is again their liability/responsibility to fly back people with imporper papers.

I have been a resident of UK for almost a decade( Indian..) . I have flown in many a times, ans always been welcomed by immigration officials with a smile ( Indian Passport holder ). I have flown ot to US and Canada many a times, never faced anything. Its always a plesant experience with the immigration staff !