Immigration and Customs Question

I'm sure this has been asked and answered before. I have looked and can't seem to find a thread.

I'm and Indiana girl living in the UK with hubby on a spouse/settlement visa. Last year when we returned from a visit to the US, I was directed to the Foreign/Non British-Non EU queue when we returned to Manchester. The woman who directed me said I had to go to that one because I had 'no right to abode in the UK'. I was under the assumption that a settlement visa gave me the right to live here. After waiting forever, I was directed to the then empty Citizens officer who checked me through with no problems (need for biometrics etc).

We are going back to the States in June for a visit. My question is, am I able to enter with my husband, or do I always have to go through the foreign/non citizen queue? With the way the woman was acting annoyed to have to speak to anyone, I really couldn't get a reason or explanation from her.

Thanks!

Hi,

Every time I've gone through (I'm a US citizen), they've sent me through with my UK citizen wife.  It sounds like the person directing traffic sent you to the wrong line.

The best advice I've seen on here is to ask the person directing traffic which line you should use.  That way a) you won't get in trouble with the line director, and b) if they send you to the wrong line it's not your fault.  

See here:

Section 2 of the 1971 Act, as amended by s.39(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA 1981), defines the two categories of people who currently have the right of abode:

    * British citizens; and
    * Commonwealth citizens who had the right of abode before 1 January 1983 and who have not, since then, ceased to be Commonwealth citizens.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/roa#3716898

You are allowed to live and work in the UK with your spouse visa, but until you are a citizen, you will not have right of abode.

The best course of action is to ask which line to stand in - sometimes they'll let both of you in the UKC/EU line; other times they'll want you to stand in the "other passports" line.

Thanks for the replies.

I have apparently misunderstood what she meant. I took 'abode' to simply mean the right to live here, which a visa would allow. I now see it has a different meaning. Thanks for clearing that up.