News flash - Heathrow and Gatwick Exit Controls

The Immigration Service have resumed FULL exit controls at Heathrow and Gatwick.  Thier intention to do this was reported here last spring.  It includes Americans, and with summer nearly over, the overstay season is just starting... 

Overstayers are being issued an abbreviated Administrative Removal and having their passports stamped accordingly.  They are not being placed in detention and not being fined.  I wasn't aware of plans to issue an AR, it's severe but probably appropriate.  They have just run out of patience.

While having an AR on your record does NOT mean you get banned from the UK, but it does mean you'll need an entry clearance for each visit going forward.   I would have to check references to see how it affects travel to the continent from the US.

That's interesting. I'm trying to remember, does that mean that non-EU passport holders must fill out an embarcation card?

That's interesting. I'm trying to remember, does that mean that non-EU passport holders must fill out an embarcation card?

I won't be out there to have a look until next week, but I suppose not at the moment, that was a badly conceived system anyway.

I was chatting about it with a fellow advocate today whose mind is boggled by the notion of serving someone with an AR who is already on their way out of the country. 

If someone is already leaving, it's pushing the boot in, and for those already here it may create a new class of people who are afraid to leave - which compounds the whole problem.

Because it's a police record, there's a knock-on effect about future employment possibilities.  Of course that does not affect visitors, but for those aspiring to do a family creation type of visa, it's a disaster because it gets taken into consideration in the financial hurdles.

I suppose we're lucky to have it hit before the overstay season gets in to full swing, but I would have thought they could at least issue a bulletin to those on the advocacy side 

I went through Heathrow 21-August-05 (on holiday to US) (I'm a US citizen with a UK Work Permit).  I wondered why there were immigration officals right before security screening.  They took a look at my work permit, commented on it expiring in 10 days, but were fine when I told them that I my company had applied for an in-country extension for myself.  I did not have to fill out a embarkadation card. 

When I flew to the States back in July, they had this already in place at LHR T3.

I'm just curious, does anyone know what the procedure is when going through "flight connections"? It used to be that you had to fill out an embarkation card and show it, your passport, and boarding pass to get into the transfer terminal area. Do you now have to show passport and boarding pass to a single individual or are there two queues?

The Immigration Service have resumed FULL exit controls at Heathrow and Gatwick.  Thier intention to do this was reported here last spring.  It includes Americans, and with summer nearly over, the overstay season is just starting... 

Overstayers are being issued an abbreviated Administrative Removal and having their passports stamped accordingly.  They are not being placed in detention and not being fined.  I wasn't aware of plans to issue an AR, it's severe but probably appropriate.  They have just run out of patience.

While having an AR on your record does NOT mean you get banned from the UK, but it does mean you'll need an entry clearance for each visit going forward.   I would have to check references to see how it affects travel to the continent from the US.

Hi Garry,

Your posts have been of particular relevance to my situation, but mine is a situation which I am not entirely in control of and I'm not sure if you can offer any advice.

Basically, my visa runs out next Saturday, but there is no availability on any flights (on my ticket) to go back until next Sunday leaving from Heathrow (i.e. one day after the expiry of my visa). I have put myself on the waiting-list for the flight leaving on Saturday, but there's a good chance that I won't be able to get on that flight, leaving me with no choice but to overstay by a day and take the Sunday flight.

Do you think this could cause me a problem if I have to go through "exit controls" on Sunday? I do have my itinerary which shows that I'm wait-listed on the Saturday flight and confirmed on the Sunday flight (hence showing that I tried my best to get out on time). Do you think there's somewhere (like the Home Office/IND) where I can ring or write to and perhaps let them know beforehand that I have no choice but to overstay by a day?

Look forward to your reply,

Many Thanks!

If your next flight doesn't leave until the 24th, why do you *have* to leave on that day? If they don't have any available on that day then you should leave sooner rather then overstaying your visa

I went through exit controls last week. You have no excuse to overstay.

If your next flight doesn't leave until the 24th, why do you *have* to leave on that day? If they don't have any available on that day then you should leave sooner rather then overstaying your visa

Good question. I should probably have mentioned that I was ready to get on any flight from Monday onwards but they are all full with closed waiting lists, and Saturday's flight is the only one on which I could get onto the waiting list. I got one of very few available seats on Sunday's flight too. Is 1 day going to make that big a difference? Even if I show evidence that I tried to leave on time? What else can I do?

Try another airline

Try another airline

that would require me to throw away my ticket and buy a new one with a different airline. anyways, i'm not asking for ways to leave on or before my visa expiry. i already am trying to do this on my current ticket.

all i'm asking for is one way to justify to the authorities that it was only practical for me to leave 1 day late. i'd much rather do this early next week with the Home Office/IND than to have to do it at the airport next sunday. any ideas with this?

so far your responses indicate to me that i should leave by next saturday at all costs, which means that even 1 day's overstay is a big deal.

Any overstay is a big deal.  Do you want to come back in the future?  Like I posted before, I traveled last Tuesday and all passengers were going through Passport control upon exiting security.

all i'm asking for is one way to justify to the authorities that it was only practical for me to leave 1 day late. i'd much rather do this early next week with the Home Office/IND than to have to do it at the airport next sunday. any ideas with this?

You can go to Lunar House with an FLR(O) form and explain it to them, or you can go to the IS at a port.  They will be violating HC395 if they extend your stay beyond six months simply because it was inconvenient for you to book an earlier flight - which is what it adds up to in their eyes.  But given that it's a single day, there may be a finesse play on the day-counting - but that's the sort of thing an advisor should do - i.e., someone with credibility on the line.  Otherwise they won't do it.  

They will also look at your frequency of travel in and out of the UK, which you didn't tell us.  And what you were actually doing here is also missing.  It's natural for them to assume that you were working illegally and you would expect a question or two along those lines.  So [1] if you have lots of prior visits in to the UK; and [2] you plan on visiting the UK in the future, then catch an earlier flight.  

If you are not planning on coming back, then it might be more expedient and cheaper to sort it when you depart.

Interestingly, I don't have any experience with single person, single day overstayers, mine are months and years, and include whole families  :\\\'( .  For that reason, it would be helpful if you kept notes along the way and got back in touch after your trip.  Use PM if you like!

To answer your other question, yes, it's a big deal. 

Editted to add:  my wife wants to add that you can also exit to the EU on time, catch a flight that connects to your original flight and use an airside transfer at Heathrow.  All in it costs about £50 round-trip.  Shrewd she is.   

You can go to Lunar House with an FLR(O) form and explain it to them, or you can go to the IS at a port.  They will be violating HC395 if they extend your stay beyond six months simply because it was inconvenient for you to book an earlier flight - which is what it adds up to in their eyes.  But given that it's a single day, there may be a finesse play on the day-counting - but that's the sort of thing an advisor should do - i.e., someone with credibility on the line.  Otherwise they won't do it.  

They will also look at your frequency of travel in and out of the UK, which you didn't tell us.  And what you were actually doing here is also missing.  It's natural for them to assume that you were working illegally and you would expect a question or two along those lines.  So [1] if you have lots of prior visits in to the UK; and [2] you plan on visiting the UK in the future, then catch an earlier flight.  

If you are not planning on coming back, then it might be more expedient and cheaper to sort it when you depart.

Interestingly, I don't have any experience with single person, single day overstayers, mine are months and years, and include whole families  :\\\'( .  For that reason, it would be helpful if you kept notes along the way and got back in touch after your trip.  Use PM if you like!

To answer your other question, yes, it's a big deal. 

Editted to add:  my wife wants to add that you can also exit to the EU on time, catch a flight that connects to your original flight and use an airside transfer at Heathrow.  All in it costs about £50 round-trip.  Shrewd she is.   

thanks for your reply garry!

let me fill in some blanks here so you have a full picture.

firstly, i'm not american (sorry to invade but you guys do know your stuff and i need help !!). i'm from east africa and am here on a 2-year working holiday visa. one-way flights to back home cost about £400 so throwing away my current ticket and buying a new one is a costly process. i've previously been a student here for 4 years as well. so yea, i have built good connections with the UK and have a lot of friends here, and without any doubt, will be looking to visit in the future.

i have been trying to resolve an issue about my ticket with the airline for quite some time, and finally got it sorted yesterday after several faxes back and forth. however, then came the problem of finding me a seat on any flight on or before next saturday (my visa expiry date). this proved impossible as all the flights are full (including business & first class) and i was advised to take up one of the last few available seats on sunday's flight before that flight fills up too. i did this, but i also asked the airline to put me on the waiting list for the saturday flight, which they did for me.

since i live 15 mins' drive from heathrow, i plan on calling my airline on saturday morning to check if a seat has become available. i really do not want to overstay my visa and i'd like to land back home on sunday rather than during monday's rush hour.

do you think that i should maybe just go to heathrow on saturday night and if i don't get on a flight, to go to IS there and speak to them? or do you suggest that i do something right away?

i didn't quite understand the suggestion made by your mrs., but would appreciate it if you could explain more on how i could do what i wanna do.