Passport control at Heathrow Airport

They barely questioned us at all at Newark this year.


Home for Thanksgiving? 

Yes.

Awesome!  Havea  great time, hope you enjoy it. 

Aside from dh needing to do the fingerprints that was it. 

I suppose it is all up to how grumpy the IO is. 

UK: If through Heathrow, I love IRIS!  Otherwise, I usually get a good grilling if it's closed or shut.  Manchester ones aren't great, nor are Gatwick ones. I know it's their job though -especially as work permit holders are a becoming an endangered species.  So I am polite and answer all questions as best I can.   Best immigration officers I have encountered were in Aberdeen ,followed by Edinburgh.   And usually I'm like the only non-UK/EU resident going through those, so the queues are a breeze.

US:  I've never had a grilling in JFK, Newark, SFO, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Washington DC
But I always get a grilling in Boston.  No matter what.  Same thing - J's been through JFK and Boston- and he has had no problems with JFK. But Boston I/O's are very tough on him.   

That's funny Phatbeetle - we've never had any problems with IOs in Boston.  I guess we've just always gotten the nice ones.

But I always get a grilling in Boston.  No matter what.  Same thing - J's been through JFK and Boston- and he has had no problems with JFK. But Boston I/O's are very tough on him. 

Same -- I always get a solid amount of questioning in Boston, down to asking for descriptions (local landmarks) of where my dad lives in a neighboring state, when I say I am there to visit him.  My husband gets almost no questioning and he's American, too.  But when we went through together back in July, he was treated to my level.  Previously, I think he thought I was exaggerating.

Ive had more trouble entering the US as a USC than ive had entering the UK to be honest.  When I visited the UK for 3 months in 2009 I got questioned to no end by a US IO.  Why were you gone so long?  Even asked me why I was coming back to the US in which my answer was, "because I live here".

My UKC Partner who had spent 2 years in the US on a work Visa got question and pulled by an IO for "further questioning" upon re-entering the US for 2 hours!  They searched our bags, read every piece of paper we had on us  and interviewed me sepratly.  It was a nightmare!

When I came to the UK the second time, the UK IO conversation went like this:

IO: Whats the purpose of your visit?
ME:  Visiting family and friends
IO: I see youve been here before so you know what your in for, have fun!
ME: Thanks!

LOL It was 11:30 at nite and prolly the end of her shift so she prolly couldnt be bothered investigating further!

For the first 4-5 years living here (UK) I was questioned by IOs when returning, even if only away for a short EU break with DH.  Since then, especially now since we have a child, they have been less demanding.  Oh, except for one very unhelpful UK IO at the ferry terminal in France coming back into Dover.   

My DH and I have travelled back to the US together at least four times now.  He has also flown in on his own.  We've never been questioned other than what our purpose for visiting (ie. business or pleasure) and they've always been really nice.  I know it seems corny to some folks, but I love it when they say, "welcome home."   

I know it seems corny to some folks, but I love it when they say, "welcome home."   

I do too. Well, when I've been on trips back to the US anyway I haven't yet been out of - and thus back into - the UK since becoming a resident. But yeah, love it too, and don't think it's corny at all.

I just returned to the UK after a month-long trip to the States and I have to say that I did get a rather intense grilling from the I.O. at Newark this time around. I don't know if it had to do with the fact that I was travelling alone with my son, but it was a whole heap of bizarre questions....beginning with "Why isn't your son in school on this fine afternoon?"---(He's only 3) and it snowballed from there. Certainly wasn't the warm welcome I had been hoping for!

The experience at Heathrow was lovely, by contrast. And while I didn't get a "Welcome home" I did get a friendly "Welcome back" from the i.o.

We flew into Manchester at the end of what we like to call "The Wonderful Trip From Hell" (Orlando-Keflavik, Iceland-Manchester....Ever try to drag 3 small kids ages 3,5, and 9 through an airport in Iceland at a time thier bodies think is 1:30AM?)

Anyway, the IO must have seen the "love" in our faces (Wife and I close to killing each other and at least one of the kids, as well) and knew that we were really, truly married, and not part of some sham marriage with me trying to score a cheap visa into the UK. She laughed that I forgot to fill out my landing card, took my prints and welcomed us home.

Then we had to figure out how to get 20 checked bags out of the airport and get home...

I was mad about the harassment I got from the US IO when I was flying back via Atlanta. I wanted to be really rude the way they were talking to me, I am quite happy to tell them about my trip and what I did and why I went but not when they have the tone and mannerism that says we think you are a drug smuggling slapper. I'm a *bleep*ing American Citizen for christ sake and this is MY country. I expect the third degree from the UK immigration but not coming home.

Well, that would be how drug smuggling works. 

Get a young female from the country you want to smuggle drugs to, pay her travel to another country, have her fly back to her home country with the drugs.

I don't like it either, but I understand it.

Well they are welcome to search my bags and get out the drug dogs and go to town I will happily chat away about whatever they want to know, I just wish they wouldn't be so condescending. I am never ever rude or condescending to airport employees(Iv'e worked retail before) but just because I understand why their job can suck doesn't mean I am happy to take their crap.

I know everyone goes through immigration nervous or upset or tired or sick and we are all at the state where our nerves are shot if we are immigrating or doing something we are unsure of.

But remember - their JOB is to make us nervous. Their JOB is to weed out drug smugglers and criminals from people like us. If IOs were "nice" to everyone they wouldn't be doing their job.

I have nothing to hide, so I don't ever care what their mood is. They are protecting the borders and doing their job (which sadly involves being d*cksmacks) I don't worry about what they say I just answer the questions.

I've been pulled into secondary a few times in Vancouver, wait 2 hours and answer their questions and go on my merry way. C'est la vie.

But remember - their JOB is to make us nervous. Their JOB is to weed out drug smugglers and criminals from people like us. If IOs were "nice" to everyone they wouldn't be doing their job.

I'm not sure this is true all the time, it seems to be circumstantial depending on who is coming through and what kind of reaction they want to illicit. Personally I think someone acting nervous like they have something to hide would be more suspicious if the IO was being nice than not. Also, people frequently comment on this board that male IOs have been nicer to them than women...I wonder if that's because women feel like they need to be meaner to show they have authority.

Also, there was that one episode of UK Border Force where the IO was being EXTRA nice to a guy she knew had a fake passport to keep him from getting suspicious. It's somewhat strategic.

Need to vent. Went through Heathrow a couple weeks ago with zero problems. BF and I just returned from a long weekend in Spain via East Midlands.  I got GRILLED. EMA must not see much action on the foreigner front. I have to admit I do throw up alarms...visiting for 4 months, unemployed, yada yada. Fortunately I had my bank statement and return itinerary to US...oh and the BF She approved me to stay in the country until my flight in August.

There were a couple curious questions that made me believe she was a rookie I.O., and frankly frustrated me:
IO: how long have you known each other?
me: 1.5 years
IO: You have been to the UK many times in the last year.
me in my mind: "Yes...that's how relationships work"
me in reality: Yes, to visit him

IO: after you go to the US in August are you going to come back to the UK? (she was basically wanting me to say "im never coming back")
me in my mind: "Theoretically yes, if I ever want to see my bf again"
me in reality: I will come back next time with a visa as I'm starting the process when I return home.

I behaved myself. I just think I got a power tripper.

Moral of this post: ensure you have your documentation, think twice if you're contemplating leaving the country and returning without a visa, practice your yoga breathing in advance to calm yourself down!