Fast Track for some at LHR
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Fast Track for some at LHR
Visitors from low-risk countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Japan will soon be funneled through a separate, presumably quicker passport line at Heathrow, British immigration minister Damian Green told a parliamentary committee this week, But not in time for the Olympics.
Globe and Mail
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Visitors from such countries? Or visitors holding passports issued by such countries. My Canadian passport was issued in Geneva, as I live in Switzerland. Will anyone behind the desk understand (or even care) about the distinction?
While I appreciate the thought, I haven't paid a cent (centime, penny, pence) while visa holders have paid (I think) £75 for their piece of paper. Shouldn't they be given priority? They paid for it.
While I appreciate the thought, I haven't paid a cent (centime, penny, pence) while visa holders have paid (I think) £75 for their piece of paper. Shouldn't they be given priority? They paid for it.
US and Japan, and I think New Zealand and Canada, are visa waiver countries. No £75 there.
Why no fats track for EU, though? Or will the 'FastTrack' be as slow as the EU lines anyway?
Why no fats track for EU, though? Or will the 'FastTrack' be as slow as the EU lines anyway?
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Sorry for being a Pedant, but I don't think there is anything called a Visa waiver scheme in the 'excited kingdom'.
The term comes from the Americans where all nationalities (save the Canadians) require visas to enter the 'excited states'. A large handful of Europeans and a smaller handful of Australasias have this requirement waived, under certain circumstances. i.e. coming as a tourist, knowing what moral turpitude is, promising not to be a member of a communist party.
For the UK there is a list of nationalities that require visas, everyone else does not require one.
I recall one of my first flights into Heathrow in the late '70s. Came in on Pan Am from Seattle (No BA flights then from YVR, AC less than daily) and was confronted with three queues; UK citizens, Commonwealth citizens and 'Others'. Since I had arrived from the US about half the pax went to the UK queue and nearly the other half went to the other queue. Only I went to the Commonwealth queue joining passengers off of Air India and PIA jumbos. Now that took over two hours too.
The term comes from the Americans where all nationalities (save the Canadians) require visas to enter the 'excited states'. A large handful of Europeans and a smaller handful of Australasias have this requirement waived, under certain circumstances. i.e. coming as a tourist, knowing what moral turpitude is, promising not to be a member of a communist party.
For the UK there is a list of nationalities that require visas, everyone else does not require one.
I recall one of my first flights into Heathrow in the late '70s. Came in on Pan Am from Seattle (No BA flights then from YVR, AC less than daily) and was confronted with three queues; UK citizens, Commonwealth citizens and 'Others'. Since I had arrived from the US about half the pax went to the UK queue and nearly the other half went to the other queue. Only I went to the Commonwealth queue joining passengers off of Air India and PIA jumbos. Now that took over two hours too.
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ExXB: surely the point is that your passport is Canadian, regardless of where it was issued. If place of issue was the criteria a person with, say, a Yemeni passport issued in the UK could go through the low-risk line, which is clearly nonsense.
Also, why should it matter whether you paid for a visa or not?
Shack37: dream on ...
Also, why should it matter whether you paid for a visa or not?
Shack37: dream on ...
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LondonPax, I was just being a pedant. Laziness of the media and of 'issuers of press releases'. They think they know what they are saying, but they don't think through the obvious.
Visitors from Canada could very well mean visitors who require visas, based on their nationality. And that too could exclude me, since I no longer live in lotus land.
I just wish they would take the time and think about what they are saying, perhaps show it to a colleague and ask their opinion.
After paying a tidy sum for a UK visa, why shouldn't they be given priority? Or perhaps I should say why should they be expected to queue longer than us white guys?
Visitors from Canada could very well mean visitors who require visas, based on their nationality. And that too could exclude me, since I no longer live in lotus land.
I just wish they would take the time and think about what they are saying, perhaps show it to a colleague and ask their opinion.
After paying a tidy sum for a UK visa, why shouldn't they be given priority? Or perhaps I should say why should they be expected to queue longer than us white guys?
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After paying a tidy sum for a UK visa, why shouldn't they be given priority
Will anyone behind the desk understand (or even care)
I would think "from" means nationals of these countries rather than passengers on flights which originate there.
This is well overdue, a middle aged Canadian couple are a far lower risk factor than an unemployed Nigerian single mother when it comes to overstaying.
Passengers would still have the same scrutiny but as most people in the low risk countries line could be waved through without detailed questioning or extensive checks, things would move a lot quicker. Average time spent in the arrival hall would fall. Immigration officers with the skills and experience to deal with the difficult cases could concentrate on the high risk countries line.
A Japanese business man wouldn't be stuck for an hour simply because his flight landed ten minutes after one from Pakistan.
This is well overdue, a middle aged Canadian couple are a far lower risk factor than an unemployed Nigerian single mother when it comes to overstaying.
Passengers would still have the same scrutiny but as most people in the low risk countries line could be waved through without detailed questioning or extensive checks, things would move a lot quicker. Average time spent in the arrival hall would fall. Immigration officers with the skills and experience to deal with the difficult cases could concentrate on the high risk countries line.
A Japanese business man wouldn't be stuck for an hour simply because his flight landed ten minutes after one from Pakistan.
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Not while the UK is still an EU member state.
And even if it could be done, you would then find British nationals delegated to the 'other' queue at EU airports.
And even if it could be done, you would then find British nationals delegated to the 'other' queue at EU airports.
Last edited by ExXB; 20th Jul 2012 at 16:39.
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a middle aged Canadian couple are a far lower risk factor than an unemployed Nigerian single mother when it comes to overstaying.
Last edited by Tableview; 20th Jul 2012 at 23:00.
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I use the Minority Report - style iris scanner booth in T5. Works a treat - love walking past enormous queues