Travelling with my BRC

[Garth1989]

Hi Everyone

I was hoping someone could shed some light on what is allowed in the below. I will be travelling out of the UK at the beginning of June and returning one week later, my question is,if I am travelling on my own am I able to use the EU passport line if i have a biometric residence card ?. I am not referring to the E-gates as I know those are only for Biometric EU passports.

I have used the normal EU line when travelling with my EU family member, I am just uncertain as to what the official policy is if you are on your own.I don't see why legitimate residents with a BRC should have to stand in a long immigration line.

[secret.simon]

As the holder of a Residence Card, I take it that you are still a non-EEA citizen and therefore, if you are traveling on your own, you should be using the non-EEA citizens queue.

There is a logic to having all EEA citizens in one queue while all non-EEA citizens go into another. EEA citizens have a right to enter the UK on proof of their identity. Non-EEA family members, like other non-EEA citizens, must demonstrate their right to enter the UK to an Immigration Officer. A Residence Card only states an underlying right, which may have changed after the card was issued. If you were accompanying the EEA citizen, s/he is, in effect, attesting to the fact that such right still exists. But, if you were traveling on your own, no such automatic claim is made and I think the Immigration Officer would be within their rights to ask for proof that you are still dependent on your EEA sponsor, for example.

In a sense, any rights you have as an EEA dependent are predicated on the basis that it indirectly inconveniences the EEA citizen if you are inconvenienced. Hence, when you accompany the EEA citizen, the two of you can come together through the EEA citizen route. But, you do not have any autonomous right of your own.

But there is a dead easy way to check this. When you are traveling on your own, join the EEA citizen queue. The Immigration Officer at the counter will surely advise you if you are in the wrong queue. There is a good chance that he will let you though, but he may advise what you should do next time.

Update this thread with that advice. If he just lets you through, that means that all Residence card holders can join the EEA citizens queue, making it just as slow as the non-EEA citizens queue.

[GMB]

You are absolutely, 100%, without question permitted to use the EU/EEA queue to re-enter the UK. I have been using the EU/EEA queue to re-enter the UK with my EEA residence card for nearly four years now, at least a dozen times a year, almost always unaccompanied, at five different terminals in four different airports. There has never been the slightest issue. When I first got the card I posed the question to a couple of immigration officers, all of whom said I could use either queue I wished, but they recommended choosing the EU/EEA queue because the officers there would be more used to the EEA residence card. Under no circumstances do you fill out a landing card, regardless of which queue you choose.

A word to the wise: hide your passport cover from the queue minders that try to direct people to the "correct" queue. They are not UKBA personnel, and are given very simple directions on where to send people. They don't understand the nuances of people with EEA residence cards or the RTS cards, all of whom can use the EU/EEA queues.

[secret.simon]

I did say

Update this thread with that advice.

, so thank you, GMB.

[GMB]

The Registered Traveller Service (https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller) is a system similar to that rolled out in several other countries already to allow nationals of certain low-risk countries to be granted for-fee expedited entry through immigration control (e.g., Global Entry).

In the UK it means those accepted into RTS can use either the EU/EEA queue or the biometric gates, as long as they have a bio-enabled passport. So in short, all those EEA residence card holders that might clog up the EU/EEA queue are already there, along with a whole bunch of other people.

[Millerco]

As the holder of a Residence Card, I take it that you are still a non-EEA citizen and therefore, if you are traveling on your own, you should be using the non-EEA citizens queue.

There is a logic to having all EEA citizens in one queue while all non-EEA citizens go into another. EEA citizens have a right to enter the UK on proof of their identity. Non-EEA family members, like other non-EEA citizens, must demonstrate their right to enter the UK to an Immigration Officer. A Residence Card only states an underlying right, which may have changed after the card was issued. If you were accompanying the EEA citizen, s/he is, in effect, attesting to the fact that such right still exists. But, if you were traveling on your own, no such automatic claim is made and I think the Immigration Officer would be within their rights to ask for proof that you are still dependent on your EEA sponsor, for example.

In a sense, any rights you have as an EEA dependent are predicated on the basis that it indirectly inconveniences the EEA citizen if you are inconvenienced. Hence, when you accompany the EEA citizen, the two of you can come together through the EEA citizen route. But, you do not have any autonomous right of your own.

But there is a dead easy way to check this. When you are traveling on your own, join the EEA citizen queue. The Immigration Officer at the counter will surely advise you if you are in the wrong queue. There is a good chance that he will let you though, but he may advise what you should do next time.

Update this thread with that advice. If he just lets you through, that means that all Residence card holders can join the EEA citizens queue, making it just as slow as the non-EEA citizens queue.

Sorry no offense but this is absolutely incorrect and I am certain of it having discussed the issue with an immigration officer at Heathrow 3 years ago. I travel very frequently in and out of Heathrow and for the past three years, I a non-EEA citizens with an EEA family member card have only used the EEA queue and I have never once had any issues. The only issue I ever had at Heathrow about queue was when I used the non-EEA queue and was politely told I should have gone to the (UK/EEA) line. Although the line for EEA nationals is called UK/EEA Nationals for the sake of simplicity it is actually for anyone who is a UK national or (not a citizen) entering the UK under EU Law/free movement rules, obviously you will need a Family Permit or Residence Card to prove this. Not only can the original poster enter the EEA queue but they should as I was quite clearly informed by Immigration officers years ago. The non-Eea line is for people entering under UK immigration law.

My advice to the original poster would be to travel back through the EEA queue and make sure you have your passport open to the page with your EEA family member permit or the card ready to show with your passport - you will not have any issues.

[takdeerwala]

As per my experience with EEA Family Permit, I was in Non EEA queue. But after I got Residence Card which was a Sticker in the Passport, when I went to the Immigration officer thru Non-EEA queue, I was told politely that I should come in EEA / UK citizen Line. I also filled Landing Card which was torn and destroyed by the Officer. After that day, I always entered EEA / UK queue. The Officer also told me that as this Residence Card is issued in UK, you are supposed to use EEA queue.
I have a question now as a holder of Biometric PR Card, what new changes one can expect? Collection of Fingerprints like USA immigration at the Airport in EEA queue?
I remember reading a comment few months ago on this forum. The person was narrating his experience that after travelling 5 years with Residence Card in Passport and entering EEA line at the Airport, he was asked to go to Non-EEA queue with his Biometric PR Card for Fingerprint reasons? Is it true?

[Kaalo1980]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

[takdeerwala]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

So you have a Biometric PR Card now. Earlier you had Residence Card Vignette attached in the Passport? So more questions after PR Card? Do they ask for Fingerprints also at the Airport? Do you think that questioning has increased recently or they do not know much about BPR Card?

[noajthan]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

A BRC/PR is not a Willie Wonka-style 'golden ticket'. UK is not in Schengen zone and, as any sovereign state, UK protects its borders for the greater good.
That's to be expected.

[Kaalo1980]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

So you have a Biometric PR Card now. Earlier you had Residence Card Vignette attached in the Passport? So more questions after PR Card? Do they ask for Fingerprints also at the Airport? Do you think that questioning has increased recently or they do not know much about BPR Card?

Yes I have biometric PR card before I had RC card nothing changed I travelled on both cards both time they stopped I been stopped on airports 7 times between 20 minutes to 2 hours for bullshit questions even my EU wife sometimes with but still they detained for further checks

[Kaalo1980]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

A BRC/PR is not a Willie Wonka-style 'golden ticket'. UK is not in Schengen zone and, as any sovereign state, UK protects its borders for the greater good.
That's to be expected.

Yes but still stopping someone 7 times doesn't make any sense atleast they tell me the reason than its fine but they don't bother to tell but last time I told ECO I am not leaving from here if you don't tell me the reason than after argument he said we have too many names similar like yours in the system so we need to check whether it's a right person or not. But I told him I have my fingerprint card with my details everything but still they don't consider us permanent resident still ask for partner details all previous history

[Millerco]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

So you have a Biometric PR Card now. Earlier you had Residence Card Vignette attached in the Passport? So more questions after PR Card? Do they ask for Fingerprints also at the Airport? Do you think that questioning has increased recently or they do not know much about BPR Card?

Yes I have biometric PR card before I had RC card nothing changed I travelled on both cards both time they stopped I been stopped on airports 7 times between 20 minutes to 2 hours for bullshit questions even my EU wife sometimes with but still they detained for further checks

This is unusual, extremely unusual. I dont know and wont speculate on your immigration history or your nationality but I have traveled at least 25 times in and out of the UK on the my Residence Card vignette in my passport and was never detained, its worth mentioning I was usually traveling alone on business so without my EU Spouse. I was never detained or had any questions asked except once where they asked if my spouse still lived in the UK and that was it. I also have a close friend with the PR card, which I now have as well, and they have to my knowledge never in 6 months having the card been detained or questioned. But we are both visa-free nationals so maybe that makes a difference.

Maybe you have a name that is shared with someone on a (terror) watchlist or has a criminal background. I have never heard of anyone experiencing what you are (not on these forums or elsewhere) and its the opposite of my experience (really not once in 25 + trips through Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton etc have I had hassle).
And your partner details dont matter and you should tell them that, you have acheived an independent right of Permanent Residence that HO has confirmed and what your partner is doing is completely irrelevant.

[Millerco]

I am non EU I have BPR card but they stopped me twice in a month once at Heathrow for 50 minutes bullshit questions from Eco and second time stanstead same bullshit questions and detained for 40 minutes

A BRC/PR is not a Willie Wonka-style 'golden ticket'. UK is not in Schengen zone and, as any sovereign state, UK protects its borders for the greater good.
That's to be expected.

He didnt say it was a golden ticket as you put it and yes the UK is sovereign, and the Kaalo was granted evidence of PR by a sovereign UK government department which would have undertaken many checks before granting it. A person with PR is clearly become exempt from Immigration controls, so unless they have reason to suspect he isnt the actual holder of the PR status or he is a threat to public security or health there is really no need to detain the person and ask endless questions.

[noajthan]

He didnt say it was a golden ticket as you put it and yes the UK is sovereign, and the Kaalo was granted evidence of PR by a sovereign UK government department which would have undertaken many checks before granting it. A person with PR is clearly become exempt from Immigration controls, so unless they have reason to suspect he isnt the actual holder of the PR status or he is a threat to public security or health there is really no need to detain the person and ask endless questions.

Its not particularly surprising in the current geopolitical climate.

Border control is very different from immigration status.
Just because someone is exempt from immigration time restrictions does not mean they are waved in and out of country. (or even exempt from custom controls either).

The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is SEVERE

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/threat-levels

My wife (on UK immigration route) was stopped in UK airports every time she travelled using her BRP when she had ILR.
She's a perfectly respectable homemaker. But even with ILR (in her own right) she was often asked "where's your husband" & etc
I too have been stopped and interrogated by US authorities for no apparent reason.
Customs once stopped me as I walked quickly through the green channel; (I was simply late for a train connection).

It's what ECOs & IOs and border guards the world over do. The travelling public cannot tell what operations and sweeps may be underway at any particular time.

[Millerco]

Noajthan:

I dont think Kaalo was taking issue with being detained ever, it is the fact he has experience detaining or questioning seven times. That is not usual for the current climate, if someone was a genuine threat they would have not been let in the first time and then 6 more times or they would have had visits from the Police. I dont know Kaalo's full history or background but if he isnt connected to any criminal /terrorist activities and has a clean immigration history (no illegal stays or scams) there is absolutely no justification of why he should have been detained or questioned at length SEVEN TIMES, without cause that amounts to harrassment and is not a normal part of international travel even in the 'current times'.

But again I DO NOT know his background/history and if a person does have any links to terror/criminal behaviour/immigration fraud then of course they should expect issues when they enter the UK and Border Force are fully justified in questioning them each time they enter.

[noajthan]

Noajthan:

I dont think Kaalo was taking issue with being detained ever, it is the fact he has experience detaining or questioning seven times. That is not usual for the current climate, if someone was a genuine threat they would have not been let in the first time and then 6 more times or they would have had visits from the Police. I dont know Kaalo's full history or background but if he isnt connected to any criminal /terrorist activities and has a clean immigration history (no illegal stays or scams) there is absolutely no justification of why he should have been detained or questioned at length SEVEN TIMES, without cause that amounts to harrassment and is not a normal part of international travel even in the 'current times'.

But again I DO NOT know his background/history and if a person does have any links to terror/criminal behaviour/immigration fraud then of course they should expect issues when they enter the UK and Border Force are fully justified in questioning them each time they enter.

I suppose it depends what prompts the intervention.
If someone pops up on a screen as "being of interest" I guess it will happen every time, until and unless the underlying information changes.

[Kaalo1980]

Noajthan:

I dont think Kaalo was taking issue with being detained ever, it is the fact he has experience detaining or questioning seven times. That is not usual for the current climate, if someone was a genuine threat they would have not been let in the first time and then 6 more times or they would have had visits from the Police. I dont know Kaalo's full history or background but if he isnt connected to any criminal /terrorist activities and has a clean immigration history (no illegal stays or scams) there is absolutely no justification of why he should have been detained or questioned at length SEVEN TIMES, without cause that amounts to harrassment and is not a normal part of international travel even in the 'current times'.

But again I DO NOT know his background/history and if a person does have any links to terror/criminal behaviour/immigration fraud then of course they should expect issues when they enter the UK and Border Force are fully justified in questioning them each time they enter.

I suppose it depends what prompts the intervention.
If someone pops up on a screen as "being of interest" I guess it will happen every time, until and unless the underlying information changes.

Hi all members
I have clean immigration history almost 10 years now. No involvement in any illegal activity no offence in uk no ccj. Every time applied for visa on time got visa every time no refusal no appeal genuine marriage have kids living together

[Millerco]

Noajthan:

I dont think Kaalo was taking issue with being detained ever, it is the fact he has experience detaining or questioning seven times. That is not usual for the current climate, if someone was a genuine threat they would have not been let in the first time and then 6 more times or they would have had visits from the Police. I dont know Kaalo's full history or background but if he isnt connected to any criminal /terrorist activities and has a clean immigration history (no illegal stays or scams) there is absolutely no justification of why he should have been detained or questioned at length SEVEN TIMES, without cause that amounts to harrassment and is not a normal part of international travel even in the 'current times'.

But again I DO NOT know his background/history and if a person does have any links to terror/criminal behaviour/immigration fraud then of course they should expect issues when they enter the UK and Border Force are fully justified in questioning them each time they enter.

I suppose it depends what prompts the intervention.
If someone pops up on a screen as "being of interest" I guess it will happen every time, until and unless the underlying information changes.

Hi all members
I have clean immigration history almost 10 years now. No involvement in any illegal activity no offence in uk no ccj. Every time applied for visa on time got visa every time no refusal no appeal genuine marriage have kids living together

I can only guess but it seems like you might just have the bad luck of sharing your name with someone who is of interest to the Border Forces and as Noajthan said your name will keep popping in the system from time to time. That being said there is no reason for them to ask about your family situation, as a confirmed permanent resident the status of your EEA Spouse is not relevant or their business. The right you have acquired is now independent of your partner being in the UK or exercising treaty rights as they would have already done this for the required five years needed for you both to get PR rights.

[ankas]

I have just had two trips with the new BRP, one on my own and one with my husband.

On my own I tried to go through EU line but was stopped before reaching the queue. I went to the non-EU not wanting to argue. The officer started demanding a landing card and refused to listen so I appealed to another one standing nearby and they were much nicer and said I don't need to fill one. I was then told I should have gone to the EU line even on my own

The second time we just went to the EU line together as we always do. Still got asked about landing card but once he noticed the 'family member of a union citizen' at bottom of the card it was fine. Checked my fingerprints which I guess is going to be every time now.

It seems there is some confusion with the new biometric card format for family members. I never had the issues or demands for landing card with my previous 5 year sticker.

[Kaalo1980]

I have just had two trips with the new BRP, one on my own and one with my husband.

On my own I tried to go through EU line but was stopped before reaching the queue. I went to the non-EU not wanting to argue. The officer started demanding a landing card and refused to listen so I appealed to another one standing nearby and they were much nicer and said I don't need to fill one. I was then told I should have gone to the EU line even on my own

The second time we just went to the EU line together as we always do. Still got asked about landing card but once he noticed the 'family member of a union citizen' at bottom of the card it was fine. Checked my fingerprints which I guess is going to be every time now.

It seems there is some confusion with the new biometric card format for family members. I never had the issues or demands for landing card with my previous 5 year sticker.

U lucky they keep stopping me

[Garth1989]

Thank you for your responses everyone.

It looks like so many people are using the EEA line without any issues. Im travelling at the beginning of June so I will try use the EEA line when I arrive back at Heathrow.

I will post a reply once I have done so.

[fatimahh]

Just to add my personal experience with the ROR sticker in the passport. I travelled 2 times with my ROR sticker in the passport and as someone pointed out earlier, on the sight of my passport was directed to the non EEA queue, and both time was told that I should have used the EU queue even if I am divorce as the stickers still says family member of an EU. So next time I travel I will hide the passport and try the EU queue.

[Kaalo1980]

Just to add my personal experience with the ROR sticker in the passport. I travelled 2 times with my ROR sticker in the passport and as someone pointed out earlier, on the sight of my passport was directed to the non EEA queue, and both time was told that I should have used the EU queue even if I am divorce as the stickers still says family member of an EU. So next time I travel I will hide the passport and try the EU queue.

What I have rights as permanent resident?
I have one detention letter which they issue me at Heathrow that letter say I am suspending your leave to remain? Can they revoke permanent residence card?
Thanks

[noajthan]

Just to add my personal experience with the ROR sticker in the passport. I travelled 2 times with my ROR sticker in the passport and as someone pointed out earlier, on the sight of my passport was directed to the non EEA queue, and both time was told that I should have used the EU queue even if I am divorce as the stickers still says family member of an EU. So next time I travel I will hide the passport and try the EU queue.

What I have rights as permanent resident?
I have one detention letter which they issue me at Heathrow that letter say I am suspending your leave to remain? Can they revoke permanent residence card?
Thanks

Yes, 'they' can.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _clean.pdf