Can an American get a UK Transit Visa on Arrival?
A US citizen enroute to Almaty has a 17 hour layover in Heathrow requiring them to fly out of Stansted. The flight arrangements are necessarily complex owing to factors that are irrelevant here. Their air tickets are in order and they have a Kazakh visa.
Normally, the person could present their passport at immigration and request 'leave to enter' as a non-visa national who is visiting the UK. However, the person has significant issues which makes it really clear that they would not be able to qualify as a visitor and they would face certain removal if they tried.
So can they instead request a transit visa? These requirements seem to be less strict than a visitor and perhaps they could qualify under those rules. Would they have to apply beforehand via the British mission in New York? Or can they request a transit visa upon arrival? If so, which visa or document would they present in order to qualify?
Best Answer
All transit visa applications are now online, unless the applicant has the good fortune to be a resident of North Korea. https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/visitor-in-transit-visa
Applications cannot be made in the UK or in the British Islands.
UK Embassies no longer handle visa paperwork themselves, it's all outsourced.
If this guy is really such a liability to UK immigration, it's not obvious he'd get a visa. There are many other ways to get to ALA: AMS, LED, KPB, IST, AUH and FRA are short connection points wholly airside. Up against that, I wouldn't do the Heathrow-Stansted shuffle even as a British citizen.
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Can I get UK transit visa on arrival?
Direct Airside Transit visaDirect Airside Transit visas last for up to 24 hours, meaning the onward flight must be within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK. You cannot apply for this visa if you need to go through UK border control, for example to check in your luggage on to a connecting flight or to change airports.Do US visa holders need transit visa for UK?
You're going through UK border controlApply for a Visitor in Transit visa if you'll be going through UK border control but leaving the UK within 48 hours. You'll need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa if: you need to stay longer in the UK. you can prove you need to frequently pass through the UK over a longer ...Do I need transit visa for connecting flight in UK?
You might need a Visitor in Transit visa if you're: changing flights in the UK on your way to another country. going through UK border control, for example to check in your luggage for a connecting flight. leaving the UK within 48 hours.Can you get a transit visa at Heathrow Airport?
At London (Heathrow), there's the Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV). \u201cIf you're transiting London you need DATV. But if you're travelling, say, to the US, there are exemptions. Those with a valid US, Canadian, Australian, Japanese visa can travel to any country via London without DATV.How to Get a Transit Visa to the UK or USA | Full Information UK/ US Transit Visa
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