Going from USA to India via London with expired US visa but valid Canadian visa
I am an Indian national going from US to India for H1B stamping via London Heathrow using British Airways. My F1 visa stamp has expired and I understand that this would mean that I require a DATV. But I have a valid unexpired Canadian visitor's visa. The BA people are trying to tell me that it only works if I was traveling from Canada to Heathrow. Is this true? I thought if one had a visa for US, Canada, Australia or NZ, it did not matter where one was traveling from?
Best Answer
According to the latest UK Visa Requirements document (July 2019), the first TWOV rule under Airside Transit says the following
(i) a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA (whether or not the holder is travelling to or from these countries);
Airside transit passengers are those who do not need to change airports and do not need to pass through the UK border.
Therefore, it now looks like we can transit through the UK with an expired US Visa but valid Canadian Visa, if we do not have to change airports.
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Can I transit through London with expired US visa?
Avoid Transit Visa to UK from USA If your US visa is expired, try to travel via Emirates with stopover in Dubai or other Middle Eastern countries or other Asia and European countries that doesn't require transit visa. Check the transit visa requirements before booking the flight tickets.Can I transit through USA with expired visa?
Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa. Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid.Do I need a transit visa when going to Canada via the USA I have a student visa for Canada?
You need an eTA to transit through Canada by air if you're from an eTA-required country. You don't need an eTA if you're transiting through Canada and you enter by train, bus, boat or cruise ship. You do need to bring the right travel documents.Does London need transit visa from US to India?
You should apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa if you arrive in the UK on a flight and leave again without passing through immigration control. Since it has been more than 6 months since i last entered USA, it looks like ill need the transit Visa to travel from USA to India via London, even if i stay airside.How to get US Visa as a student in Canada, Documents and Process with @Canadian Vibes with Jasmine
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Answer 2
The BA representative is correct. If you read the exception clause correctly it states the following:
(ab) a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from the country in respect of which the visa is held to another country or territory;
The part in bold is the condition that BA is referring to. It basically states, your journey should start or end in the country to which you hold the visa that allows the exception for TWOV.
As you are flying from the US (and not Canada for which you have the valid visa) - you'll need an airside transit visa.
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