Hi I have posted a few times now about how I am currently booked to arrive in the UK on the 18th of March but my Working Holiday Visa commencement date is not until the 28th of March. I contacted the Embassey and they advised I would be refused entry if I tried to arrive earlier then the date stated. So I have decided that I will go to Europe somewhere for 10days. Okay I need to know about transitting. If I fly into Heathrow will they allow me to transit to say Stanstead to catch a flight? Or would I have to catch another flight out of Heathrow.
If any one could help that would be awesome. Cheers.
Mick
mugway05
1
mrs_trellis
Transit is staying airside and not entering the UK so no you won't be allowed to travel to Stansted.
2
tessha_m
can you not enter the first time as a tourist (no visa required if you are aussie) then leave and come back and enter as a WHV?
3
anonymous
Technically (and without bothering to look this up for you), you could do as 2 suggests, but there is also a chance that in fact this isn't true of a person arriving on a WHV, or that you might just get a bored, irritated immigration guy you decides to make life difficult for you just to make himself feel better. Before getting on your plane this is definately something to ask the High Commission people about, since being turned around at heathrow (or indeed before you even get on the plane in australia) is unlikely to make your day. Even though someone there has told you once you won't get in, try asking again. You won't be able to leave heathrow - it would be much easier if you can fly into somewhere other than the UK and then travel into the UK when you're visa is valid... why did you book your flight for 10 days before the start of your visa anyway?
4
anyfile
Even if you take another flight from Heathrow you may have to pass through immigration. This is surely the case if your is not a connection on the same ticket.
I do not know if you can be grant or not an extra period time, before the starting of your WHV period, as transit visa.
The only advice I can give you is to call again the Embassy (or the High Commission in this case) and to figure out what exactly is your position and what are you option. Can you change your flight?
5
dinkee
It says your from Australia in your bio. In that case they should let you in on a tourist visa.
Instead of going straight to London, if you have a stopover booked, I would spend the extra time there as its cheaper.
You can get heaps of cheap flights to do europe while you in England, so take the chance to spend the extra time somewhere else.
To answer your questions: going from heathrow to stanstead to change flights does not count as transit
6
jaali
Hey,
I know you can have the visa re-issued to an earlier date. This was done for my partner. We entered the UK about two weeks early. But you have to do it with a British consulate before you arrive.
7
mugway05
Hey there, Thanks heaps for the reply's. I have in fact called the High Commission and they advised that I will definately not be aloud enter the country as they wil see my WHV in passport. I think i will just have to bight the bullet and stay in Thailand for the extra 10days. I did ask them if I could change the start date on the visa and they said I could but I would have to re apply and cough up the money again. Its not really worth it and place I leave in a week and it wouldnt be processed in time.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner
trusted partner