Info on travel doc / UK transit visa

[Pjk1]

Hi All,
I am landing in Toronto by Nov 8, going on a relocation by my employer. However I will have to come for a two weeks vacation (family reason) in end of December. I have few questions.

1. Can I get the PR card processing expedited by giving the proof of travel in dec? I will have to return by 45-50 days of landing.
2. In case PR card is not arrived, I plan go back to India and apply for a travel document from NDVO.
3. I hope Toronto to India trip should not have any transit trouble as it will be considered as return back from Canada with a Visa
4. Does this travel doc good enough to transit back to Toronto via London, heathrow? (from terminal 2 to 4, connection time 3-4 hrs)?? Or do i need to get a transit visa for UK?

Experts please help..

 

[Lammawitch]

Hi All,
I am landing in Toronto by Nov 8, going on a relocation by my employer. However I will have to come for a two weeks vacation (family reason) in end of December. I have few questions.

1. Can I get the PR card processing expedited by giving the proof of travel in dec? I will have to return by 45-50 days of landing.
No. Urgent processing is not available for first PR card applications.

2. In case PR card is not arrived, I plan go back to India and apply for a travel document from NDVO.
No problem

3. I hope Toronto to India trip should not have any transit trouble as it will be considered as return back from Canada with a Visa
Again, not a problem

4. Does this travel doc good enough to transit back to Toronto via London, heathrow? (from terminal 2 to 4, connection time 3-4 hrs)?? Or do i need to get a transit visa for UK?
Not a problem. You can transit Heathrow on a PRTD; your case does not require a UK transit visa.

Experts please help..

 

[Msafiri]

...
3. I hope Toronto to India trip should not have any transit trouble as it will be considered as return back from Canada with a Visa
4. Does this travel doc good enough to transit back to Toronto via London, heathrow? (from terminal 2 to 4, connection time 3-4 hrs)?? Or do i need to get a transit visa for UK?

Experts please help..

3. Once you land in Toronto your PR Visa will be crossed out as single use document. The Transit Without Visa Scheme (TWOV) by the UK border authorities requires the passenger to hold a valid visa. My take is that you don't have a valid visa once your PR visa is crossed out. You may have problems boarding.

4. PRTD counts as a valid visa so should be ok.

The main downside with the TWOV is that its a concessionary scheme not included in the UKs immigration rules (most which carry a right of entry and appeal when a visa is held). As such its discretionary (no right of entry or appeal) and it depends on the border agent you find on the day. He/she may decide not to buy your transit story and can bounce you so you end up stuck airside. To better guarantee a UK transit either apply for a regular UK visa or use a different airport that has less restrictive transit regulations for Indian passport holders e.g Schipol Amsterdam.

 

[Lammawitch]

3. Once you land in Toronto your PR Visa will be crossed out as single use document. The Transit Without Visa Scheme (TWOV) by the UK border authorities requires the passenger to hold a valid visa. My take is that you don't have a valid visa once your PR visa is crossed out. You may have problems boarding.

4. PRTD counts as a valid visa so should be ok.

The main downside with the TWOV is that its a concessionary scheme not included in the UKs immigration rules (most which carry a right of entry and appeal when a visa is held). As such its discretionary (no right of entry or appeal) and it depends on the border agent you find on the day. He/she may decide not to buy your transit story and can bounce you so you end up stuck airside. Either apply for a regular UK visa or use a different airport that has less restrictive transit regulations for Indian passport holders e.g Schipol Amsterdam.

OP will have a PRTD, in the scenario s/he presented. With a PRTD, there is no need for a UK transit visa, and no need to worry about it either. Even with a transfer between terminals at Heathrow, s/he remains "airside" as a transit passenger.

Worst case scenario: s/he gets escorted/accompanied between terminals from touch down to take off.

 

[Msafiri]

OP will have a PRTD, in the scenario s/he presented. With a PRTD, there is no need for a UK transit visa, and no need to worry about it either. Even with a transfer between terminals at Heathrow, s/he remains "airside" as a transit passenger.

Worst case scenario: s/he gets escorted/accompanied between terminals from touch down to take off.

On reflection my response to 3 may have been more clear. I understand the OP is travelling from India to Toronto via London to Land. Her/his PR visa will be valid and will be acceptable to TWOV by the UK border authorities. Once he/she lands in Toronto on Nov 8 this PR Visa will be crossed out since its a single use document. OP will then in December if PR card not issued by then (unlikely given processing times) return to India on routing Toronto-London- India. My take is that the now crossed out PR Visa won't qualify as a 'valid' visa for the UK border authorities on this 'return' leg so I'd expect issues with boarding and/or TWOV if he/she does board and makes it to London. UK border authorities may not have time to review/understand the whole I landed, I'm a PR and couldn't wait for my PR Card etc explanation.

Once in India (I'm ignoring their routing) he/she will get a PRTD which will be good for use India-London-Toronto (as per 4) to return back after their December trip.

Maybe I'm missing something?? It will probably be helpful if the OP re-clarifies his routing too...are you landing in Nov 8 then returning to India immediately and back to Canada in Dec or are you remaining in Canada and returning to India in Dec? what's your travel situation? His/her comments about return by 45-50 days of landing indicates he/she is waiting in Canada for these number of day before his/her first exit but I could be wrong.

 

[Pjk1]

Thanks for your valuable feedback. This gave me plenty of information. My situation is:
I will land on Nov 8 and apply for PR Card at airport. I am landing with a job.
Will start working from Nov 9, and fly back to India on 30/31 Dec for a vacation.
If i get my PR card by then, everything fine, just travel with no worries...

Else, I will apply for PRTD in India, and fly back immediately after I get it. I hope getting a PRTD should not be a problem...Let me know if anyone had any experience getting PRTD from India.

Now If my return is via Heathrow (i will stay airside with thru checkin), should I still need a transit visa or will they consider my PRTD as a visa. My other option is to consider route via Abudhabi/Dubai, but that ticket is more expensive...

Thanks much...

 

[Lammawitch]

If your return trip from India *to* Canada is via Heathrow, and you have either your PR card or a PRTD, you do not need a transit visa for the uk (Heathrow).

MSAFIRI addressed a possibility I hadn't thought about: that your flight from Canada back to India might transit via Heathrow. If you don't have your PR card, then in that case you would need a DATV:
https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/direct-airside-transit-visa

 

[Pjk1]

Thanks so much Lammawitch & MSAFIRI for the information..
I would look for a flight via UAE, so that visa is not required...