Stamping in passport - 'on arrival to UK'

[TinTinTin]

Hello,

I'm going to apply for ILR next week under WP category. While calculating the absences during the past 5 years..i was going thru the stamping in my passport and found that some 'on entry' stamping on passport was not done on my passport.

My assumption is .. whenever you enter UK (travel by Flight/ Eurostar) from other coutry(mostly India/France) you will be stamped on arrival at airport.
a) Is my assumption correct ?

I entered UK in Aug 2002.

Aug-02 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Sep-03 stamping missing, landed at Heathrow *
Aug-04 stamping missing, landed at Heathrow *
Dec-04 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Apr-05 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Sep-06 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow

If you notice the above list, stamping 'on arrival at Heathrow' was not performed during Sep2003 & Aug2004. Any idea why its like this ?[/b]

b) Will this have any impact on my ILR application ?

C) Did anyone else notice this type of pattern of statmping ?

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Border guards are not perfect.

Sometimes they let bad people in.
Sometimes they refuse to let good people in.
Sometimes they forget to stamp passports when they should.
They probably also sometimes stamp passports when they shouldn't.

I would not worry about it too much. If you need to list your absences from the country, provide the full list. They will contact you if they need more information.

[Jeff Albright]

I would say what is important is your visas, IND stamps indicating variation of your leave (although that information is held on your BIA's file) and initial entry stamp.
If they did not stamp your passport on the way out and then on return, this means that the fact that your were out of the country has not been registered at all. So you simply ignore those.

[SYH]

Hello,

I'm going to apply for ILR next week under WP category. While calculating the absences during the past 5 years..i was going thru the stamping in my passport and found that some 'on entry' stamping on passport was not done on my passport.

My assumption is .. whenever you enter UK (travel by Flight/ Eurostar) from other coutry(mostly India/France) you will be stamped on arrival at airport.
a) Is my assumption correct ?

I entered UK in Aug 2002.

Aug-02 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Sep-03 stamping missing, landed at Heathrow *
Aug-04 stamping missing, landed at Heathrow *
Dec-04 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Apr-05 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow
Sep-06 Travel to UK stamping done at Heathrow

If you notice the above list, stamping 'on arrival at Heathrow' was not performed during Sep2003 & Aug2004. Any idea why its like this ?[/b]

b) Will this have any impact on my ILR application ?

C) Did anyone else notice this type of pattern of statmping ?

I have some stamps missing
The thing I am worried about is that I am pretty sure they have the landing card so I asked for SAR to get my records of entry so I can record it properly on the application and see what they have on record. I don't need to be tripped up by them.

[Christophe]

If they did not stamp your passport on the way out and then on return, this means that the fact that your were out of the country has not been registered at all. So you simply ignore those.

Most likely, though, there will be landing card that has been filled in. The trips where there are likely to be no record at all of arrivals are trips from Ireland.

I'd just fill in the form with the dates that you were away from the UK, as the form asks for.

Remember too that not everyone gets any stamps in the passport - EEA nationals and people with the right of abode in the UK never have their passport stamped into the UK (or out of it), yet they manage to naturalise perfectly successfully.

[jes2jes]

I would say what is important is your visas, IND stamps indicating variation of your leave (although that information is held on your BIA's file) and initial entry stamp.
If they did not stamp your passport on the way out and then on return, this means that the fact that your were out of the country has not been registered at all. So you simply ignore those.

I can tell you that when I received my SAB file, the only landing cards included where my initial entry into the UK. The rest were all missing or never stored I am assuming. I have flown in out of the country so many times I have lost count but I guess they only keep the important ones and the rest they can manage with the 'Stamps' in the passport.

[SYH]

I would say what is important is your visas, IND stamps indicating variation of your leave (although that information is held on your BIA's file) and initial entry stamp.
If they did not stamp your passport on the way out and then on return, this means that the fact that your were out of the country has not been registered at all. So you simply ignore those.

I can tell you that when I received my SAB file, the only landing cards included where my initial entry into the UK. The rest were all missing or never stored I am assuming. I have flown in out of the country so many times I have lost count but I guess they only keep the important ones and the rest they can manage with the 'Stamps' in the passport.

Damn well that sucks as I have had two second passports with my primary one and I no longer have the second passports as I turned them in

[Jeff Albright]

I can tell you that when I received my SAB file, the only landing cards included where my initial entry into the UK. The rest were all missing or never stored I am assuming. I have flown in out of the country so many times I have lost count but I guess they only keep the important ones and the rest they can manage with the 'Stamps' in the passport.

They are probably in LCU, Landing Cards Unit. But there are no automatic links between Home Office Case Information Database and the information on arrivals and LCs are not sent anywhere from LCU. It is only when a separate request being made that the landing cards are sent to those who requested them and then linked to your file.
When they open a file on you first, they do make a request for LC, as it helps them to build a full and correct profile about you.

It is astonishing but the facts show that departures from the UK, obtaining a new entry clearance, arrival in the UK are not recorded on your Home Office file automatically. If you do not inform BIA that you left, they would never find out unless someone looked into your case and ask for that information.

I left the UK in February following my successful appeal. Because BIA delayed implementing the court decision, I had to obtain a Work Permit clearance to come back to the UK and got it almost immediately. I told the ECM that my appeal was successful and that the BIA would have to issue Discretionary Leave. The ECM rang the Presenting Officers Unit to confirm this who said that it might take up to 6 weeks for them to process it. The ECM then suggested that he would issue me a Work Permit in the meantime. I filled an application form, as usual, provided my WP letter, etc and he issued me with the WP in 15 days but still had to refer my case to BIA. After obtaining a positive response, he stamped my WP visa. I travelled back, passed through immigration control in Manchester, got my visa stamped and LC filled in. The IO never recorded any information on any computer system. All he did was visually examining my passport, visa, Work Permit, writing down on my LC, stamping both my visa and LC and sending LC to LCU. That's all.

I got my discretionary leave in June so I ended up both with WP visa and Discretionary Leave as a ISD (Immigration Status Document). I assume that my WP is now invalid, as the DL has a later date on it so it overrode it.

The Home Office had no idea that:
- I was out of the country
- That I applied for entry clearance
- That the ECM rang POU, that I rang INEB
- That the entry clearance application was referred to them, as no record was left anywhere on their system
- That I came back to the country and when I did it
- The capacity in which I came back

I find these things truly amazing...

[SYH]

I can tell you that when I received my SAB file, the only landing cards included where my initial entry into the UK. The rest were all missing or never stored I am assuming. I have flown in out of the country so many times I have lost count but I guess they only keep the important ones and the rest they can manage with the 'Stamps' in the passport.

They are probably in LCU, Landing Cards Unit. But there are no automatic links between Home Office Case Information Database and the information on arrivals and LCs are not sent anywhere from LCU. It is only when a separate request being made that the landing cards are sent to those who requested them and then linked to your file.
When they open a file on you first, they do make a request for LC, as it helps them to build a full and correct profile about you.

It is astonishing but the facts show that departures from the UK, obtaining a new entry clearance, arrival in the UK are not recorded on your Home Office file automatically. If you do not inform BIA that you left, they would never find out unless someone looked into your case and ask for that information.

I left the UK in February following my successful appeal. Because BIA delayed implementing the court decision, I had to obtain a Work Permit clearance to come back to the UK and got it almost immediately. I told the ECM that my appeal was successful and that the BIA would have to issue Discretionary Leave. The ECM rang the Presenting Officers Unit to confirm this who said that it might take up to 6 weeks for them to process it. The ECM then suggested that he would issue me a Work Permit in the meantime. I filled an application form, as usual, provided my WP letter, etc and he issued me with the WP in 15 days but still had to refer my case to BIA. After obtaining a positive response, he stamped my WP visa. I travelled back, passed through immigration control in Manchester, got my visa stamped and LC filled in. The IO never recorded any information on any computer system. All he did was visually examining my passport, visa, Work Permit, writing down on my LC, stamping both my visa and LC and sending LC to LCU. That's all.

I got my discretionary leave in June so I ended up both with WP visa and Discretionary Leave as a ISD (Immigration Status Document). I assume that my WP is now invalid, as the DL has a later date on it so it overrode it.

The Home Office had no idea that:
- I was out of the country
- That I applied for entry clearance
- That the ECM rang POU, that I rang INEB
- That the entry clearance application was referred to them, as no record was left anywhere on their system
- That I came back to the country and when I did it
- The capacity in which I came back

I find these things truly amazing...

HMM my head is spinning as there are too many divisions to keep track
In any case, I asked for copies of my landing cards specifically so I guess I will get it in this case

Now that I asked for the SAR, does all the information go back to the HO and sychronize with their records?

[jes2jes]

I can tell you that when I received my SAB file, the only landing cards included where my initial entry into the UK. The rest were all missing or never stored I am assuming. I have flown in out of the country so many times I have lost count but I guess they only keep the important ones and the rest they can manage with the 'Stamps' in the passport.

They are probably in LCU, Landing Cards Unit. But there are no automatic links between Home Office Case Information Database and the information on arrivals and LCs are not sent anywhere from LCU. It is only when a separate request being made that the landing cards are sent to those who requested them and then linked to your file.
When they open a file on you first, they do make a request for LC, as it helps them to build a full and correct profile about you.

It is astonishing but the facts show that departures from the UK, obtaining a new entry clearance, arrival in the UK are not recorded on your Home Office file automatically. If you do not inform BIA that you left, they would never find out unless someone looked into your case and ask for that information.

I left the UK in February following my successful appeal. Because BIA delayed implementing the court decision, I had to obtain a Work Permit clearance to come back to the UK and got it almost immediately. I told the ECM that my appeal was successful and that the BIA would have to issue Discretionary Leave. The ECM rang the Presenting Officers Unit to confirm this who said that it might take up to 6 weeks for them to process it. The ECM then suggested that he would issue me a Work Permit in the meantime. I filled an application form, as usual, provided my WP letter, etc and he issued me with the WP in 15 days but still had to refer my case to BIA. After obtaining a positive response, he stamped my WP visa. I travelled back, passed through immigration control in Manchester, got my visa stamped and LC filled in. The IO never recorded any information on any computer system. All he did was visually examining my passport, visa, Work Permit, writing down on my LC, stamping both my visa and LC and sending LC to LCU. That's all.

I got my discretionary leave in June so I ended up both with WP visa and Discretionary Leave as a ISD (Immigration Status Document). I assume that my WP is now invalid, as the DL has a later date on it so it overrode it.

The Home Office had no idea that:
- I was out of the country
- That I applied for entry clearance
- That the ECM rang POU, that I rang INEB
- That the entry clearance application was referred to them, as no record was left anywhere on their system
- That I came back to the country and when I did it
- The capacity in which I came back

I find these things truly amazing...

HMM my head is spinning as there are too many divisions to keep track
In any case, I asked for copies of my landing cards specifically so I guess I will get it in this case

Now that I asked for the SAR, does all the information go back to the HO and sychronize with their records?

I also asked for landing cards, Infact, I made a list of everything I wanted and they came back with only one landing card which I filled in initially.

I am assuming HO has so many storage locations for different files that, it takes so much time and manpower to gather all these evidence. I guess for what they provide for the fee they charge, this is excellent service.
When you want more, I guess they charge you between £25-40 per hour for the service.

Jeff: It is amazing they do not have 'proper' exit controls but introducing them later. I guess the UK immigration is one of the best but still needs a lot to be ironed out.

I once got into trouble in the US because there was no stamp in my passport at HTR when I returned to the UK from the US. The IO said I never left and I have to explain I left but my passport was not stamped when I got back but he can check with the HO since I filled in a landing card and also surrendered my I-94 to the airline.

God help us in these days of terrorists and so on, we need to do something about people coming in and going out. Well, at least, from the 17th of July (I think), all people applying for EC from abroad need to provide biometric data.

[Jeff Albright]

Jeff: It is amazing they do not have 'proper' exit controls but introducing them later. I guess the UK immigration is one of the best but still needs a lot to be ironed out.

But Jes, even if they introduce such controls, I don't honestly think they will linking departures with Home Office files. There may be some record left somewhere but since LCs do not get linked to the files, what do you expect from them? Imagine how many heaps of LCs they send to LCU on a daily basis and how many departure cards will be sent there, too, once the exit controls are re-introduced...

[jes2jes]

Jeff: It is amazing they do not have 'proper' exit controls but introducing them later. I guess the UK immigration is one of the best but still needs a lot to be ironed out.

But Jes, even if they introduce such controls, I don't honestly think they will linking departures with Home Office files. There may be some record left somewhere but since LCs do not get linked to the files, what do you expect from them? Imagine how many heaps of LCs they send to LCU on a daily basis and how many departure cards will be sent there, too, once the exit controls are re-introduced...

Jeff, a simple (not so simple) solution is to scan all the landing cards into a computer system which would be saved under peoples HO Reference numbers and the the paper mountains thrown away. In doing so, the HO can always access this terminal remotely if the need be. I am assuming this would be stored on a massive database with a few people employed to do the scanning.

[TinTinTin]

Bit confused.. on seeing the responses.. can i take it as 'not to bother' about the missing stamps ?

I did chk with 3 other passport on similar situation.. all of them did say its 'missing'. Does this ring any bell on why its missing ? I dont think it was missed out by mistake and its done by purpose.

Any thoughts are always welcome.

thanks

[bbdivo]

My passport was only ever stamped three times when entering the UK, once when I first entered on my work permit, once when I first entered the UK on my FLR and once when I first entered the UK with my ILR. i have travelled many times into and out of the UK during the whole period. When working out my time outside the UK I had to mainly rely on foreign stamps in my passport as they would always stamp me in and out.