Hi all,
I am a Singaporean passport holder with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
I went on holiday in Nov 2019 for 5 days and when I returned to the UK (London Stansted Airport) on 16 Nov 19, I was directed to use the epassport gate by the airport staff. They told me that as a Singaporean passport holder with ILR, I can use the epassport gate without a stamp in my passport (which I used to get in the past whenever I returned to the UK).
I then went on another holiday in Dec 2019 and when I returned to the UK (London Heathrow) on 27 Dec 19, I was also directed to use the epassport gate. However, this time round, I requested to see a Borders Control officer which was granted. The Borders Control Officer advised me that it is good practice to have my passport stamped if I am a ILR holder. When I asked him if it is still actually OK for me to use the epassport gate or not, his answer was "yes or no" but it is good practice to have my passport checked and stamped by a Borders Controls officer to show that I have acted in good faith. He then stamped my passport and allowed me to go through.
I'm aware that with effect from 20/05/2019, the epassport gate can be used by citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA. Previously, this was available to them only if they were registered as a Registered Traveller. However, as far as I could see, there's no information published regarding whether those citizens can continue to use the epassport gate if they are entering the UK as an ILR holder (rather than a visitor). From my experiences as described above, it seems that even the airport staff and border controls officers themselves are unsure.
Just wondering did anyone experience the same situation before?
Can anyone advise whether I can use the epassport gate or not? If there's any official guidance on this, please refer it to me. Thanks!
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