Is a biometric card now required for re-entry into UK?!

[CaliGirl7595]

Hi. My 20 year old daughter recently returned from her first holiday abroad. She holds(as do I and my younger 13 year old daughter) ILR but the ILR is in our expired passports which we assumed we could still carry together for travel and re-entry purposes. My daughter just happened to have a biometric card with her as she had to apply for one for her job. The officer told her it was a good thing she had a biometric card as she would have been refused re-entry if she didn't have one. He said it was now required and it was no longer permissable to travel with your old and new passports. I have a biometric card application in process and am panicking as I now believe I must make an application for my 13 year old daughter as well otherwise she will be refused re-entry when we return from out holidays in July. Please does anyone have any information regarding this issue? I called UKVI and they told me to go by what uk border patrol told my 20 year old and refused to clarify . Thank you for your reply. P.S. We've lived here in the UK for nearly 10 years so our ILR visas are not recently issued.

[geriatrix]

You don’t have to transfer your visa - you can carry both your old and new passports when travelling to or from the UK instead.

AIUI:
1. There is still no need to transfer visa (which is now issued as a biometric card rather than a vignette glued to your passport) to a new passport for travelling in/out of UK.
2. A biometric card is now mandatory as evidence of right to work in the UK.

[CaliGirl7595]

I know that information is what is on the website but the reps I have spoken to via the 0300 number have said that the laws may have been tightened and the website hasn't been updated to reflect this and that I should go by what the immigration officer told my daughter at Manchester airport. I need to know if anyone else has either travelled very recently, within the last 2 weeks or so, using their 2 passports or if they have been told the same thing by immigration control at the airport.

[vinny]

the laws may have been tightened and the website hasn't been updated to reflect this

It may be unreasonable for them to enforce a requirement when their website states the opposite.

[ouflak1]

the laws may have been tightened and the website hasn't been updated to reflect this

It may be unreasonable for them to enforce a requirement when their website states the opposite.

That's a pretty darn big change. Going from just needing a passport and a normal visa (or being visa free) to requiring another piece of formal UK identification as well. You'd think this would have been mentioned somewhere in a press release or something, even if it was just a bit of forewarning comments to a journalist by the Home Office or something.

[petervang]

This is pretty interesting an immigration officer advising someone of the change while the official website is showing complete different information. Could it be true that the website has not been updated as this is what the caller to HO number 0300 was told.
This would be rather be unfair on the people who travel abroad following the information posted on the UKVI website. Lets hear from others who may know more about the issue. Regards

[tooting80]

Hi

We need some clear instruction on this issue as i haved booked my flight to travel abroad in August and my ILR stamp is in my expired passport. I was told on this forum that it should be fine to travel with two passports but now im worried after reading this post. I dont want to apply for a brp by postal service as it could take up to six months. Premium service is not an option for me as its too expensive.

[petervang]

Hi everybody, has anyone else tried to inquire directly from UKVI regarding this issue as it would definitely cause problems for many people.lets hear from more members on this issue. Then again it has been said many times in the forum that information given over the phone by UKVI agents are rarely reliable.Regards.

[kiki-hurry]

Hello there,

I re-entered the UK from LHR with 2 passports (a current one and an old one with ILR sticker) on 7th April this year and the officer didn't say anything about it'snot permitted now to carry an old passport?
Is 7th April is not recent enough???

[petervang]

Hi Kiky-Hurry, that's some positive news, hope those concerned will feel relieved. I remember, long time ago when I was travelling abroad I was told at the Airport by an immigration officer that If I stay abroad for more than 12 months then I would lose my ILR since the law has now changed from 2 years to 1 year. Yet this was not changed in anyway and at any time. (Of course this was during the time when they had exit control and they used to stamp your passports with exit date)

Sometimes it looks like the IO's just pour out their on thinking to frustrate people.

Regards