Advantages of having British passport compare to ILR

[Casa]

but as a British citizen you can vote in general elections (and referendums )

You can vote in general elections and referendums as a ILR holder.

To vote in a UK general election a person must be registered to vote and also
18 or over
be a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
Additionally, the following cannot vote in a UK general election:
members of the House of Lords (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
EU citizens resident in the UK (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
anyone other than British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens
convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election

[WR1]

I'm not disputing the rules but my other half who is only a ILR holder and registered to vote was able to vote in both the election in May 2015 and the EU referendum. Received voting cards for both and voted in both

[Casa]

I'm not disputing the rules but my other half who is only a ILR holder and registered to vote was able to vote in both the election in May 2015 and the EU referendum. Received voting cards for both and voted in both

Slipped through the net then.

[WR1]

I'm not disputing the rules but my other half who is only a ILR holder and registered to vote was able to vote in both the election in May 2015 and the EU referendum. Received voting cards for both and voted in both

Slipped through the net then.

Possibly. In fact she was still on a spouse visa when we voted in the general election on 7 May 2015 as she didn't obtain ILR until 26 May 2015 (same day PEO).

[Casa]

I'm not disputing the rules but my other half who is only a ILR holder and registered to vote was able to vote in both the election in May 2015 and the EU referendum. Received voting cards for both and voted in both

Slipped through the net then.

Possibly. In fact she was still on a spouse visa when we voted in the general election on 7 May 2015 as she didn't obtain ILR until 26 May 2015 (same day PEO).

Not sure how she managed to register on the Electoral Register. Does this mean that the Brexit vote is void?

[secret.simon]

I have voted in every election since I arrived in the UK on a T1G visa. I was a qualifying Commonwealth citizen.

Essentially any legally resident Commonwealth citizen who is not on a visit visa qualifies to be registered to vote. So a Commonwealth citizen student on a T4 visa can vote as can his Commonwealth citizen spouse on a T4 dependent visa.

Possibly. In fact she was still on a spouse visa when we voted in the general election on 7 May 2015 as she didn't obtain ILR until 26 May 2015 (same day PEO).

Not sure how she managed to register on the Electoral Register. Does this mean that the Brexit vote is void?

No need to worry, Casa. That won't be grounds for rerunning the referendum.

Commonwealth citizens do need ILR/settled status to be either elected as MPs or appointed as members of the Lords. Indeed, till Gordon Brown's prime ministership, it was possible for a Commonwealth citizen on a limited visa to be elected an MP. The law was amended to require at least ILR/settled status for MPs and members of the House of Lords.

There is , to my knowledge, at least one member of the House of Lords who is a non-British Commonwealth citizen. Baroness Gardner of Parkes is an Australian citizen with Right of Abode (she had arrived in the UK in 1957).

There have not been any MPs who have been Commonwealth citizens without also holding British citizenship.

[Casa]

From what I can gather, WR1's wife isn't a Commonwealth citizen and isn't included on the list of qualifying voters.

[Mary937]

Maybe silly question. Holders of ILR should go to which passport control at the airport please? British passports line or other passports line? Thanks.

[Casa]

Other passports as they're not British

[Mary937]

And still the same procedures like answering the questions and fingerprints?

[CR001]

And still the same procedures like answering the questions and fingerprints?

Yes. They don't take finger prints as standard procedure on arriving in the UK. Where did you hear that from?

[Mary937]

Hi CR001:-))

They always ask to put fingers and they check it against information in your ID card. It is a normal procedure all the time.

[CR001]

I have never had that, so have no idea about it.

[noajthan]

I still miss singing the national anthem at the end of a cinema screening.

[cs95tdg]

I have never had that, so have no idea about it.

I think what the OP is referring the BRP fingerprint verification that's done every time you re-enter the UK. Those who've never had a Biometric permit wouldn't be familiar with this step as you just show your passport with visa vignette/ILR stamp in it when entering.

[CR001]

I have never had that, so have no idea about it.

I think what the OP is referring the BRP fingerprint verification that's done every time you re-enter the UK. Those who've never had a Biometric permit wouldn't be familiar with this step as you just show your passport with visa vignette/ILR stamp in it when entering.

I have entered the UK with a BRP card and never had my fingerprints taken. It must be something recent or fairly new then.

[Mary937]

And they will do the same on departures:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... print.html

[cs95tdg]

I have never had that, so have no idea about it.

I think what the OP is referring the BRP fingerprint verification that's done every time you re-enter the UK. Those who've never had a Biometric permit wouldn't be familiar with this step as you just show your passport with visa vignette/ILR stamp in it when entering.

I have entered the UK with a BRP card and never had my fingerprints taken. It must be something recent or fairly new then.

That's interesting. It's been around at least since 2012, which is when I got my first BRP at the point of extending leave. Ever since I got a BRP, the thumb print scan has been a consistent standard step when re-entering. I assumed it applied to everyone who held one as part of the identity verification process.

[CR001]

I have entered the UK with a BRP card and never had my fingerprints taken. It must be something recent or fairly new then.

That's interesting. It's been around at least since 2012, which is when I got my first BRP at the point of extending leave. Ever since I got a BRP, the thumb print scan has been a consistent standard step when re-entering. I assumed it applied to everyone who held one as part of the identity verification process.[/quote]
I have had a BRP in 2010 spouse visa and again for ILR in 2012, never been asked for finger print, neither has my daughter who has travel more extensively than I have.

[cs95tdg]

And they will do the same on departures

I've never personally been been through a fingerprint check when leaving the UK, only when entering.

I have had a BRP in 2010 spouse visa and again for ILR in 2012, never been asked for finger print, neither has my daughter who has travel more extensively than I have.

It appears then that the process differs for individuals, criteria for the difference unknown at this point in time.

[noajthan]

And they will do the same on departures

I've never personally been been through a fingerprint check when leaving the UK, only when entering.

I have had a BRP in 2010 spouse visa and again for ILR in 2012, never been asked for finger print, neither has my daughter who has travel more extensively than I have.

It appears then that the process differs for individuals, criteria for the difference unknown at this point in time.

My wife got pulled over and given ninth degree and bags searched and finger-printed - all because she smiled at IOs as she came into arrivals. (She was simply happy to be home or maybe they were bored/have a quota).

[CR001]

Maybe it has something to do with nationality/commonwealth cit etc. Who knows, with HO anything is possible or unpredictable

[cs95tdg]

Yes, agree it could be anything. I've never particularly been bothered by it, as it was consistent on every entry. And it also seemed a logical thing to do, if you do have biometric permit to verify that the biometrics of the person entering matches what's on record.

[secret.simon]

That's interesting. It's been around at least since 2012, which is when I got my first BRP at the point of extending leave. Ever since I got a BRP, the thumb print scan has been a consistent standard step when re-entering. I assumed it applied to everyone who held one as part of the identity verification process.

Same here. I was consistently asked for my fingerprints on arrival in the UK. It never bothered me as, as cs95tdg mentioned, if they have them on record, it makes sense for the IO to use your fingerprints to authenticate you.

I've never personally been been through a fingerprint check when leaving the UK, only when entering.

I think exit checks only started last year. If you acquired BC before then, your biometrics likely would not be checked on exit.

I still miss singing the national anthem at the end of a cinema screening.

I come from a country where it is customary to stand when the national anthem is played, even on TV and I get strange glances from my born-in-the-UK flatmates (of all ethnicities) when I do that. Apparently, it is not the done thing here. Then again, the attitude towards the military and national loyalties (are you European, British, English, or a Yorkshireman) also differ from my country of origin.

[cs95tdg]

I've never personally been been through a fingerprint check when leaving the UK, only when entering.

I think exit checks only started last year. If you acquired BC before then, your biometrics likely would not be checked on exit.

Again another inconsistency then as I only acquired BC this year. Travelled in and out with by BRP last year without any exit checks. I do recall the press around the introduction of the checks. My travel was through air, not ground - so possibly the new exit checks were for those travelling by road/rail, as advance passenger details are captured as part of the information captured when booking flights - Not quite the same as biometric verification though.