I am an Indian Citizen, with a valid H1B visa and I am traveling to Europe for my vacation. I will be getting a Schengen Visa from the consulate of my destination. I wanted to ask if I have a stop at LHR (or any airport in UK for that matter), will I need a transit visa?
The layover will be on the same calendar day (about 10 hours or less), and I do not want to get out of the airport.
I did check online resources like:
- https://www.quora.com/I-am-flying-to-India-from-NYC-via-London-I-am-on-H1B-visa-Do-I-need-UK-visa#
- https://www.quora.com/H-1B-Visa-Am-I-allowed-to-travel-via-London-Heathrow-to-India-Indian-citizen-living-in-USA And it says that I will not require it.
I checked at this link: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa And it says I do need it:
You’ll need a visa to pass through the UK in transit (unless you’re exempt)
You should apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa if you arrive in the UK on a flight and leave again without passing through immigration control. Exemptions
You don’t need a visa if you have one of the following:
- a visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA (this can be used for travel to any country)
- a residence permit issued by Australia or New Zealand
- a common format residence permit issued by an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
- a resident permit issued by Canada after 28 June 2002
- a uniform format category D visa for entry into a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
- an Irish biometric visa (marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the ‘Remarks’ section)
- a Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling to the Schengen country that issued the visa
- a flight ticket from the Schengen area, if you can prove that you entered the Schengen area in the previous 30 days on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa
- a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa issued by the USA (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted)
- a valid USA permanent residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998
- an expired USA I-551 Permanent Residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998, with a valid I-797 letter authorising extension
- a valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B issued by the USA (attached to a sealed brown envelope)
I don't see any exemption criteria that qualifies a H1B Visa holder with a valid Schengen visa to transit without a transit-visa.
In case I do need it, how long does it usually take? I have about 30 days before I travel.
Note: Last year I had a stop in Toronto, and I found that I need a transit visa the hard way. The airline didn't warn me until I tried to check-in into the flight the day before, and as a result I had to do a last minute change which was very expensive. So this time I want to confirm/assure to avoid the last minute stress.
