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My wife and my son have UK visas in previous passports, and traveled to the UK in August with both passports.

My wife has the landing stamp in her new passport, with a note saying VIPP, as expected.

My son has the landing stamp in his expired passport even though both passports were together and the new one was scanned. This looks like a simple mistake to me, the officer got a little distracted when another officer came to his desk asking for something else.

We have since left the UK after completing our tour. I'm not too bothered about it, but for the sake of knowledge; Should I request correction somehow?

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  • My wife has had some similar mixups in the US. We did nothing about it, but she's in the US for "duration of status," so the details of comings and goings are less important, and, of course, the UK is not the US.
    – phoog
    Commented Sep 17, 2019 at 11:07

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I'm not too bothered about it, but for the sake of knowledge; Should I request correction somehow?

No, since the granted leave to enter will have been entered electronically as part of the Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) system.

The 'landing stamp' (leave to enter) is not mentioned at all in the 'Immigration Rules part 1: leave to enter' text.

Nowadays, the passport will be scanned when the leave to enter is granted and a corresponding exit record will later be added, so an Immigration Official can see when and how long your previous visits lasted.

Since the leave to enter expires when you leave the UK (and thus a new leave to enter must be applied for when returning soon after), the stamp itself is basically more cosmetic than useful. There are, however, exceptions where a stamp is strictly required (see Creative Worker Certificate of Sponsorship below).

In the past this was different. The Immigration Official had to rely on the stamps to determine if one had overstayed.

The landing card had no 'exit' portion that would be collected when leaving. So there was no central office that checked if you actually left.

I have added some images from 1972/3 below to show how it was dealt with then.

Leave to enter granted on arrival in the United Kingdom
23A. A person who is not a visa national and who is seeking leave to enter on arrival in the United Kingdom for a period not exceeding 6 months for a purpose for which prior entry clearance is not required under these Rules may be granted such leave, for a period not exceeding 6 months. This paragraph does not apply where the person is a British National (Overseas), a British overseas territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen, a British protected person, or a person who under the British Nationality Act 1981 is a British subject.

Getting your passport stamped by a Border Force officer
You must see a Border Force officer and get your passport stamped if you’re coming to the UK:

  • with a Temporary Work - Creative Worker Certificate of Sponsorship for short-term assignments (up to 3 months)
  • as the family member of an EEA national seeking to join them permanently in the UK and you’re arriving in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020.

If you use the eGates by mistake, please see a Border Force officer before you leave the port to receive a stamp in your passport.

Withdrawal of landing cards
Passengers do not need to complete a landing card when they arrive in the UK.

Sources:

Visit before School started Visit home
Home Office stamp covering the school year
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