IRIS - Iris Recognition Immigration System

[UKDEB]

Has anyone enrolled? How long did the enrolment process take and did it save you time on re-enty to the UK?

 

[tashasmum]

I'd be very interested in knowing also, just read up on it on the website and it sounds great, especially if it speeds up coming back into the U.K. This January it took us longer to get back into UK at Manchester than it did getting into Orlando, three jumbos came in at once and only 2 immigration officals on the standard desks.

 

[tashasmum]

just read some more, it takes 5-10 minutes to enrol and 20 seconds to clear the automatic barrier (automatic no happy immigration offical to deal with ) sounds better each time, might try and sign up when we go in August

Website details are

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/iris/

Thanks for letting us know about this, hadn't heard much about it before

 

[giggler]

Oh, This sounds great.
I would deffo register for this. theres nothing more i hate than having to go through that process after a 9 hr flight.

giggler

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Deb,
Thanks for that info.
So in theory, if we enroll here (already photo'ed in US) it should be alot quicker going through immigration both ends???
Tracy

 

[gavvy]

I tried to enrol in heathrow last year but was refused as I was not a frequent enough flyer from a london airport, think i was told it needed to be over 10 trips per year.

This may have changed now though, I am unsure.

 

[AliceGardner]

Husband and I have enrolled. Enrollment was fairly quick (15 minutes), but we have had problems using the system to get back into the UK: you have to line up your eyes into a certain position for it to get a good reading of your irises. Sometimes it just doesn't seem to work . Last time we tried to use it, had to go through normal imigration - maybe there is a nack to it that we haven't quite managed to get yet...

Personally I believe that the design is a bit flawed - i.e. they should have designed a more fool-proof iris reader...

Still, now we travel with Lucy quite a bit, we can't use it at the moment anyway.

Alice

 

[Neoshoegal]

hadn't even heard of it. Seems interesting. If it's only for frequent flyers, we probably wouldn't get it either though

 

[oceanscape]

I tried to enrol in heathrow last year but was refused as I was not a frequent enough flyer from a london airport, think i was told it needed to be over 10 trips per year.

This may have changed now though, I am unsure.

DH and I signed up about a month ago, and the couple in front of us were also told that they didn't fly regularly enough to qualify for the scheme.

 

[Claire L]

Saw the new barriers going up at the South Terminal in Gatwick today as we came through, they are to the far left hand side of passport control. From the looks of things it shouldn't be too long before it is up and running, I hope!

Claire

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Yes,
I enrolled at Birmingham.
It is quicker (when it works!) but don't fool yourself that there are no immigration Officers, two normally stand near the machine watching every move.

 

[Frances999]

DH and I signed up but it's a bit of a pain because we can only use it when we haven't got the children with us, since you have to be over a certain age (10?) to use it. It definitely does save time, but like Alice said it can be a bit of a pain to line up correctly with the camera.