More chaotic scenes from Heathrow and other London airports this week as passengers queue for up to two hours to enter the UK. This is the third time in three months that the e-gates have suffered a technical fault. Not a fantastic first impression for visitors to the UK.

E-gates are designed to facilitate quicker entry to the UK. They can only be used if the individual:

• has a biometric passport
• is aged 12+ (though 12 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult); and
• is either:     
  • a British citizen; or
  • a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA; or
  • a member of the Registered Traveller Service (which is open to certain nationalities).

Importantly, for those entering the UK for the first time on the basis of a UK visa (such as a Skilled Worker, Intra Company Transfer, ancestry or spouse visa) they should queue up to have their UK visa stamped on entry. For subsequent entries into the UK however it's fine for them to use the e-gates.