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Original poster

To want our passports back from the HomeOffice

57 replies

smashedinductionhob · 13/03/2017 17:00

I mean the Government Home Office, not the little room in your house.:)

Dh has indefinite leave to remain here and has lived here since 1995 and worked here since 2000.

We sent off the forms to get him citizenship on 10th Feb together with both our passports.

I thought it would be like passport renewal where the first thing that happens is that they return your documents. But it seems not. You can't speak to anyone and there is a rather fierce form for getting your docs back that says they will only send them back if they cancel the application.

Is anyone going through this process or works in the system? We want to go on holiday in May and July!

OP posts:
MrsPear · 13/03/2017 18:59

That is why we paid extra and did the sit in service.

Original poster
smashedinductionhob · 13/03/2017 19:00

How would you interpret this?

www.gov.uk/visa-documents-returned.

"You might have to cancel your application - you’ll be told if you have to do this when you ask for your documents back."

OP posts:
akpounce · 13/03/2017 20:08

I would guess it depends how far along in the process they are and how hard it is to track down your documents and get them back. They may cancel your application if they haven't seen them yet. But not sure if cancelled application means refunded fees...

Original poster
smashedinductionhob · 13/03/2017 20:59

It is crazy to be scared of a form like this. I may contact my MP and ask him to ask.

What if dh's employer tells him he must get the passport back so he can organise the conference?

OP posts:
BoboChic · 14/03/2017 03:16

À French friend of ours who lives in London does have to travel all the time for work. He has sent in one of his passport/identity card and kept the other.

damnedgrubble · 14/03/2017 03:50

Government departments seem to labour under the misapprehension that we are all small minded individuals who do nothing other than sit on the sofa and watch soaps rather than being confident citizens who travel and have more brain cells than an individual who just sits nicely on their sofa and accepts all the crap that the government care to throw at them. It's pathetic in this day and age, especially as they can easily view all your passports online on their massive and probably insecure databases to get all the information that they need.
Good luck OP.

GreenGoblin0 · 14/03/2017 04:18

**How would you interpret this?
www.gov.uk/visa-documents-returned.

"You might have to cancel your application - you’ll be told if you have to do this when you ask for your documents back."**

it means what it says - this form.is used for different types of applications - for some eg an application for further leave to.remain you generally can't request the docs back for purpose of travel outside UK without withdrawing the application-
naturalisation is not one of them as you can travel whilst the application is under consideration. one of the first qs on the form is "do.you want to cancel your application " as long as you say no.the application won't be canceled. also as it says if requesting the docs back would automatically cancel the application you would be told when completing the form.

you can request docs back and they will then request docs from you again when they process application.

hellokittymania · 14/03/2017 05:24

You are not being unreasonable at all . A few years ago the US Embassy offered to parole me into the US since my mother is a citizen and I have a disability and no family in the UK . Had I taken the offer I would have had to stay in the country until I saw a judge . Most of my work is in developing countries . I run my own very small charity and usually do all of the work on my own so not being able to leave the country for possibly two years was out of the question . I had to renew my passport from Thailand in 2012 and was stuck for a month in the same place since you have to send your passport to the UK for renewal . Even then I did not like not having a passport .

toomuchtooold · 14/03/2017 06:04

Any chance you can apply for an extra copy of your existing passport?
I'm trying to remember what me and DH did. DH is Swiss so would have had his ID to travel on but me... it did take about 6 months as well. I suspect my passport might have come back faster than his. It's a massive PITA.

Decorhate · 14/03/2017 06:19

Not wanting to hijack but hope they improve the process before us 3 million need to apply for citizenship or indefinite leave to remain. Imagine the wait then...

rubybleu · 14/03/2017 06:27

There is a good website called immigrationboards who can answer this for you. I think you can cancel your application and get a refund- I did my ILR last week and am applying for citizenship later this month, and I'm sure I read something about that.

Next time pay the £80 and use the Nationality Checking Service! I have never given my passport for longer than 10 days to the Home Office over four different visas - the risk is not worth it.

Decorhate · 14/03/2017 06:45

That is good to know ruby. I can't be without mine for long due to needing to be able to visit elderly parents

SavoyCabbage · 14/03/2017 06:55

What!!!! My dh will be screwed as he travels all the time for work. It's particularly hard to be without your passport as an immigrant anyway I think as you lose the ability to jump on a plane to go to any family that might need you.

Original poster
smashedinductionhob · 14/03/2017 08:11

Hey thanks Green Goblin -

I take it you have some relevant inside knowledge of the process? Or is what you just said hidden on the website somewhere I can't see it.

So long as I can say "no we don't want to cancel" it would be fine. There is no hurry about the citizenship thing per se.

**How would you interpret this?
www.gov.uk/visa-documents-returned.

"You might have to cancel your application - you’ll be told if you have to do this when you ask for your documents back."**

it means what it says - this form.is used for different types of applications - for some eg an application for further leave to.remain you generally can't request the docs back for purpose of travel outside UK without withdrawing the application-
naturalisation is not one of them as you can travel whilst the application is under consideration. one of the first qs on the form is "do.you want to cancel your application " as long as you say no.the application won't be canceled. also as it says if requesting the docs back would automatically cancel the application you would be told when completing the form.

you can request docs back and they will then request docs from you again when they process application.

OP posts:
Latenightreader · 14/03/2017 08:23

I used to work for an MP and was the key person in the office for visa/immigration cases. MPs' offices have a special hotline they can use to get information on the progress of applications. However, we would rarely act if it had only been a month, unless there was a family emergency like a funeral, and then it would mainly be to get the passport returned and the application would have to start again. Do not make travel plans until you have the passport in your hands! I saw far too many people who did that and got angry because their tickets went to waste because the application was delayed. I absolutely appreciate how frustrating it is.

notcreative23 · 14/03/2017 08:26

Haven't read the full post but they usually don't return the passports and such until the end. They told me not to book any travel until I had a decision when I applied. Sorry :(

witwootoodleoo · 14/03/2017 08:38

Personally I would fill in the form to have the documents returned but write on it that you only wish to have it processed if it does not cancel the application. Include a copy of a letter from your DH's work confirming that he needs his passport to travel for business and write a reference to that letter on the form itself so if the two get separated it is obvious that there was a letter. A colleague did this and got her documents back within a week and the application wasn't cancelled.

GrassWillBeGreener · 14/03/2017 08:41

My brother-in-law nearly had to cancel an application to get his passport back for a work-related trip; I think though that that may have been when he was changing from a fiance to a spouse visa; and about 14 years ago. He got as far as going in person to collect it I think, but when they hunted for it they found it had just been processed ...

Hope you can sort something appropriate out; may be ok if you wait a while and work out a deadline by which time you request them back regardless. The ever-increasing fees must make it even more of a nightmare.

witwootoodleoo · 14/03/2017 08:41

Although if you're really concerned perhaps you could get some advice from an immigration specialist lawyer that deals regularly with city types that need to travel for business. It should only need an hour of advice so shouldn't be that expensive. Depending on where your DH works they might even have their own immigration lawyers that could be asked if they want him to travel for work - lots of big companies do. At least hen you would have something solid that you can rely on rather than us Internet randoms.

Original poster
smashedinductionhob · 14/03/2017 08:52

thanks, some good advice here.

The internet randoms are beating the home office forms hands down at present!

OP posts:
GreenGoblin0 · 14/03/2017 09:10

Hi OP

yes I'm an immigration advisor.

as long as you state that you don't wish to withdraw the application then it won't be cancelled.

it is different if you are applying to extend your visa and wish to travel outside the UK.

see attached warning that comes up if you are extending your visa but wish to request the passport back to travel outside UK. (ie it clearly states that it is a mandatory withdrawal) the same warning does not appear if you request passports back relating to citizenship application.

To want our passports back from the HomeOffice
brontolo · 14/03/2017 09:18

It is pretty well documented that it can take up to 6 months, as well as the naturalisation checking service which means you don't need to submit all documents....

But yes, for naturalisation, you can request the docs back without having to withdraw the whole application. So if travel is the priority, then you can do that.

ShotsFired · 14/03/2017 10:48

A friend of mine was doing the exact same thing - his employer needed him to travel several times and he managed to get either a passport or some form of travel authorisation before he was formally signed off by HO.

On the plus side, having done the Citizenship tests means he is now a pub quiz master on arcane facts about the country Grin

Original poster
smashedinductionhob · 14/03/2017 11:29

thanks Green Goblin!

OP posts:
gabsdot · 14/03/2017 11:54

My Irish brother and his American wife had their passports with the home office for 10 months a few years back when applying for leave to remain for my SIL. It was a pain because they couldn't travel anywhere for that time.