Page 3 | To wonder why during my passport interview they asked me this...

InTheFridge · 2022-08-20T17:48:57+00:00

Had my Passport interview this week (waited 10 weeks for anyone wanting to know). Was a virtual interview where I was asked several questions which made sense to me; who I bank with, how long I've lived at current address etc. He also asked the down stairs lay out of my house. I can't think why ! Does anyone know ?

birdling · 21/08/2022 11:12

hellosunshineagainx · 20/08/2022 23:03

I got my first adult passport in 2013 and had an interview. They didn't ask my layout but then kept pronouncing my street name wrong to see if I corrected them

I think I would have been too polite to correct them 🤣

User639921 · 21/08/2022 11:17

InTheFridge · 21/08/2022 10:31

I never had my own passport as a child. I went abroad as a child and into my teens but back then you could be on a group passport (like going away with a school) or on my parents passport. I think I also had a card passport at some point in my 20's but that was only valid for one year.

The paper one was the British Visitors passport which iirc was for some European countries for holidays which you got at the post office.

DS didn't have an interview as he was renewing a child passport.

dudsville · 21/08/2022 11:25

How interesting! I ticked yanbu after reading your OP, then read the list of questions helpfully linked upthread. I can honestly say that if I had not read this, and had to have an interview today for a passport, then I would fail. And for the silliest reason. I would presume it was fraud and that they were trying to steal my identification!

Anewdayanewdawn · 21/08/2022 11:34

To throw you off if you’ve rehearsed answers. Immigration do it too.
at NYC immigration I
was asked How long are you here for? Purpose of trip? What car do you drive? Are you planning on working while you’re here?

then car Q was supposed to throw me a bit and the next one to catch me out as I was on a tourist visa… and not allowed to work.

EmmaH2022 · 21/08/2022 11:37

InTheFridge · 20/08/2022 23:07

Yes, they asked me my nearest shops. I kinda understand that though, it's something that can be checked.

My downstairs layout (I thought couldn't be checked) but I guess with Google it can !

Show quote history

How would you check a home layout with google?

QuebecBagnet · 21/08/2022 11:40

hellosunshineagainx · 20/08/2022 23:03

I got my first adult passport in 2013 and had an interview. They didn't ask my layout but then kept pronouncing my street name wrong to see if I corrected them

But surely the polite British response would be to pretend not to notice? 😂

QuebecBagnet · 21/08/2022 11:41

EmmaH2022 · 21/08/2022 11:37

How would you check a home layout with google?

Show quote history

Most houses have been sold at some point and the archive/historic floor plans will be online on rightmove or zoopla, etc.

Mumoftwoinprimary · 21/08/2022 11:44

How would you check a home layout with google?

You may not be able to in detail but you can get quite a lot from it. For example from looking at Google maps for our house you can see:-

It is a reasonably large detached house - not mansion sized but big enough that there are obviously more rooms than “kitchen, dining room, lounge”
We have a conservatory
We have a chimney (and where it is compared to the door)
There is something a bit weird about the positioning of the door you go in

Noone who hadn’t been here would be able to fake explaining the house I don’t think.

Cuck00soup · 21/08/2022 11:52

savoycabbage · 20/08/2022 18:58

lifeuk.info/new-Life-in-the-UK-Test/comprehensive-guide-british-passport-interview-questions/

Interesting, thank You for sharing. Not quite sure what to think about the advice to practice and print several copies of your application to rehearse from. Surely if you are genuine, you wouldn't need to rehearse?

ClottedCreamAndStrawberries · 21/08/2022 11:52

hellosunshineagainx · 20/08/2022 23:03

I got my first adult passport in 2013 and had an interview. They didn't ask my layout but then kept pronouncing my street name wrong to see if I corrected them

I’d be too polite to correct them 😆

Original poster

InTheFridge · 21/08/2022 12:06

Yes, they asked what car I drove too, then thought they would have that information via dvla.

OP posts:

PaperDoves · 21/08/2022 12:08

SweetPetrichor · 20/08/2022 19:19

I got the “if you looked out your living room window, what would you see” question. I guess it’s all to ensure your details are true.

I got this one too. I think they look at Google maps beforehand to check. For downstairs layout, I'd assume they were able to get the floor plan from rightmove or similar.

Notaderrysgirl · 21/08/2022 12:12

My best friend had to have an interview for her first adult passport, I do believe that they pick people at random to have an interview. She had hers over teams. They asked her the layout of her home as well. I guess they ask those types of questions because if you are genuine you wouldn’t hesitate to answer the question and would just reel off the answer. If you were not genuine you may hesitate. I think that’s what they are looking for. They also asked her questions about when her parents got married and she said she had no idea. Tbh I couldn’t answer that question either. Her passport got approved the same day and it got delivered a few days after. Took 4 months from applying to receiving though.

savoycabbage · 21/08/2022 12:14

Interesting, thank You for sharing. Not quite sure what to think about the advice to practice and print several copies of your application to rehearse from. Surely if you are genuine, you wouldn't need to rehearse?

I'd practice is English wasn't my first language. I niece did a driving theory test in another language. It wasn't easy.

Fairygarden1992 · 21/08/2022 12:15

They are trained in detecting physical cues to find out whether you are lying or not.

MajorCarolDanvers · 21/08/2022 12:16

Gosh you learn something new every day.

I had no idea these interviews took place or in this format.

IsItShining · 21/08/2022 12:17

‘if you are genuine you wouldn’t hesitate to answer the question and would just reel off the answer’

Oh god, and if like me you can actually turn the wrong way from your bedroom to the bathroom in real life, you wouldn’t get your passport?

Thinking about it, maybe it is a bit rash to trust me with navigating a foreign country.

Notaderrysgirl · 21/08/2022 12:40

IsItShining · 21/08/2022 12:17

‘if you are genuine you wouldn’t hesitate to answer the question and would just reel off the answer’

Oh god, and if like me you can actually turn the wrong way from your bedroom to the bathroom in real life, you wouldn’t get your passport?

Thinking about it, maybe it is a bit rash to trust me with navigating a foreign country.

They wouldn’t be able to check if you are correct but you would still answer to the best of your ability without thinking too much about what your home has inside

Notaderrysgirl · 21/08/2022 12:44

I think it’s not about the content of the answer, more your reaction to answering. They also asked my friend the route she took to work and lots of other questions about her parents that she just didn’t know the answer to. I couldn’t tell you when my parents got married or where they got married. Must be very interesting to be the interviewer

BashfulClam · 21/08/2022 13:28

My husband never had a passport until he met me and had to go to the interview. The questions were quite simple but I think based on him having a driving licence with a picture of the same person requesting a passport they just wanted to see him in the flesh. They asked about me, they asked who he was going abroad with and where, he said his fiancée and they asked for all my details. I get stopped very often for ‘random searches’ and blame him for giving my details 😂

Ceebeegee · 21/08/2022 16:20

I had an interview around 2010ish. First time passport as an adult , never had a child's passport.

They asked for an explanation of how i knew the person who counter signed my passport. No quirky questions on mine.
They did ask me what date my parents got married, I couldn't remember. They asked for my parents birth dates but I got the years wrong. Still got the passport though . . . .

sueelleker · 21/08/2022 20:14

Anewdayanewdawn · 21/08/2022 11:34

To throw you off if you’ve rehearsed answers. Immigration do it too.
at NYC immigration I
was asked How long are you here for? Purpose of trip? What car do you drive? Are you planning on working while you’re here?

then car Q was supposed to throw me a bit and the next one to catch me out as I was on a tourist visa… and not allowed to work.

They probably wouldn't believe that I don't have a car and can't drive!

DogInATent · 22/08/2022 14:03

They can look it up on DVLA
They can see from Google Maps
How would they know?

Honest, they don't care about whether the answer is true/correct or not. It's not about the actual answer.

Enko · 22/08/2022 14:10

My dd got asked what her granddad who had been dead 16 years at this point profession was. Also asked who the head of her university was. She replied I don't know to both. Still got her pass port. When dd3 went we drilled her about grandads work and they didn't ask 😀

LikeAStar1994 · 22/08/2022 15:23

My Mam was asked these kind of questions as well. In fact when I opened your post, I just knew there was going to be a question in relation to the layout of your house.