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British Passports when in Australia

British Passports when in Australia

Old May 28th 2014, 6:24 am
  #91  
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by ebo1608
Why do we have to send our Aus passport as well?

p.5
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...ance_10.13.pdf
Originally Posted by BritInParis
You don't. If you choose to declare it just include a colour photocopy.
I actually filled the online application a while ago and am just getting around to sending the form now. Just noticed the 'any other uncancelled non-British passports' item in the document checklist.

Has anyone actually gone down the photocopy route? They ask for an explanation...what is acceptable? Would they need to see an itinerary showing you need to travel within x weeks, or just that you may need to travel?

I'd rather not have the application knocked back after many weeks of waiting!
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Old May 28th 2014, 6:46 am
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by bcworld
I actually filled the online application a while ago and am just getting around to sending the form now. Just noticed the 'any other uncancelled non-British passports' item in the document checklist.

Has anyone actually gone down the photocopy route? They ask for an explanation...what is acceptable? Would they need to see an itinerary showing you need to travel within x weeks, or just that you may need to travel?

I'd rather not have the application knocked back after many weeks of waiting!
Just include a note saying it needs to be retained for travel. I've yet to hear about anyone's application being delayed or the original requested if a photocopy was included.
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Old May 28th 2014, 8:23 am
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by boogster
Don't worry about not being able to track your application on-line it is a total waste of time. I am not applying from Australia, but from Bermuda and my documents had to be sent to Durham, but the exact same problems are occurring as you guys are getting. The system is a total shambles.

On-line tracking has three categories

1) Awaiting information from the applicant
We are either waiting for your signed declaration form, or we have sent you a letter or an email and we are waiting for your reply.

2)Declaration form received, being processed
We have received your declaration form and we are processing your application (eg it is being examined, or it has been approved and your passport is waiting to be printed).

3)Dispatched
Your new passport has been printed and will be delivered shortly to the return address that you have given us.

Pretty much everybody fits into the second category and NOBODY you speak to can tell how far down the line the application is. I have phoned numerous times to the Passport Adviceline and all they can tell you is the date it was received and that my application is awaiting examination. The only time frame they give is that it takes at least 4 weeks. I know that because they have already had it 6 weeks !

Twice I have been told that my documents will have been looked at and checked by now and twice that they won't have been looked at all ! A total shambles.

I was booked for a call from the passport office within 72 hrs last week, that never happened. Now they have expedited that request and I have to wait another 72 hrs !!

They have had my application 6 weeks. I have seen on other forums that some people have been getting theirs in 8 weeks. I am supposed travel the beginning of July so it could be cutting it fine !
Boogster, I'm in the same situation and I am feeling your pain!! big time!

I have now been waiting for mine for 10 weeks+

One of the many things that has annoyed me is the inability to get information and the conflicting information on their website. I am in Australia and going through their website trying to find out how to contact someone I came to this: This email service is only available to those applying for a passport in the UK, or those with a UK residential address. If you are applying from outside the UK, call the passport advice line on 44 (0) 300 222 0000 to track your application............... So I did - and 5 hours later I was still on hold when my phone ran out of charge. Thanks Old.Sparkles, who put me on to a link so that I could track my application but sadly it didn't do me much good as I ended up with the information from Boogster's No.2)Declaration form received, being processed

What a mess this is turning out to be. I don't know why the powers that be decided to stop processing passports in Australia (which took a whole 10 days) to this new system which just aint working!!
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Old May 28th 2014, 11:36 am
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by deelink
Boogster, I'm in the same situation and I am feeling your pain!! big time!

I have now been waiting for mine for 10 weeks+

One of the many things that has annoyed me is the inability to get information and the conflicting information on their website. I am in Australia and going through their website trying to find out how to contact someone I came to this: This email service is only available to those applying for a passport in the UK, or those with a UK residential address. If you are applying from outside the UK, call the passport advice line on 44 (0) 300 222 0000 to track your application............... So I did - and 5 hours later I was still on hold when my phone ran out of charge. Thanks Old.Sparkles, who put me on to a link so that I could track my application but sadly it didn't do me much good as I ended up with the information from Boogster's No.2)Declaration form received, being processed

What a mess this is turning out to be. I don't know why the powers that be decided to stop processing passports in Australia (which took a whole 10 days) to this new system which just aint working!!

Hi Deelink,

Yes the inability to get information is the most frustrating thing. My second call within 72hrs never came either ! That request was supposed to have been escalated to management level at the passport office ! I am now awaiting my third request for a call within 72hrs .

What is quite apparent is they the people you speak to at the adviceline only have the same information as we do by looking on line. They can put you through to the Progress room, which is also a total joke,they would be better off employing these people at the passport office to try and get our passports back in a timely manner.I spoke to a manager at the progress room and told me the same thing everybody else has - nothing that I didn't already know ! I have sen similar wait times to yours, but I must say the longest I have waited is 25 minutes and it is the same number you have.

The only information that I have been given that I didn't already know was on Monday when the progress room told me that my passport has moved from "awaiting examination" to "being examined", but given the false information I have received in the past I am sceptical about that ! I understand from another forum that being examined does not necessarily mean it is being examined !! But just at the examination stage !! and has taken 3 weeks.

Ours used to go the British Embassy in Washington DC and last year I got mine daughter's back in a week !


Oh and I also registered a complaint ! Not that that will do any good. Once the woman in the progress room finished dictating it said she asked me what method I wanted them to use for the response. I said because of the time difference etc by e-mail. She says that is not an option and it will be by phone !! So I said well why did you asked me what option I wanted !! She then apologised for asking me that question ! Bloody joke, sometimes you have to laugh, but it really is a bloody shambles.

If I do get a response from my third request for a call (which I am not expecting !) I will give you an update. The 72hrs are up tomorrow morning.

Oh by the way did yours go to Durham of Liverpool ? Mine is at Durham.
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Old May 28th 2014, 5:44 pm
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Well I finally got a response from the passport office at the third attempt. An e-mail came today confirming that mine and my daughter's passport applications were "in the process of standard and examination checks" and if I don't hear anything further from them in two weeks to contact them again.

Two weeks time will take me up to nine weeks since they received it. I am hoping that this is light at the end of the tunnel !
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Old May 28th 2014, 10:11 pm
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Mine is in Liverpool - or possibly the moon, and like you I am not getting much joy from my futile attempts to contact them to get some idea of what stage my passport is now at. I think I will apply for Australian Citizenship and get an Australian passport so that I never have to go through this again.

Last edited by deelink; May 28th 2014 at 10:17 pm.
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Old May 29th 2014, 9:45 pm
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Default UK Passport Office - So Frusrating!

I am so frustrated with the UK Passport Adviceline.

I've been trying for over a week to speak to someone in the Liverpool office without success. Every time I call they say all they can do is request a call back within 72 hours. Nobody called me back so they then 'escalate' it which means they email the Liverpool office again and you wait another 72 hours!!! I'm now on my 2nd escalation!!!!!! Basically that's all the Adviceline can do is keep escalating by email until someone calls you back - it's a joke!!

I applied for my sons first passport and sent my own British passport as a supporting document. I then realised that I didn't need to send my own passport and need it back urgently. As it's not required for the application I can't see why there should be a problem sending it back.

Anyone any experience of the call back service or getting a supporting document back??
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Old May 29th 2014, 9:56 pm
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Default Re: UK Passport Office - So Frusrating!

The Adviceline is being swamped by complaints regarding processing delays. Make a complaint to your British MP. It's the only way you can skip the queue. Otherwise it's just a case of waiting for the passport to be issued which is taking up to twelve weeks at the moment.
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Old May 30th 2014, 1:17 pm
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by deelink
Mine is in Liverpool - or possibly the moon, and like you I am not getting much joy from my futile attempts to contact them to get some idea of what stage my passport is now at. I think I will apply for Australian Citizenship and get an Australian passport so that I never have to go through this again.
Well I got some good news today. Both mine and my daughters have been earmarked for delivery today and I should receive them within ten days. It is 7 weeks to the day that my application entered their system.

I found this information out from "my" MP !! I had written to him last week, basically to outline the utter shambles of the system and to heighten his awareness that hundreds of ex-pats were being affected. I wasn't expecting a response as I have not lived in the U.K. for 32 yrs !

I did received a response however on Wednesday from his caseworker stating that although he could not force them to process my application he would find out where my application was in the system. Then today I got his response !

I don't in all honesty think his intervention speeded up the process, although it may have as it seems more than a a co-coincidence that a poster on a another thread got exactly the same information as me once his MP got involved !! At the very least he got some information out of them which had otherwise been like getting blood out of a stone. My status is still showing on-line as "Declaration form received, being processed" !!

So bottom line is for all of you still waiting that it has taken mine 7 weeks to go through the full process plus waiting time to receive it. I will post when it does arrive to give an idea of that time-frame.

The helpline and progress room are a waste of time and in the end contacting them just builds up your frustration. The most you get out of them is what date they received your application followed by a load of B/S !!
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Old May 30th 2014, 10:41 pm
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

I'm glad that it is finally happening for you Boogster. I wish I could say the same. I haven't lived in the UK for a long time but I wrote to the person who would have been my MP if I still lived there and haven't even had a response: maybe because I don't live there any more and don't vote
As things are, I'm still waiting - 11 weeks come Monday!!
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Old May 30th 2014, 11:00 pm
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by deelink
I'm glad that it is finally happening for you Boogster. I wish I could say the same. I haven't lived in the UK for a long time but I wrote to the person who would have been my MP if I still lived there and haven't even had a response: maybe because I don't live there any more and don't vote
As things are, I'm still waiting - 11 weeks come Monday!!
Week 13. I feel your pain.

Mine were rejected after 6 weeks as they thought my totally genuine British Passport was a possible forgery.

I had to apply for full UK birth certificate, the one I sent, the one my parents were issued with!!!! wasnt good enough either.

They have returned our Australian passports while all this is going on. That at least is good.

Just after we applied the fees were reduced, no refund for the fact that our original application was rejected, and that the new passport application was lodged after the new fee structure.

I cant see them arriving before july now which will be at least 17 weeks.

Just allow plenty of time when applying people.
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Old Jun 2nd 2014, 10:20 am
  #102  
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by deelink
I'm glad that it is finally happening for you Boogster. I wish I could say the same. I haven't lived in the UK for a long time but I wrote to the person who would have been my MP if I still lived there and haven't even had a response: maybe because I don't live there any more and don't vote
As things are, I'm still waiting - 11 weeks come Monday!!
This is so awful I am in the same situation but foolishly sent in my australian passport too which I could kick myself for ,I have booked to leave 19th June on
BCs business travel so very hard to change plans , its so frustrating calling the line , I sent mine in for renewal 27th April
does anyone have any number other than the info line
I did try 442037012916
I will try my mp too
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Old Jun 2nd 2014, 10:44 am
  #103  
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

sfrO9 - If you sent in your application on 27th April I would say you don't have much chance of getting your passport back in time for 19th June. You can track it if you follow this link - https://passportapplication.service.gov.uk/ips-olc/

Mine was sent in on 19th March and there is no sign of the passport yet. I have tried to find out information about how long it is going to take for it to arrive and have not succeeded. Like you I have a deadline and mine is now. So my only option, and possibly yours as well is to get a emergency travel document: https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document It costs around $180 and I understand that you should get it the day after your application is made (and this must be done in person)
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Old Jun 2nd 2014, 10:50 am
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

A lot of people are having problems - maybe some of the info from here might help: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTo...ir_Travel.html
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Old Jun 2nd 2014, 11:26 am
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Default Re: British Passports when in Australia

Originally Posted by deelink
A lot of people are having problems - maybe some of the info from here might help: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTo...ir_Travel.html
Thanks for that, I will have a look now
still on the phone waiting again
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