smashcut

Well, I've created quite the disaster for myself, and thought I'd check if anyone has any advice.

• My wife's spouse visa expires towards the end of May. She's on the 5 year route, having completed 2x 2.5 year LTR and FLR stints.
• Between hectic work, moving house, gathering the various evidence documents, and driving miles to test centers for LIUK and SELTS B1 (all done, all passed), I've made a huge, glaring oversight: my (the sponsoring partner) passport has just expired.

And of course it's just in time for the passport office to go on strike. The urgent passport services are so slammed that the page to apply for one opens up for about 10 minutes a day (someone is tracking it on Twitter, and I'm watching like a hawk.) Even then, if you're lucky there's one or two slots somewhere in the country. I think going the 'standard' route at this point (10 weeks) is going to be a huge risk with a month of strikes starting in days. Obviously I'm going to try and do whatever I need to, even if it means flying to Northern Island or Scotland to get one (Belfast and Glasgow seem to come up more often than those further south, where I am.)

Let's assume for some reason that I can't get the passport by May... I wonder if there are any other acceptable forms of sponsor ID to prove my status as a British national (birth certificate?) if we aren't able to get my passport back in time, or if it would be sensible to try to apply anyway with a note that we'll follow on with it. I'm guessing it needs to be photo ID. To make matters worse, I don't drive.

I ask this in full awareness of my utter stupidity and realise I'm clutching at straws, but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if anyone is aware of any other means of providing the required evidence.

spouse of scouse

First up, stop being so hard on yourself We're only human, after all!

I'm hoping that Brit in Paris or SanDiegogirl see your post, as they'll know more about this particular issue than I do. However, in the latest electronic copy of the Set M document I could find below (used by spouses who've completed the 5 year route and are now applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain) - there's a specific section on page 29 that addresses different ways the British citizen sponsor can prove identity if they don't have a passport. https://assets.publishing.service.go...T_M__04-14.pdf

I'm almost certain you'll be ok and am looking forward to seeing BiP's or SDG's responses.

smashcut

Thanks so much, spouse of scouse! I can already feel the panic attack subsiding

BritInParis

I would make a copy of your existing passport for the application pack before sending it off for renewal but an expired sponsor’s passport is unlikely to cause issues. If your new passport doesn’t come back by the time your wife needs to apply then I would probably include a full birth certificate for a ‘belt and braces’ approach but ultimately this is pretty much a non-issue.

spouse of scouse

You're very welcome smashcut. And look who came to the rescue

smashcut

Thanks so much BritInParis,! That's great to hear, and I'll do exactly that.

Thanks again, spouse of scouse!

This forum has been such an incredible resource through our visa journey (2 times around the block thanks to an international move in the middle!) I'm profoundly grateful for the advice, today, and at all of the moments of doubt before that!