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Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Old Jun 6th 2013, 9:46 pm
  #1  
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Default Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

I have recently applied to renew my UK passport from the United States, and over 4 weeks after I still have not received the new passport or an update on my renewal application. When I called the British Embassy, Washington DC, I was shocked to find that that I could not speak to the Passport Processing Team, which is few blocks away from the Embassy. I was given a Passport Information Helpline +44 208 082 4729 in UK, and little did I know that the shock of my life was about to come with a message:

Calls will be charged to your credit card at GBP 0.72 + VAT per minute (your telephone provider may also charge for the international call). Please have your credit card available when calling.

I reluctantly paid to get my passport, and that was not straightforward nor made it easy. I was told to wait for a response in up to 3 days!

Luckily, the following day they left a telephone message for me along with this email:

Title: RE: Passport Application for ######### ######### USW--------------------------------------------


Dear ### ##############,

Thank you for your recent application(s) for a British passport.
In order for us to continue processing your application(s), you will need to provide the following documents/information:

Ø Current Photo ID –
o Send a good copy of the photo page of your non-UK passport
OR
o Send two forms of government issued photo ID (e.g. resident card, driving licence, work authorisation card, Canadian Health Card).

Ø Historical ID/Documentation – We require historical documentation such as:

o Original issued short form birth certificate
o Student ID cards, vaccination cards or any other form of photographic identification
o Documents obtained during your time in the United Kingdom (if applicable) i.e. National Health card, school reports, photographs, baby book. (????????????)
o Passport you exit the UK on (I thought they should have noted that this was sent along with my application ????????????)
• School reports from any country other than the UK covering as many years as possible. (Seriously? I am not that young to have kept my school report after several years?)

o Evidence of your identity in the form of bank statements, credit card statements, store card statements, social security card, pay statements, tax statements, utility bills etc.
o Original hospital records or medical documents from the time of your birth

Please send this to:
Attention: Pending Team
Washington RPPC
19 Observatory Circle NW
Washington, DC 20008
USA
Ref no: USW--------------------------------------------

Please supply the requested documentation/information within 30 days of this email, otherwise we will assume that you no longer wish to continue with your application(s) and it/they will be withdrawn. Any supporting documents will be returned to you by DHL.

Foreign Office policy states that fees for unsuccessful/withdrawn applications are not to be refunded (Another manna from heaven for Dave (Cameron) and Co!). If you wish to apply for a passport in the future you will be required to submit a new application together with supporting documents and fees.

If you wish to withdraw this application(s) please send a signed letter confirming this. However, should you choose to withdraw your application(s), the fee is not refunded.

Yours sincerely,

Washington Regional Passport Processing Centre

THIS IS A NO-REPLY EMAIL: ANY REPLIES ARE AUTOMATICALLY DELETED
Further information is available on our website, ukinusa.fco.gov.uk. Passport related questions are answered here. If we can't answer your question on the website please call the Passport Information Helpline +44 208 082 4729 . Calls will be charged to your credit card at GBP 0.72 + VAT per minute (your telephone provider may also charge for the international call). Please have your credit card available when calling. Lines are open 24 hours a day from Mon 00:00 GMT (01:00 CET) and close Friday 23:59 GMT. Calls from a mobile phone may be higher. Please check with your mobile phone provider.

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Visit http://www.gov.uk/fco for British foreign policy news and travel advice and http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.

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It could take more than 30 days to get all those documents put together. I tried a follow-up call to clarify the requirements with the Washington DC telephone number displayed by the message. Oh no, those British Embassy, Washington DC staff would have any of that!

Once again they gave me that dodgy Passport Information Helpline +44 208 082 4729 in UK. However, I called them with the hope that I would get a clarification on the requirements. I was greeted by an angry, sour grape who immediately ordered form of payment, “Are you going to give me your form of payment or not?” he demanded. I may not have mentioned earlier that British passport cost US $244 (£156.35) which quite possibly could climb to $300 (£192.23) with Passport Information Helpline.

Have things got so bad in UK that the Government has decided to declare foreign-based UK citizens persona non grata? Could weeding off UK citizens be a Tory form of enforcing austere measures too? I wonder.

Anyone out there with similar problem? Please share your experience.
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Old Jun 6th 2013, 10:05 pm
  #2  
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

I had a similar telephone experience when Blair was PM, so I wouldn't blame the Tories. It's an example of outsourcing and the tendency for Government functions to be "rationalized". It's all false economy in my opinion.
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Old Jun 6th 2013, 11:59 pm
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

HMG has been winding down the overseas passport operation for years. This is the last year anyone will be applying to an embassy for their passports. In fact if you had waited a month or so, you would be applying directly to the UK as Washington will be closing this autumn.

Sounds like there may be a problem with your application, but they have unhelpfully sent you a stock e-mail with all the possible options.

First off, did the helpline confirm that they could see your application on the system? They should be a note explaining the problem. If they can't see it, it might have not been received in Washington.

Assuming it has been received, has your card been charged for the passport? If not, then your card being declined is likely to be the problem.

Last edited by BritInParis; Jun 7th 2013 at 12:02 am. Reason: .
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 12:58 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by BritInParis
HMG has been winding down the overseas passport operation for years. This is the last year anyone will be applying to an embassy for their passports. In fact if you had waited a month or so, you would be applying directly to the UK as Washington will be closing this autumn.
Oh dear! This is the first time I've heard this. Do you know exactly WHEN the Consulate is closing? Our UK passports expire next January, and we were intending to get them renewed from here (Cayman islands in the Caribbean, a British colony) when we get back from Norway in August or September.

Thanks for any info.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:07 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow
Oh dear! This is the first time I've heard this. Do you know exactly WHEN the Consulate is closing? Our UK passports expire next January, and we were intending to get them renewed from here (Cayman islands in the Caribbean, a British colony) when we get back from Norway in August or September.

Thanks for any info.
Can't remember precisely off the top of my head, October/November? They will be repatriating countries before then though and no new applications will be accepted from anywhere about six weeks before they actually close for good. It's not a big problem; you'll just be sending your applications to a Passport Office in the UK rather than Washington.

Last edited by BritInParis; Jun 7th 2013 at 1:18 am. Reason: Typo
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:17 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by BritInParis
Can't remember precisely off the top of my head, October/November? They will repatriating countries before then though and no new applications will be accepted from anywhere about six weeks before they actually close for good. It's not a big problem; you'll just be sending your applications to a Passport Office in the UK rather than Washington.
Personally, I think this is a good thing, all British citizens will be getting the same passport service.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:18 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by BritInParis
Can't remember precisely off the top of my head, October/November? They will repatriating countries before then though and no new applications will be accepted from anywhere about six weeks before they actually close for good. It's not a big problem; you'll just be sending your applications to a Passport Office in the UK rather than Washington.
OK, thanks for your replies to both threads. Much appreciated. I guess it's no big deal, though it's nice to know in advance which we'll be dealing with.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:23 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow
OK, thanks for your replies to both threads. Much appreciated. I guess it's no big deal, though it's nice to know in advance which we'll be dealing with.
According to their website the Passport Office in Grand Cayman should be able to advise you further.

http://www.immigration.gov.ky/portal..._schema=PORTAL

When it changes from Washington DC, this link will tell you where to send it.

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Last edited by BritInParis; Jun 7th 2013 at 1:24 am. Reason: Added second website
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:49 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by BritInParis
According to their website the Passport Office in Grand Cayman should be able to advise you further.
I've been in touch with them, but they hadn't told me about the proposed change from Washington to England. It's quite possible they don't know yet! Good ol' B E: first with the news, eh?
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 3:44 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow
Oh dear! This is the first time I've heard this. Do you know exactly WHEN the Consulate is closing? Our UK passports expire next January, and we were intending to get them renewed from here (Cayman islands in the Caribbean, a British colony) when we get back from Norway in August or September.

Thanks for any info.
The consulate is not closing. Passport processing has been slowly consolidated back into the Uk passport office rather than being handled by individual consulates.

I don't think the consulate has actually been processing them for about a year or so.

Last edited by sir_eccles; Jun 7th 2013 at 3:52 am.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 3:50 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Personally, I think this is a good thing, all British citizens will be getting the same passport service.
Will we all get the same price then, since the only real difference in cost for them now will be postage?
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 8:15 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Will we all get the same price then, since the only real difference in cost for them now will be postage?
It isn't postage as the new passport has been printed in the UK for sometime and is sent directly from the UK to your US address by courier. So add courier fees to the UK price at least.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 11:09 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by lansbury
It isn't postage as the new passport has been printed in the UK for sometime and is sent directly from the UK to your US address by courier. So add courier fees to the UK price at least.
So why did it cost more to get a passport from the US than while in the UK? Or am I misremembering?
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 11:16 am
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

The thread title has no bearing in reality - since even without a UKPP you remain a UKC. It's not like it disappears.
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Old Jun 7th 2013, 1:10 pm
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Default Re: Blatant drive by the UK government to weed off British citizens

Originally Posted by civilservant
The thread title has no bearing in reality - since even without a UKPP you remain a UKC. It's not like it disappears.
That'd make for a pretty boring thread title though...." Oh dear we need to put a different address on our passport application every 10 years....."
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