UK Passport issues during COVID-19

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, cheekysailor said:

Great post.  You may also want to address it to.  abigail.tierney@homeoffice.gov.uk as well not just Abi.  I will also be sending an email shortly with words to similar effect. 

She's on Linkedin, might be another route for you chaps.

[ImageDude]

After my email blitz to HMPO on Monday. I have received no replies as yet.

I am currently awaiting legal advice before sending the following email.

 

Dear Her Majesty’s Passport Office,

 

I am contemplating the possibility of starting legal action against HMPO for their failure to process my passport application (application # xxxxxxxxxxx) in a timely manner. The application has been held up due partly to the measures introduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic and partly due to HMPO demanding that I send my expiring passport to HMPO before HMPO would process my application. HMPO completely disregarded my explanation that passport applications from Thailand fall into a different category. The normal procedure is for the applicant to submit their application to a HMPO Application Centre (VFS Global) in Thailand. After submitting the necessary documents, the applicants passport is handed back to them because Thai Immigration Law demands that all foreigners should have access to their passports at all times. The result of HMPO’s action has left me in direct contravention of that Immigration Law and exposed me to the ramifications of residing in Thailand with No Passport, No Visa and No Official ID. I am holding HMPO fully responsible for this situation and therefore request the following documents by FOI.

 

1/ Records of all legal actions initiated against HMPO in relation to failing to issue a British passport in a timely manner.
2/ Records of any compensatory payments made in relation to HMPO failing to issue a British passport in a timely manner.

I would like these records to cover the period 2013 to date.

Yours faithfully,

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, ImageDude said:

After my email blitz to HMPO on Monday. I have received no replies as yet.

I am currently awaiting legal advice before sending the following email.

 

Dear Her Majesty’s Passport Office,

 

I am contemplating the possibility of starting legal action against HMPO for their failure to process my passport application (application # xxxxxxxxxxx) in a timely manner. The application has been held up due partly to the measures introduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic and partly due to HMPO demanding that I send my expiring passport to HMPO before HMPO would process my application. HMPO completely disregarded my explanation that passport applications from Thailand fall into a different category. The normal procedure is for the applicant to submit their application to a HMPO Application Centre (VFS Global) in Thailand. After submitting the necessary documents, the applicants passport is handed back to them because Thai Immigration Law demands that all foreigners should have access to their passports at all times. The result of HMPO’s action has left me in direct contravention of that Immigration Law and exposed me to the ramifications of residing in Thailand with No Passport, No Visa and No Official ID. I am holding HMPO fully responsible for this situation and therefore request the following documents by FOI.

 

1/ Records of all legal actions initiated against HMPO in relation to failing to issue a British passport in a timely manner.
2/ Records of any compensatory payments made in relation to HMPO failing to issue a British passport in a timely manner.

I would like these records to cover the period 2013 to date.

Yours faithfully,

You might like to add:-

 

3/ Records relating to all actions taken by HMPO to date in connection with my passport renewal application, with particular regard to the decision to require me to submit my original passport in contravention of the procedures described on the GOV.UK website.

 

[ImageDude]

44 minutes ago, OJAS said:

You might like to add:-

 

3/ Records relating to all actions taken by HMPO to date in connection with my passport renewal application, with particular regard to the decision to require me to submit my original passport in contravention of the procedures described on the GOV.UK website.

 

Thanks I will. I am awaiting information from a friend in the UK who works for a Law Firm. She returns to work next Monday. In the meantime, if anyone else has any ideas on this course of action. Feel free to comment.

[Tony M]

The unofficial word is that VFS Bangkok should be re-opening next Monday (1st June). Not all VFS VACs are opening the same day.

[brewsterbudgen]

3 minutes ago, Tony M said:

The unofficial word is that VFS Bangkok should be re-opening next Monday (1st June). Not all VFS VACs are opening the same day.

Fingers crossed.  There really is no excuse for not opening.

[cheekysailor]

Zero help, but VFS Malaysia has just opened today.  Looks like things are starting to move in the right direction.  It's pleasing to see the BE are keeping us abreast of the situation.   

[Upnotover]

25 minutes ago, Tony M said:

The unofficial word is that VFS Bangkok should be re-opening next Monday (1st June). Not all VFS VACs are opening the same day.

Its on their website.

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/th/en/news/temporary-closure-of-uk-visa-application-centres-in-thailand

[brewsterbudgen]

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/th/en/news/temporary-closure-of-uk-visa-application-centres-in-thailand?fbclid=IwAR0rrKg6cz0_WP6Cd5OpcYpkPmLrX5UVWRl3eLCcpTCQtNHZdOv_r57W0Kg

 

[brewsterbudgen]

FInally!

[Tony M]

There you go. You heard it here first (probably).

[Yorkshire Tea]

Hope the Chiang Mai office opens soon!

 

[Martinpeter]

Hi 

 

So where are our new passports now?

Back in the UK or here?

 

I hope they will contact us finally soon, to collect our new passports (after an 8 week delay).

 

This is totally not an acceptable way to deal with Paying members of the British public.

 

Let's c how many weeks to wait now!

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, Martinpeter said:

Hi 

 

So where are our new passports now?

Back in the UK or here?

 

I hope they will contact us finally soon, to collect our new passports (after an 8 week delay).

 

This is totally not an acceptable way to deal with Paying members of the British public.

 

Let's c how many weeks to wait now!

 

 

I agree, it has been a dog's breakfast.

 

 

However, it is now moving forward and there is no reason why normal levels of efficiency (which were quite acceptable) can't resume immediately. Even if the passports are being held in the UK they should be here in a matter of days.

[pontious]

Not one word on the BE website / facebook page. Whilst happy VFS is reopening we should never forget how useless the BE has been to us.

The Ambassador statement on 15 May gave false hope to those affected by saying anyone with problems should contact blah blah blah, thinking there was some cunning plan if push came to shove. The cunning plan was 'you will have to return to UK to renew.' They and HMPO have been an absolute disgrace. They are both useless.!

[pontious]

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

However, it is now moving forward and there is no reason why normal levels of efficiency (which were quite acceptable) can't resume immediately. Even if the passports are being held in the UK they should be here in a matter of days.

I wish you well but I cannot see any level of efficiency - there is a huge backlog of applications and that will only grow now that VFS is open. Has your tracking shown that your passport application is completed.?

[hotandsticky]

28 minutes ago, pontious said:

I wish you well but I cannot see any level of efficiency - there is a huge backlog of applications and that will only grow now that VFS is open. Has your tracking shown that your passport application is completed.?

 

 

I haven't personally got a horse in this race but I am very familiar with the process - which is normally very efficient. I have no reason to believe that won't again be the case when some semblance of normality is restored. I don't the backlog is as severe as you think because VfS have not been accepting applications since May. I am aware of people who have had the application fee taken so progress has been made at HMPO.

 

Any new backlog will create an initial bubble but those will fall behind the applications currently being processed. 

 

Those with passports expiring in September onwards no longer need to be concerned.

[brewsterbudgen]

48 minutes ago, pontious said:

Not one word on the BE website / facebook page. Whilst happy VFS is reopening we should never forget how useless the BE has been to us.

The Ambassador statement on 15 May gave false hope to those affected by saying anyone with problems should contact blah blah blah, thinking there was some cunning plan if push came to shove. The cunning plan was 'you will have to return to UK to renew.' They and HMPO have been an absolute disgrace. They are both useless.!

HMPO are completely separate from the UK Embassy - different government departments.  They may both have been useless in this debacle, but HMPO/VFS closing was a UK decision and affected all their offices globally.  Difficult to blame the Embassy in Bangkok for something that was totally beyond their control.

[pontious]

6 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

I haven't personally got a horse in this race but I am very familiar with the process - which is normally very efficient. I have no reason to believe that won't again be the case when some semblance of normality is restored. I don't the backlog is as severe as you think because VfS have not been accepting applications since May. I am aware of people who have had the application fee taken so progress has been made at HMPO.

 

Any new backlog will create an initial bubble but those will fall behind the applications currently being processed. 

 

Those with passports expiring in September onwards no longer need to be concerned.

 

7 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Those with passports expiring in September onwards no longer need to be concerned.

That is four months! I hardly call that efficient.

[pontious]

6 minutes ago, pontious said:

I am aware of people who have had the application fee taken so progress has been made at HMPO.

What progress.? They still do not see any movement at all.. 

[brewsterbudgen]

11 hours ago, pontious said:

What progress.? They still do not see any movement at all.. 

Give them a chance - they don't re-open until Monday!

[ImageDude]

23 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Having just checked those links to VFS website. I can see only reference to the Visa Section opening. Nothing about Passports! Or maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

[hotandsticky]

14 hours ago, pontious said:

 

That is four months! I hardly call that efficient.

 

 

What is 4 months ?  Processing ?...nobody said that, certainly not me. Please refrain from misquoting.

 

I have no doubt that HMPO will soon be back to their 3-4 week timescale.

[pontious]

6 hours ago, ImageDude said:

Having just checked those links to VFS website. I can see only reference to the Visa Section opening. Nothing about Passports! Or maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

It is on BE facebook now.

[cheekysailor]

Do booking still require you to email suggesting the three dates and times or can we just rock up at Trendy building?

[blackcab]

A message from HMPO that was emailed to me today:

 

GOV.UK

	COVID-19: In line with public health guidance, we are working with fewer staff. We are sorry that it will take longer than usual to process your passport application. Please do not contact us about progress: this will help ensure those who need us the most can get in touch

[OJAS]

13 hours ago, pontious said:

It is on BE facebook now.

In which case ignorance is clearly bliss in the case of British nationals who, like myself, gave Facebook the heave-ho some time ago, as far as the Embassy is concerned!

 

10 hours ago, blackcab said:

Please do not contact us about progress: this will help ensure those who need us the most can get in touch

Those regarded as being in the greatest need probably being Thai nationals requiring UK visas rather than Brits requiring new passports in the topsy-turvy world of VFS, I strongly suspect!

Edited May 28, 2020 by OJAS

[hotandsticky]

13 hours ago, cheekysailor said:

Do booking still require you to email suggesting the three dates and times or can we just rock up at Trendy building?

 

Yes to both....................... personally , I wouldn't risk just 'rocking up' at the present time.

[OJAS]

On 5/27/2020 at 9:49 PM, hotandsticky said:

I am very familiar with the process - which is normally very efficient.

Personally speaking, I would, in the 21st Century, find myself extremely hard-pressed to describe as "efficient" (let alone "very efficient") a process which was partly, but crucially, reliant on postal delivery methods predating the introduction of the Penny Black (in getting applications to, and replacement passports from, a distant VFS office in many cases), as well as based on the “hi-tech” practice of dipping quills into pots of black ink (in providing required application info)!

[OJAS]

23 hours ago, ImageDude said:

Having just checked those links to VFS website. I can see only reference to the Visa Section opening. Nothing about Passports! Or maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

As I intimated in my comment on the separate thread announcing this re-opening, it would appear that the Home Office are giving the very highest of tip-top priorities to Thai nationals requiring UK visas, with local Brits who, like yourself, are in urgent need of replacement passports being relegated to the status of "also-rans".