Possible overstay due to passport renewal delay

[WhaleBomb]

Hey guys,

 

So I have been waiting 5 weeks for my new passport to arrive (UK passport), my original meeting was over 2 months ago but was cancelled twice due to covid....

 

Does anyone have any update on how long they are taking?

 

My visa is due to expire on the 16th September and now I'm getting really worried that my new passport won't be here in time to renew my visa, and I will be on overstay.

 

Will I be arrested if caught overstaying and deported, while waiting for my new passport? and if I receive my new passport and pay the overstay fine will I still be able to renew my visa or will I have to leave the country due to over stay?

 

Thank you

 

[DrJack54]

16th September. You might have issue. 

Here is post (current thread) UK passport with agent.

 

"I have been waiting the best part of Two months for the return of my passport.

So be careful how long you leave it before renewal.'

[ubonjoe]

A recent report stated it took 7 weeks to get his new one. The website for applications is now stating 11 weeks.

You could use your old passport to apply for a extension. It is still valid to use to apply for a extension.

 

[WhaleBomb]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A recent report stated it took 7 weeks to get his new one. The website for applications is now stating 11 weeks.

You could use your old passport to apply for a extension. It is still valid to use to apply for a extension.

 

So my visa expires on 16th and passport also expires on 16th. 

 

It will be the end of my ED visa, so I will be changing it to the 60 day covid extension.

 

Will I still be able to do this with my old passport?

[WhaleBomb]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

16th September. You might have issue. 

Here is post (current thread) UK passport with agent.

 

"I have been waiting the best part of Two months for the return of my passport.

So be careful how long you leave it before renewal.'

I really hope that's not the case, otherwise I'm going to be paying a massive fine to immigration.

 

I doubt they are going to give me any leway due to the fact I had 2 appointments cancelled due to covid.

[sanuk711]

Whalebomb --it always helps if you say what area your in-- If not BKK, then I would possibly think about going to ask at I.O. --they deal with her, so would probably have something to say.

 

If not BKK then ask another agent if they know what has happened.

Edited September 11, 2021 by sanuk711

[WhaleBomb]

1 minute ago, sanuk711 said:

Whalebomb --it always helps if you say what area your in-- If not BKK, then I would possibly think about going to ask at I.O. --they deal with her, so would probably have something to say.

I am currently in Phang Nga. I had a friend from Bangkok hand my passport documents in. 

 

The UK passport office taken payment on 9th August, so it arrived there ok.

 

I will go speak to immigration on Monday just to let them know the situation see what they say. 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

So my visa expires on 16th and passport also expires on 16th. 

It will be the end of my ED visa, so I will be changing it to the 60 day covid extension.

Will I still be able to do this with my old passport?

I assumed you had applied for your new passport much longer before your old one was expiring.

You may have to try and get a emergency passport at the UK embassy.

Immigration will not do a extension in a expired passport.

 

[dick turpin]

Renewed my UK passport last week told to expect a 10 week turnround.

[WhaleBomb]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I assumed you had applied for your new passport much longer before your old one was expiring.

You may have to try and get a emergency passport at the UK embassy.

Immigration will not do a extension in a expired passport.

 

What happens with overstaying in this situation?

 

Is it true that if it's under 90 days it's just a fine, I don't mind paying what ever the fine is, I'm more worried about being deported and banned from coming back. 

 

Also would they give me the covid extension if I'm on overstay? 

 

Thank you 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

What happens with overstaying in this situation?

You would not only be overstaying since you would also not have a valid passport that is required.

 

13 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

Is it true that if it's under 90 days it's just a fine, I don't mind paying what ever the fine is, I'm more worried about being deported and banned from coming back. 

The over 90 days is only for leaving the country and not being banned from entering the country.

 

13 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

Also would they give me the covid extension if I'm on overstay? 

Only immigration can answer that since you will have a expired passport.

[soumanioco]

This is between you and your Embassy. Immigration has nothing to do with it except the fact that come 16th you will be illegal in the country.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

isn’t there provision in uk.gov/passport to check your specific passport application status online and/ or email ?cant you expedite UK Passports ,or have VPS do that for you, under the circumstances of imminent expiry ?

[DBath]

I realize this doesn't help, but I can't understand why you wouldn't have paid to have processing of your passport expedited...was that not possible? I mean you mentioned you would be willing to pay the overstay fine, no matter how much, so I think it would have been prudent to consider the timing, given covid delays and everything else and gone the expedited route.

 

I'm not sure what the turnaround time is for expediting in the UK, but I would certainly hope it's much quicker than what you're experiencing now.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, WhaleBomb said:

I am currently in Phang Nga. I had a friend from Bangkok hand my passport documents in. 

 

The UK passport office taken payment on 9th August, so it arrived there ok.

 

I will go speak to immigration on Monday just to let them know the situation see what they say. 

You really need to talk to immigration, only they can say something that actually means anything.

I was in the same boat during the passport fiasco of 2014. I applied for a marriage extension to get extra 30 days, not an option you have. After about 10 weeks and time running out I goton to the embassy and they intervened and I got the passport back a couple of days before the under consideration run out.

Immigration had told me they couldn't do anything without the passport and if it was late I would have to start over with the extension application. They did say that I wouldn't be penalised for the delay but that would be down to the office in question.

[sandyf]

11 minutes ago, DBath said:

I'm not sure what the turnaround time is for expediting in the UK, but I would certainly hope it's much quicker than what you're experiencing now.

If you are in the UK you can go to the passport office by appontment and get it the same day but that is not available overseas. I think normal applications are somewhere around 3 weeks but with travel being eased probably a flood of applications with overseas being a low priority.

Even if the OP returned to the UK it is all a bit of an unknown because the passport office would not do anything until they had tracked down the new passport and had it returned/ cancelled. He could be in the UK and the passport in Thailand.

This is all the fault of the UK government, they should have allowed direct applications to the passport office by courier with countersigned photo, as that effectively is all that VFS do.

[WhaleBomb]

10 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If you are in the UK you can go to the passport office by appontment and get it the same day but that is not available overseas. I think normal applications are somewhere around 3 weeks but with travel being eased probably a flood of applications with overseas being a low priority.

Even if the OP returned to the UK it is all a bit of an unknown because the passport office would not do anything until they had tracked down the new passport and had it returned/ cancelled. He could be in the UK and the passport in Thailand.

This is all the fault of the UK government, they should have allowed direct applications to the passport office by courier with countersigned photo, as that effectively is all that VFS do.

This is what I never understood, why we have to send it to Bangkok first.

I had an appointment cancelled, then was told I had to go to Chiang Mai, then I was told they are opening again so they rebooked an appointment for Bangkok, then that was also cancelled.

I will go to immigration tomorrow to explain, I hope they will let me just pay the overstay fine and then get the covid-19 60 day extension.

 

[DBath]

4 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If you are in the UK you can go to the passport office by appontment and get it the same day but that is not available overseas. I think normal applications are somewhere around 3 weeks but with travel being eased probably a flood of applications with overseas being a low priority.

Even if the OP returned to the UK it is all a bit of an unknown because the passport office would not do anything until they had tracked down the new passport and had it returned/ cancelled. He could be in the UK and the passport in Thailand.

This is all the fault of the UK government, they should have allowed direct applications to the passport office by courier with countersigned photo, as that effectively is all that VFS do.

I see, I wonder if he could have used an intermediary or attorney or some service to handle things on the UK side?

[sandyf]

7 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

This is what I never understood, why we have to send it to Bangkok first.

I had an appointment cancelled, then was told I had to go to Chiang Mai, then I was told they are opening again so they rebooked an appointment for Bangkok, then that was also cancelled.

I will go to immigration tomorrow to explain, I hope they will let me just pay the overstay fine and then get the covid-19 60 day extension.

 

One thing is certain, immigration will not give you an extension without the new passport.

I would suggest your first move is to either phone or email the embassy, I would email, and explain that you are about to go into overstay and ask for their help in expediting the passport. If you paid on 9th Aug it may well be near completion and the embassy can get it here a bit quicker that the normal courier service.

No need to go to immigration until it expires and by that time you may have some response from the embassy to show immigration. Good luck.

[jackdd]

20 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

I will go to immigration tomorrow to explain, I hope they will let me just pay the overstay fine and then get the covid-19 60 day extension.

There is no point in doing this, they will just send you back home, without a valid passport they can't give you an extension.

[WhaleBomb]

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

There is no point in doing this, they will just send you back home, without a valid passport they can't give you an extension.

So you think its best to just go there when my new passport arrives and pay the fine at immigration and explain my reasons then?
 

Will they still offer me the covid extension even if I am paying an overstay fine?

[jackdd]

13 minutes ago, WhaleBomb said:

So you think its best to just go there when my new passport arrives and pay the fine at immigration and explain my reasons then?
 

Will they still offer me the covid extension even if I am paying an overstay fine?

Yes. You can tell them your reasons, they probably don't care, and will just fine you the 500THB per day (20k max). You can then also apply for your extension.

Be aware that paying the overstay fine doesn't grant you extra days, so if you show up 20 days late, apply for a 60 day extension, you will only get 60 days from 16th September, even though you paid 10k extra.

Currently it's only possible to apply for the 60 day covid extension until 27th September, it will most likely be extended, but in the rare case that they wouldn't do it, you would of course run into another problem.

Edited September 11, 2021 by jackdd

[WhaleBomb]

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Yes. You can tell them your reasons, they probably don't care, and will just fine you the 500THB per day (20k max). You can then also apply for your extension.

Be aware that paying the overstay fine doesn't grant you extra days, so if you show up 20 days late, apply for a 60 day extension, you will only get 60 days from 16th September, even though you paid 10k extra.

Currently it's only possible to apply for the 60 day covid extension until 27th September, it will most likely be extended, but in the rare case that they wouldn't do it, you would of course run into another problem.

that is not a problem, as long as I am eligable for the extension thats all that matters right now.

Thank you for taking your time to reply to me, you have settled my nerves ever so slightly.

[NE1]

3 hours ago, WhaleBomb said:

The UK passport office taken payment on 9th August, so it arrived there ok.

My money was taken by HM Passport on the 11th. August , my passport arrived in Bangkok a couple of days ago.

[WhaleBomb]

5 minutes ago, NE1 said:

My money was taken by HM Passport on the 11th. August , my passport arrived in Bangkok a couple of days ago.

I have just been on the phone with HMPO in the UK they said the passport was "issued" on the 9th September and sent back to Bangkok so should arrive shortly, but the lady on the phone estimated the end of the week, so worst cast I will have to pay only for a few days overstay.

Glad to hear that someone else got theirs back quickly, I have been dreading that mine was going to take 11 weeks.

[ifmu]

7 hours ago, WhaleBomb said:

I really hope that's not the case, otherwise I'm going to be paying a massive fine to immigration.

 

I doubt they are going to give me any leway due to the fact I had 2 appointments cancelled due to covid.

yes i doubt if they will give u ext for canceled due to covid does not work    the prob is waited to long for ppt renewal .. cross fingers   

[hotandsticky]

4 hours ago, DBath said:

I see, I wonder if he could have used an intermediary or attorney or some service to handle things on the UK side?

 

No.

 

Once the application is passed to VfS Global and onto HMPO, no outside parties get involved.

[hotandsticky]

5 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

isn’t there provision in uk.gov/passport to check your specific passport application status online and/ or email ?cant you expedite UK Passports ,or have VPS do that for you, under the circumstances of imminent expiry ?

 

No. The imminent expiry is solely the fault of the applicant.

[hotandsticky]

5 hours ago, soumanioco said:

This is between you and your Embassy. Immigration has nothing to do with it except the fact that come 16th you will be illegal in the country.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with the British embassy.

[DBath]

26 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

No.

 

Once the application is passed to VfS Global and onto HMPO, no outside parties get involved.

I realize it may not be relevant for the UK, but when my wife and I immigrated to Spain from Thailand I had to enlist the help of an attorney in Hong Kong to get my wife and I an Apostille stamp for our marriage certificate, which was created in HK. We also enlisted help from a service in the US to help us push through our criminal certificate with the FBI, which we didn't end up needing, because the Spain Embassy in BKK did not end up requiring it (probably because they considered the fact we had already had to prove we had no criminal history when we immigrated to Thailand from the US in the first place).

Edited September 11, 2021 by DBath