UK Passport Conundrum

[jhtvac]

Hi, I would like some advice with this dilema.

I am currently living in Thailand, and have a non-immigrant O visa with multiple entry, and wish and plan to stay here in thailand.

My Thai wife is living in the UK, and is in the final throws of getting UK citizenship, when the UK Home Office have asked again to have my uk passport, her Thai passport, and our marriage certificate. Even though we paid extra for ducument checking when we did the application and they saw all the above documents.

This leaves me with 2 options. 1. fly back to the uk and wait until they return my passport, OR post my passport to her to do the necessary with the Home Office.

Both these options seem insane to me. Can anyone please advise on any alternatives or the pitfalls of posting my passport back to the UK.

Regards

Jhan

[ubonjoe]

I would not advise sendng your passport. To big a risk of needing it here.

Perhaps they would accept a certified copy done by the embassy.

[jhtvac]

Yes, quite a good idea, but the uk home office take about 6 weeks to reply.

Since I have been here, I have been stopped by the police several times in routine roadside checks, and they have always only been interested in seeing my UK driving Licence. I always keep a photocopy of my passport and visa in my wallent, as i do not like carrying my passport 100% of the time.. Jhan

[Briggsy]

Your wife could always tell the truth and explain that you and your passport are not in the UK.

[ubonjoe]

The risk is the rare chance that they want to see your passport and being detained until it is presented,

Maybe if you talked to the embassy about the could sort things out since they do recommend you have your passport,

[jhtvac]

We have already told them I am not in the UK, with a detailed explanation, and after 6 weeks she got a short letter extending time limit to 29 Janusry and a copy of their original demand.

I want to shout at them and say "DID YOU READ OUR LETTER" Jhan

[jhtvac]

Ahhh, yes, I can start by phoning the UK embassy in Bangkok. At least they should speak good English, and it would be hard for them to be more unhelpful than the UK Home Office

[Briggsy]

If the Home Office is not listening to what your wife, soon to be U.K. citizen, is telling them, and is not responding in a logical or reasonable manner, then your wife should, after having reviewed all the Home Office literature and correspondence, escalate this to an MP-complaint case.

If you think that it is beyond your wife's reading, intellectual or linguistic skills to plough through the relevant documents to see precisely what is required, then she should have a competent person accompany her to help her contact the local MP.

[Bannoi]

You could try an email to [email protected] see it it has any effect.

Edited January 16, 2016 by ubonjoe
removed quote of a removed post

[humqdpf]

Perhaps you should bring your problem to the British Embassy in Bangkok. Assuming that you have nothing to hide, they may be able to certify a copy of your passport for presentation to the authorities in the UK.

I agree with other posters that you should not send your passport to the UK

[nauseus]

I think you are risking damaging the chances of your wife getting UK status if you do not oblige and show some real commitment.

If you don't go back yourself then copy your p/p for yourself then courier it home (described as document) and have it returned the same way.

Or get fiends to hand carry if any available. If it gets lost? Well sh1t does happen! Get a new one.

[jacko45k]

Perhaps your wife's citizenship depends on your marital status?

At the moment you seem to be well and truly separated.

Years ago there was an option of having 2 passports if one travelled a lot for business, I am not sure if that could be done now and allow you to return to Thailand quickly, as I see returning to the UK as the best option..

[watso63]

Good old Blighty. When renewing a passport, certified copies of your existing passport presented at Trendy Towers along with photo Thai address, payment form etc is good enough and is all handled by the Home Office now. Aarse, elbow...elbow aarse comes to mind???

A passport is only a document allowing for overseas travel for you. Why on earth it is relevent as you have a legal marriage certificate is beyond me but hey ho. As UK citizens have no formal ID card the normal proof of ID is a driving licence or utility bill, council tax bill ??????

All things considered though I would courier the passport back, keep copies here and keep a low profile until it comes back. You could always register it as lost if needed.

Edited January 17, 2016 by watso63

[blackcab]

Your wife's naturalisation is being handled by the Home Office. The British Embassy is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Going to the Embassy is going to waste your time. Kind of like going to the electricity company when you have a problem with your water supply.

You already know your options. You can either courier your passport back to the UK or go back with it yourself. If you don't and your wife misses the deadline the application will not be progressed.

The UK has a straightforward naturalisation process that isn't too demanding. I suggest you comply on this occasion even though it's going to be hassle to do so.

[Eff1n2ret]

It seems an unreasonable request, as once she achieved Indefinite Leave to Remain, which she must have done to be able to apply for Citizenship, her status no longer depends on her marriage to you. I can't understand why they would need your passport at this stage, unless they think there might be some evidence that the whole process of securing her entry to the UK and getting FLR then ILR was a scam. But if it was, e.g. you weren't living together as man and wife before she got ILR, why didn't they spot it then? Of course , she may be the victim of some anonymous allegation so they feel they have to check. Some trolls aren't satisfied with writing unpleasant rubbish just on the internet.

It is inconvenient, but the safest way to ensure this important milestone in her life is to go back there and sit it out until they return your passport, which might not be too long as I believe the normal procedure is to inspect and copy documents and then return them before sending the file for a decision.

[Jip99]

Good old Blighty. When renewing a passport, certified copies of your existing passport presented at Trendy Towers along with photo Thai address, payment form etc is good enough and is all handled by the Home Office now. Aarse, elbow...elbow aarse comes to mind???

A passport is only a document allowing for overseas travel for you. Why on earth it is relevent as you have a legal marriage certificate is beyond me but hey ho. As UK citizens have no formal ID card the normal proof of ID is a driving licence or utility bill, council tax bill ??????

All things considered though I would courier the passport back, keep copies here and keep a low profile until it comes back. You could always register it as lost if needed.

Given the relatively tight timescale I would send them colour photocopies of all pages, together with a covering letter explaining that your are currently in Thailand and (to conform with embassy advice) cannot send the original.

[Richard W]

It seems an unreasonable request, as once she achieved Indefinite Leave to Remain, which she must have done to be able to apply for Citizenship, her status no longer depends on her marriage to you.

The naturalisation process does. If married to a citizen, one may naturalise after a shorter period of residence and need not intend to continue to reside in the UK. However, there is a Labour law, the Immigration Act 2009 Section 40(3)(3), not yet (or so I believe) brought into effect, whose general effect is that all those naturalising must intend to continue to reside in the UK. There are some exclusions.

[bangon04]

Good old Blighty. When renewing a passport, certified copies of your existing passport presented at Trendy Towers along with photo Thai address, payment form etc is good enough and is all handled by the Home Office now. Aarse, elbow...elbow aarse comes to mind???

A passport is only a document allowing for overseas travel for you. Why on earth it is relevent as you have a legal marriage certificate is beyond me but hey ho. As UK citizens have no formal ID card the normal proof of ID is a driving licence or utility bill, council tax bill ??????

All things considered though I would courier the passport back, keep copies here and keep a low profile until it comes back. You could always register it as lost if needed.

It is true. A UK citizen is not obliged to own a passport. A UK citizen can be obliged to identify him/herself to the satisfaction of the police or other authorised authorities. There is no universal official photo ID.

A UK citizen is not obliged to own a driving licence, or to have a utility bill in their name, for that matter.

But when dealing with the jobsworths...........

[roiethome]

If you have time, apply for a second passport and send that back to UK.

All you have to do is write on the application form that you travel a lot and need to travel while passport is held by embassies for processing visas.

I have had two passports for the past ten years or more.

Always handy to use two passports to make the passport with your Thai visa/extension last longer before needing to replace and move visa to new passport.