Hello everybody,

Just checking if anyone have any knowledge or advice on what to do about the situation above, please?

Thank you very much for donating your time and wisdom.

Thank you.

 

Never lie to a government organisation, just return it, you can even add a letter and apologise. The fact that they haven't chased you yet suggests inefficiency.

All they want to know is that it is not being used/modified by somebody else. The potential fine is to 'ensure' they get it back, not to boost their coffers, and your returning it will solve an issue for them - one less loose BRP to worry about.

Make sure you take a photo of it cut in half and use recorded delivery.

 

I suppose you can say that you DID return it by post...but it must have got lost in the post

 

I hope you were joking, in which case always add an , etc., to the end of your statement.

Some words of advice: DON'T EVER lie in your dealings with the Home Office on official matters.

Things can snowball to a point where what you thought was a small lie can lead to your whole life being upended.

 

It also says that you can get a £1,000 fine if you fail to return your old BRP

Exactly - you get fined if you FAIL to return your BRP.

I would just cut the old one in half and post it back with a covering letter explaining that you hadn't read the letter and understood that you had to return the cut up BRP.

Send it by recorded delivery, scan the cut-up card and the covering letter together (I sellotaped the cut pieces on the letter). You don't get a confirmation by the Post Office on it being received because it gets sent to a PO Box, but both the above should be proof enough.

 

Thank you Catalunyan and Kankan for replying to my post, I appreciate it!

I will go with what Kankan says. I thought...at the end of the day I may get fined either way, I better send it and comply (late but comply) rather than get fined and not comply at all and risk affecting my application.

Kankan...question, were you also late at returning your old BRP? I am just asking as you said you sellotaped the cut pieces to a letter? Were you ok? you did not get fined or affected your next applications?

- Do you recommend me to send post it the same day I make the application? or should i post the old BRP, wait for a few days and then apply for citizenship? or it doesnt matter what I do first?

Please, if you or anyone can give me your opinion. I feel a bit lost.

Thank you so much for your help. :fingerscrossed:

 

I accept your point...But they can´t prove that you didn´t send it back.

 

But they can´t prove that you didn´t send it back.

Like with a lot of matters in dealing with the HO, the onus isn't on them to prove anything, it's on YOU to prove that you sent it back. I've got a scan of a cut-up card and a covering letter along with a receipt of posting to the Home Office's PO Box of the same day.

And if you want to go to court to contest the £1,000 fine, all except hardened criminals, sociopaths, or congenital liars will crumble at having to continue to lie in court.

Back to my original words of advice above.

 

But the easiest thing is to send it back now. .....I can´t see a problem with that.

 

Hello,

Were you ever fined for having forgotten to return BRP after a year? Or was it okay even when u sent it back after a year?

Please do let me know as I'm in the exact same situation

Thanks a lot

Hello everyone,

I am getting ready to apply for naturalisation and after going through my previous grant of ILR letter (granted July 2019) I got in panic mode when I read that the letter says to “return your old BRP cut in half in an envelope to such address” which I totally forgot to do!!! I still have it.

It also says that you can get a £1,000 fine if you fail to return your old BRP, so as you can imagine, I got super nervous as I am about to apply for naturalisation.

1. Am I in trouble?
2. What should I do? Is it too late to return my old BRP? It’s been 11 months since I should have returned it.

I am thinking if I return it now, they are going to think it is too late and give me a fine, but if I do not return it and apply for naturalisation they are going to realise that I didn’t return it and still give me a fine

Please help on what's the best thing to do.

Thank you lots for all your help.

 

Hi i forgot to sent mine too. Did anythig happen??

 

Hi havefaith1,

Hope you are doing good. I thought of taking guidance from you. I was issued BRP 4.5 years back, when I forgot to send my older BRP back. I saw that you were also in the same situation and you sent the old BRP back.

Could you please help me know, if there was any issues/problems which you encountered after sending back the older BRP ?

 

If you read the letter you will receive from the Home Office inviting you for the ceremony, it doesn't mention any timeframe just that if you don't return it you could be issued with a fine of up to £1000. I wouldn't worry.

 

Hello everyone,

I am getting ready to apply for naturalisation and after going through my previous grant of ILR letter (granted July 2019) I got in panic mode when I read that the letter says to “return your old BRP cut in half in an envelope to such address” which I totally forgot to do!!! I still have it.

It also says that you can get a £1,000 fine if you fail to return your old BRP, so as you can imagine, I got super nervous as I am about to apply for naturalisation.

1. Am I in trouble?
2. What should I do? Is it too late to return my old BRP? It’s been 11 months since I should have returned it.

I am thinking if I return it now, they are going to think it is too late and give me a fine, but if I do not return it and apply for naturalisation they are going to realise that I didn’t return it and still give me a fine

Please help on what's the best thing to do.

Thank you lots for all your help.

I wonder what happened... ?

 

Hello Kankan . . . I will follow your advice and copy your cover letter, sellotape the card to it and post it within the next hour.

@havefaith1 posted it. You don't hear back once you've posted it. No confirmation. If you want one, then send by recorded delivery.

 

Dear all above,
I’m going through the same situation but the difference is that I’m not sure if I sent my old BRP or not as I can’t find it and went through my bank details payment to the post office and the only payment I can find that I don’t recognise is -7.99 can this be the cost of mailing your old BRP to the home office?!
Can you please help 🙏

 

It depends on your current circumstances:

• If you have naturalised as a British citizen, you must return your old BRP regardless of how long it's been. I've never personally heard of anyone being forced to pay the fine for a late return (more than 3 months), but you are still required to destroy and return the BRP, and they're quite serious about it because using an old BRP when you're a British citizen is considered fraud.
• If you have a new BRP now (that is, you've received Further or Indefinite Leave to Remain), don't worry too much about sending in your previous BRP as that status has expired and the old BRP is unusable anyway.

I don't think you would've paid £7.99 just to post a small plastic card, that cost doesn't sound right

 

Hi Clever Octopus!
Thank you for replying, I went to the post office today to ask about the cost if it can match up and I was told that it costs 7.05 to send it on special delivery ( 6.85 service price + 0.20
envelope price ) which is still doesn’t match!

 

I forgot to mention I’m a student on Tyre 4 visa!
if it make a difference!
Thanks in advance

 

Hi All I have indefinate leave to remain card since 2012 and will valid until Nov 2022. I became British citizen since 2014 and have British passport . I simply do not know that i must return the caed back at that time as no letter and no notification. I am now panic. I understand i must send the card back now. However will i be in trouble anyhow from Home Office.? Can you please help and advise? Really appreciated . Best regards Kristian [

 

Just destroy the card and dispose of it safely. 8 years later they're not going to come after you for not sending it in. I don't even know if they required you to send back a BRP back in 2014, it was quite some time ago

PS: Your Indefinite Leave to Remain BRP card became invalid the moment you swore the oath/affirmation at your citizenship ceremony. Even though it says it is valid until November, it is not a valid document; you do not have ILR, and you must not use it.

 

Thank you so much. Really appreciated.

 

Please just kindly send the BRP back now that you have realised you have not sent. Its better to send it now than wait a minute later. At least you remembered that you have not sent it.

 

Please just kindly send the BRP back now that you have realised you have not sent. Its better to send it now than wait a minute later. At least you remembered that you have not sent it.

 

Hello sir I am fall in same problem.i forgot to return my brp card its almost 4 months.now I am panicked about it.if I now return my brp after four months letter is there any problem I have to face like pay fine

 

Just send it in.... no you won't get a fine.

 

I fall in same problem here may asked u a question have Ur problem solved and how it solved did pay fines piz help me I am superpanic here.And how u send Ur brp

 

Hie all, l fall in the same situation l did not even know l should have returned it so l throw it in the bin , so l dont have it now. What should l do.

 

Hi guys, I am also gone through with same situation as my friend told me you should send it back to the given address so after 10 min I have send it and it was almost 1 year, but what is rule it's rule, now I have to pay them 1000 pounds, I am praying so that they should not ask me 1000 pounds and understand that I have send them late after 1 year instead of lie to them. Let see what happens.

 

Did the ask for fine?