[dbendick]

I believe that the UKVI have lost my passport and I am at the moment working with the local MP where my partner lives. I just wondered if anyone who has been in a similar position could explain to me what steps were taken to rectify their situation. ie timeline to get a new U.S. passport, what means did you report it to the U.S. government, did the UKVI reimburse you for your fees, etc?

Any feedback on your experience would be helpful as we work this nightmare out.

Thank you

Dawn

 

[Skywhisperer]

What ever happened with this? Did they find your passport? Did they acknowledge they lost it? I'm thinking I may be in the same situation.

 

[j4v3d]

Someone thought that UKVI lost their passport, but in the end it turned out that it was sitting in a pile somewhere, this was after the MP had pressured Home Office in to finding out what they have done.

Fingers crossed that the passport is not lost, if it is lost, then Home Office will have to replace it at their cost.

 

[dbendick]

hi Skywhisperer,

they found it magically almost 4 weeks after we were asking about it and 7 weeks after i sent my application in for a visa vignette transfer. i applied for a new expedited passport from the NY offices which took 2 days in person. the night that i received my new passport i received a bog standard email from the ukvi in ny stating that my application had been received! i was so upset.

anyway, the new passport is in the ny office now and i should receive all documents back by wednesday.
they are reimbursing me for the passport but the amount of time and energy wasted can't be compensated for. i have a 17 week old son and we are waiting to be reunited with my husband. all of this time lost because of carelessness and poor communication. not to mention it is a complete security breach.

what kind of visa are you applying for? how long have you been waiting?

best

 

[Skywhisperer]

My fiancee visa was approved on August 29th, I've been waiting for my documents to be returned ever since.

Did you apply for a duplicate US passport or a replacement one? If it wasn't a duplicate, didn't it invalidate your existing one?

Good luck to your family!

 

[dbendick]

My fiancee visa was approved on August 29th, I've been waiting for my documents to be returned ever since.

Did you apply for a duplicate US passport or a replacement one? If it wasn't a duplicate, didn't it invalidate your existing one?

Good luck to your family!

Have you been in contact with your MP? That is a very long time to be waiting. How did they notify you that you were approved?

Yes the existing passport was invalidated - I had to send my new passport to the UKVI in nyc. They will place a visa vignette stamp in the new passport and mail back to me.

 

[Skywhisperer]

We do have the local representatives trying to help - that's how I know it was approved. They even sent me a scan of the vignette. But they're not making much progress at figuring out where my passport is.

Thank you so much!

 

[dbendick]

One has to wonder what on earth is going on there.

Just keep at it! When they told me that it was lost (before they found it) I contacted my congressman and he was able to get me an apt at the passport agency fairly quick.
So that is an option for you if that is in fact the case that they lost it, but I reckon it will show up.

I'm assuming that you had a tracking no. for sending the documents back to you?

 

[Skywhisperer]

Yep, I have the tracking number, and it hasn't been shipped.

Calling my congressperson is probably my next step. I'm going to try calling the British Consulate here as well.

Thanks!

 

[dbendick]

Yep, I have the tracking number, and it hasn't been shipped.

Calling my congressperson is probably my next step. I'm going to try calling the British Consulate here as well.

Thanks!

I'm not sure where you are located, I am in NJ. The congressman was not able to do too much in terms of recourse with the UKVI (they do a good job of making themselves uncontactable). But he was able to help with the expedited passport. So if you decide to cancel your passport you could get help there. Have you or your MP received an actual email stating that the passport is lost?

I tried the British Consulate in NYC and received a voice recording stating that they will not take calls related to visas and immigration.

Have you logged an official complaint yet through the UKVI website? I did this about 2 weeks ago and received a response to my complaint this morning. However because my situation is on its way to being rectified they said that they would close the complaing. Which means they actually looked into the situation because they found out the status.

 

[Skywhisperer]

Have you or your MP received an actual email stating that the passport is lost?

Nope, that's the problem. They just keep telling me useless things ("Check your visa status on the site you applied", or even better the phone guy who told me I just needed to go back to where I had my biometrics done and they'd have it)

I'll try a complaint next. I've done the escalation thing, which has not gotten me anything useful.

Thanks!

 

[Gaurav Kumar]

UKVI lost passport

Hi,
I think you can ask for a barcode which they should be able to provide inorder to track it. Also, make sure that you report your lost passport as it can easily be used for criminal activities or fraud..hope it works out

 

[j4v3d]

Nope, that's the problem. They just keep telling me useless things ("Check your visa status on the site you applied", or even better the phone guy who told me I just needed to go back to where I had my biometrics done and they'd have it)

I'll try a complaint next. I've done the escalation thing, which has not gotten me anything useful.

Thanks!

Definitely lodge a complaint.

 

[xbel]

its strange how streamline and short cut procedures these day?
i remember my first time applied a UK visa > 10 yrs ago for studies.
before submission of doc, the officer go thru each and every single doc i submitted, tick boxes and add on to ~"others" if its not in the checklist, then asked me to sign off. (so that no argument that they lost my bank book, or certs, passport, previous passport etc?)
now, at premium center, they just give me a clear folder to stuff everything in, and they don't even bother looking. i was praying they dont come back short of whaetever doc that i submitted as they r all precious doc that i have put together and will be useful for my SET M or so next time.