Passports applications

[Gray]

I've never had a passport, never been abroad so never really had use for one. However in a couple of months i might well be going abroad.

Sent off my application using the Post Office/Check and Send, had everything there that was needed, all "originals" and no photocopies.

Today, about a week or so later i get a letter stating it was declined because my birth certificate was a photocopy. I lost my *original* birth certificate so i sent off (and paid) for a new one. I recieved the new one, a "Certified Copy", made a scan for my computer and then put it my box for documents.

So i was never in doubt that it was an "original" Certified Copy. Regardless Passport Office declined it. I phoned them up and they said "The examiner deals with these all days, if he felt that this was not an original he'd fail it". I reaffirmed my point that it wasn't a photocopy and challenged her on this.

So now i'm waiting for the examiner to phone me directly, but since i'm in work soon i might end up missing the call. This has got me concerned now thinking there is something wrong with this document. I feel i made one mistake, when i made the scan (Which i just checked) it had a smaller print at the bottom saying the words "Certified Copy" would be raised up from the paper. I didn't check that, all i identified was it was a special kind of paper that was used.

 

[Scouse]

So i was never in doubt that it was an "original" Certified Copy. Regardless Passport Office declined it. I phoned them up and they said "The examiner deals with these all days, if he felt that this was not an original he'd fail it". I reaffirmed my point that it wasn't a photocopy and challenged her on this.

So now i'm waiting for the examiner to phone me directly, but since i'm in work soon i might end up missing the call. This has got me concerned now thinking there is something wrong with this document. I feel i made one mistake, when i made the scan (Which i just checked) it had a smaller print at the bottom saying the words "Certified Copy" would be raised up from the paper. I didn't check that, all i identified was it was a special kind of paper that was used.

So, to be clear - did you send them a scan of the certified copy, or did you send them the certified copy itself?

 

[DaGaffer]

You need to send the original. They won't accept any copies. Count yourself lucky; the latest scam is I now need to get my original birth cert and my decree absolute verified as original for use in Ireland (new rules brought in under "The Hague Convention" two years ago) by having something called an Apostille Stamp. £30 per stamp plus fedex charges. Anyone trying to use personal documentation abroad will have to get this done going forward.

 

[Gray]

Nono, i sent the actual certified copy, i made no print outs of it. Yet they're claiming it's a photocopy/not original - But i know it is.

 

[DaGaffer]

Nono, i sent the actual certified copy, i made no print outs of it. Yet they're claiming it's a photocopy/not original - But i know it is.

Who did you order the birth cert from? Here is the only legit place to order one: https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

 

[Gray]

Yeah was off the government website. The refusal letter i recieved said to order it again, but that means paying however much and i'll just be recieving the exact same document that i sent them in the first place. It was definately the original so i don't know why it's been refused.

 

[Raven]

I am lucky my wife found my expired passport so it will hopefully be easy to get a new one. Because I was not born in the UK I have to jump through all sorts of hoops to get a new one, just to prove I am a UK citizen. I was tempted to ask for all the tax I have paid back and give up my UK nationality but I don't think they would have seen the funny side.

 

[Scouse]

Yeah was off the government website. The refusal letter i recieved said to order it again, but that means paying however much and i'll just be recieving the exact same document that i sent them in the first place. It was definately the original so i don't know why it's been refused.

Sounds like monkey-fail then.

Why will you miss the call? You not got a mobile? Work can't stop you taking *all* calls - it's actually illegal of them to do so.

 

[Gray]

We're not supposed to have our phones on in work as it could potentially breach data protection. We do though, but only on silent but we can't knowingly answer it on the floor else it's a breach.

Alas, i have to get ready for work soon so it won't be today i speak to him i guess.

 

[Chilly]

Sounds like monkey-fail then.

Why will you miss the call? You not got a mobile? Work can't stop you taking *all* calls - it's actually illegal of them to do so.

Of course its not illegal. If you work at BAE putting nuke subs together you'll go to prison for having your phone anywhere near you, let alone taking calls on the factory floor.

 

[DaGaffer]

Yeah was off the government website. The refusal letter i recieved said to order it again, but that means paying however much and i'll just be recieving the exact same document that i sent them in the first place. It was definately the original so i don't know why it's been refused.

Can't you show them your receipt?

 

[Scouse]

Of course its not illegal. If you work at BAE putting nuke subs together you'll go to prison for having your phone anywhere near you, let alone taking calls on the factory floor.

:facepalm:

Yes, in high-security jobs there are reasonable expectations and special circumstances, of course. Exceptional Circumstance to justfiy postion = Fail.

There was a lawsuit a number of years back because an employer banned the use of phones for all personal calls at work time and the court found they couldn't do that. You cannot cut people off from their lives at work.

Some employees take the piss, yes. But you can field important phone calls and if your employer doesn't like it they can jump.

 

[Ormorof]

hah i had the ol' birth certificate problem when i had to get a National Insurance card... i was like "well err ok but its in danish so probably not much use to you..."

in the end i just shouted at them a lot and they gave in...

 

[Yoni]

You need to send the original. They won't accept any copies. Count yourself lucky; the latest scam is I now need to get my original birth cert and my decree absolute verified as original for use in Ireland (new rules brought in under "The Hague Convention" two years ago) by having something called an Apostille Stamp. £30 per stamp plus fedex charges. Anyone trying to use personal documentation abroad will have to get this done going forward.

I had to have mine verified as originals when I moved to NL..... In Sweden it wasn't required although mine were already done.

 

[Chilly]

:facepalm:

Yes, in high-security jobs there are reasonable expectations and special circumstances, of course. Exceptional Circumstance to justfiy postion = Fail.

There was a lawsuit a number of years back because an employer banned the use of phones for all personal calls at work time and the court found they couldn't do that. You cannot cut people off from their lives at work.

Some employees take the piss, yes. But you can field important phone calls and if your employer doesn't like it they can jump.

Bollocks. My younger brother does security cleared work (lowest rung, barely worth being classified at all) and all personal calls and mobiles are banned from the office. People in jobs requiring clearance of some kind probably account for about 5-10% of the UK workforce. That's not an exception, that's hundreds of thousands of fairly ordinary jobs. And that's not the only place it's reasonable to ban it.

What you mean is in some job where the person is not 1) customer facing 2) safety critical 3) security cleared (or any number of other reasons that probably exist) THEN it's probably not cool to ban personal stuff. Fuck off with your fails and facepalms.

 

[mr.Blacky]

You need to send the original. They won't accept any copies. Count yourself lucky; the latest scam is I now need to get my original birth cert and my decree absolute verified as original for use in Ireland (new rules brought in under "The Hague Convention" two years ago) by having something called an Apostille Stamp. £30 per stamp plus fedex charges. Anyone trying to use personal documentation abroad will have to get this done going forward.

Sorry your decree is what? and an Apostille stamp? Living in Ireland as well UK nationality but born in the Netherlands so wondering where that will leave me :S

 

[Scouse]

What you mean is this has already been decided in the courts and UK law has found me wrong. Thanks for the friendly enlightenment oh godlike Scouse

Fixed m8

 

[Tom]

Yeah was off the government website. The refusal letter i recieved said to order it again, but that means paying however much and i'll just be recieving the exact same document that i sent them in the first place. It was definately the original so i don't know why it's been refused.

Fuck that, the passport place is in the middle of Liverpool, there's a great coffee shop just around the corner. Go in and get it done in one day. You shouldn't have any problems dealing with people face-to-face.

 

[Lethul]

I've never had a passport, never been abroad so never really had use for one.

How come?

 

[DaGaffer]

Sorry your decree is what? and an Apostille stamp? Living in Ireland as well UK nationality but born in the Netherlands so wondering where that will leave me :S

If you want to get married in Ireland, yes you'll have to go through this process (Decree Absolute is my divorce papers). Fortunately you have to visit the Registrar at least three months before you get married in Ireland (no marry in haste repent at leisure here) so there's plenty of time to get this done; would be nice if their website actually told you all this though.

 

[Job]

I appreciate it's a pain in the ass, but the passport agencies get battered by false applications and that one they let through could be some shyster after your identity, I'm glad they're taking it seriously.

 

[Gray]

Well this passport guy hasn't phoned me. So will have to chase it up on Monday now.

I mistakenly didn't ask about ETA on a callback so my fault there.

 

[Gray]

Well i never did recieve a phonecall back from them after my first phone call, did actually feel that the person i spoke to was a bit snotty anyway. So phoned them back today, again they said i'd be phoned back - This time the guy wasn't so bad. Did recieve a phonecall back though, saying it was a photocopy as there was no watermarks present. I'm at a loss, i told him i'll send off for a new one now - But it's highly likely what i get back will be the exact same.

Regardless, i've sent a complaint form through to the birth certificate place, if i'm having to fork out another £20 i wanna get my money back on their original mistake, highly unlikely anything will come of it though.

 

[Gumbo]

Scouse. I'm pretty sure that there isn't an offence on the statute books of refusing to allow your employee a phone during working hours. I also imagine that your 'lawsuit' was probably related to an employment tribunal. I imagine that the employer probably handled the issue badly and without legal advice so found themselves in a tribunal upon which the use of phones was pivotal.

It is perfectly okay to not allow people to have mobiles about their person, provided it's in their terms and conditions which they have agreed to. You would probably struggle to just introduce it without showing that you consulted with your employees first. In my employees terms and conditions, the use of mobile phones during work hours is explicitly banned. This is a set of t&c's drawn up by employment lawyers. In fact I allow it, so long as the piss is not taken, but I have it in the t&c's so that if the piss is being taken I can do something about it.

I would like to see the source for your assertion.

 

[Raven]

Most places I have worked at say no personal mobiles in work time, though in reality, as said, it is not really enforced...just there for piss takers.

 

[Access Denied]

I work for Tesco and the only people who are allowed their personal mobiles on them during their shift are managers. Everyone else is supposed to keep them in a locker. We don't of course, we just put them on silent and don't take or make calls.

 

[soze]

One of the places I visit for work locks your mobiles on reception he is that paranoid about staff stealing data.

 

[Yaka]

you know you could ask for the orignal replacement birth certificate back, photo copy it and ask your local post master to certify it it and date stamp it. the passport service normaly will take it.

 

[Gray]

Ordered a new birth certificate a few days ago and it came through today, so sent it off as soon as i got it. Put the receipt from the place in there as well so i think this will be an end to it now...

(He says!)

 

[mr.Blacky]

you hope!