1st Passport Interview for Naturalised Person

[tfirth]

What does an interview letter say? (image anyone?)
How much time does the letter say you have to book an interview appointment?
Can one delay booking the appointment for say 2 or 3 months?

[CR001]

Why delay the interview? It only takes 10 minutes and you get your passport within a couple of days. Appointments are not hard to get. I can't recall if there is a 'book within x days' but I don't believe so. It is a standard letter, nothing special.

I am not sure you could delay for a few months, otherwise why did you apply if you don't want to complete the process.

[tfirth]

Thanks for your reply.

The reason why I asked about delaying arranging the appointment is because we will be away from the UK for a couple of months and need the passport the 2 weeks after we get back. So was hoping we could apply for passport and then delay arranging appointment until a week before we return. Then upon return the interview and passport comes a week later.

Hence was curious what the letter states and do we have that option?

[CR001]

I would suggest apply when you return. Current waiting times are about 2 weeks from applying to receiving the passport. It is not a drawn out process at this time of year but does become a much longer wait closer to the summer.

Not all foreign nationalities allow dual citizenship and this is relevant from date of British citizens ceremony, so you should be mind of that too if you are from such a country.

[tfirth]

If we wait until our return and don't get the passport in 2 weeks then that will be very costly for us. It would be better for us to delay our trip which also has many other implications. Hence if it is ok to delay because there is no stipulated fixed time for booking the appointment then that would work for us.

[CR001]

Phone HMPO and ask them. I have never had someone ask to delay going for the interview. It doesn't make sense. Most people want to get the journey complete.

Also, you have to send your foreign passport with your British passport application, so your plan has the potential of not working anyway if you have such immediate travel plans.

But you should also be mindful that your ILR BRP is not valid once you attend your ceremony, it gets cancelled and the BRP card now has to be returned to HO within 5 days of your ceremony or you face a £1000 fine per person.

[tfirth]

According to HMPO you don't have to send your foreign passport with your passport application. Only your birth certificate, citizenship certificate and your marriage certificate and 2 photos. This is misinformation.

Don't think you need to give your BRP until you receive your UK travel document i.e. passport. Where does it say you have to give up your BRP as part of the citizenship ceremony.

[noajthan]

According to HMPO you don't have to send your foreign passport with your passport application. Only your birth certificate, citizenship certificate and your marriage certificate and 2 photos. This is misinformation.

Don't think you need to give your BRP until you receive your UK travel document i.e. passport. Where does it say you have to give up your BRP as part of the citizenship ceremony.

At this rate you will not make it out of the country.

fyi - HMPO make strict checks on names & multiple identities - they require all uncancelled passports.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crac ... -detection

Tip: do not rely on any government agency 'helpline'.

Step 1: read & understand requirements

Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ssport.pdf
- see page 5

Step 2: To avoid a possible £1000 fine keep up with rule changes
See http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... turn%20brp

[palaremzi]

Following up on this issue: do they allow for interpreters during the interview? We probably need one for my wife's interview. I can volunteer to be there during the interview and do the translation if needed, but i don't know if they will accept this.

[secret.simon]

Following up on this issue: do they allow for interpreters during the interview? We probably need one for my wife's interview. I can volunteer to be there during the interview and do the translation if needed, but i don't know if they will accept this.

Isn't B1 in speaking and listening in English a part of the requirement for ILR? And hasn't your wife passed that?

The interview will be conducted in that level or lower and ideally your wife should not require an interpreter.

[CR001]

Following up on this issue: do they allow for interpreters during the interview? We probably need one for my wife's interview. I can volunteer to be there during the interview and do the translation if needed, but i don't know if they will accept this.

You will not be permitted to sit in the interview with your wife or to translate. Why can she not answer the very simple questions that are asked? It is not a test.

Surely she has had to pass the English tests to get ILR etc.

Edit : beaten by secret.simon

[Wanderer]

Following up on this issue: do they allow for interpreters during the interview? We probably need one for my wife's interview. I can volunteer to be there during the interview and do the translation if needed, but i don't know if they will accept this.

Surely she can speak English at a conversational level? Has she taken the prescribed English test for FLR/ILR?

Got to be said, did she use a proxy for the English test?

[palaremzi]

yes she does speak some english (just enough to get past the Esol Entry Level 3); but please have a look at this experience (see the initial message by tuvoc):
http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... iew%20wife

i just want to make sure this does not happen to us.

Following up on this issue: do they allow for interpreters during the interview? We probably need one for my wife's interview. I can volunteer to be there during the interview and do the translation if needed, but i don't know if they will accept this.

Surely she can speak English at a conversational level? Has she taken the prescribed English test for FLR/ILR?

Got to be said, did she use a proxy for the English test?

[CR001]

I have only seen that happen twice by members posting on the forum and neither of them recently.

HMPO are not inhumane. They will ask questions that only she should know. They are patient and friendly.

[palaremzi]

reassuring to hear this about HMPO. sounds like they have a different attitude compared to HO.

I have only seen that happen twice by members posting on the forum and neither of them recently.

HMPO are not inhumane. They will ask questions that only she should know. They are patient and friendly.

[secret.simon]

If you read the other thread, you will also know why this interview takes place and therefore why they would not allow you to translate. The purpose of the passport interview is to verify the identity of the passport applicant based on information that they have entered on the forms. They don't expect a 100% memory test and are aware that the applicants are human and will make mistakes. The comment in the other thread about the wife being in tears because she has understated the number of residents of a previous house is, in my opinion, hyperbole. Even if she had got it wrong, the interviewer would have moved on to other questions.

Besides, your wife will have already got British citizenship by then. The worse that would happen if your wife got flustered in the interview would be another interview and a delay in getting her passport, nothing worse.

What the interviewer would be looking for is the ease with which the applicant speaks. So, is she speaking in a scripted manner? Does she look like she has memorised the answers? The questions will be conversational. So, instead of asking the applicant where she was born, the interviewer may ask her what is a good time of the year to visit her home town? Or what food and/or establishments there would she recommend over there, etc.

When I went for my passport interview, I had a nasty fall outside the passport office and part of the interview was chatting about the pavement quality in the neighbourhood I reside in and comparing it to the pavement outside the passport office!!!

Remember that all applicants of a first time British passport, even those who were born British, have to go through the interview process. You will not be surprised to know that the other forums on which the passport interview questions are discussed are university student forums.

Tell your wife to act natural and have a conversation in English with the interviewer.

[CR001]

See the link below for members experience and what questions are asked.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... 64893.html

[noajthan]

Very few people 'fail' this interview:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... sters.html

Don't forget the "how did you travel here today" & "how long did the journey take" type of questions.
They took my wife by surprise.

"What type of house do you live in" caught daughter out.

The interview format & typical questions are well known so you can practise at home with one or two dry-runs.
If your wife is too familiar with talking with you then get a friend or workmate to play the part of the interviewer.

Note the interview appears to start with the receptionist at the interview venue..
You will probably find they will only talk to the applicant & may even ask you not to speak on their behalf (even at reception desk).

You'll be able to laugh about all this one day.

[palaremzi]

You'll be able to laugh about all this one day.

Was thinking of the same thing while reading all this. Surprised to receive so many insightful responses regarding this issue. Thank you..