Passport Problem

[satish.pand]

Hi

I would be applying for my Tier 1 application in Feb/09 and my passport will expire on Jun/09. Since the passport is valid for less than 6 months, is it going to a problem in my Tier 1 extension.

Cheers
Satish

[Jedi001]

Hi

I would be applying for my Tier 1 application in Feb/09 and my passport will expire on Jun/09. Since the passport is valid for less than 6 months, is it going to a problem in my Tier 1 extension.

Cheers
Satish

Annex C - Supporting Documents Checklist
All applicants
• Travel document or passport (passports and travel documents should be valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from the UK)

I say yes you can be in trouble...forums members can correct me if I am wrong..

Regards
Jedi001

[republique]

Hi

I would be applying for my Tier 1 application in Feb/09 and my passport will expire on Jun/09. Since the passport is valid for less than 6 months, is it going to a problem in my Tier 1 extension.

Cheers
Satish

No because after it expires, you will get a new passport and you will have to carry both passports when you travel

[traveller1973]

It's in your interest to have a passport valid for the duration of the visa as you'll have to pay the Home Office £160 to transfer it from your old to your new, if you lose the original passport.

[push]

It's in your interest to have a passport valid for the duration of the visa as you'll have to pay the Home Office £160 to transfer it from your old to your new, if you lose the original passport.

The question here is not about losing the passport. If the Passport with current leave to remain in UK expires the VISA is transferred to the new passport free of cost or otherwise the person has an option of carrying both the passports while traveling.

The VFS JAPAN Website site (& this is not specific to Tier-1) says that the passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of application.

Whereas VFS India site merely says that the Passport should be valid.

Applications will be accepted at the Visa Application Centre (s) if applicants:
provide a passport (or other travel documents where specified by UKVisas)
- which correspond to data in the VAF (name, passport number, expiry date)
- which have not expired

I could not find relevant info on the UKBA website though. Given the confusion I think it would be on the safer side that the Passport be valid atleast for 6 months as on the date of VISA application

[moneypenny]

I actually had a similar issue before I applied. I managed to renew my passport before I applied.

I did call the HO about switching my old visa into the new passport before I applied. I wasn't sure if I had to. You do not have to do it. However if you did lose your old passport or want to move the visa into the new passport then it does indeed cost £160 to change it into the new one. It is not free. I confirmed it with the HO and saw the form for switching the visa.

I also believe, and I cannot remember where I saw it so don't quote me, that you need 1 month left on your passport to apply. I'd make it six weeks to be safe.

[raghu0307]

Jedi001 is right. It is clearly mentioned on the VAF9 form in the Annex C (supporting docs checklist) that the passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of departure and if you plan to apply in Feb you will have 4 months left for your visa to expire. I wont suggest you should take the risk.

Hi

I would be applying for my Tier 1 application in Feb/09 and my passport will expire on Jun/09. Since the passport is valid for less than 6 months, is it going to a problem in my Tier 1 extension.

Cheers
Satish

Annex C - Supporting Documents Checklist
All applicants
• Travel document or passport (passports and travel documents should be valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from the UK)

I say yes you can be in trouble...forums members can correct me if I am wrong..

Regards
Jedi001

[satish.pand]

I would be applying for my Tier1 extension and I am currently in U.K

Will this be a problem even If i am in UK.

Anyway, I am planning to renew my passport just to be on the safer side.

[push]

I actually had a similar issue before I applied. I managed to renew my passport before I applied.

I did call the HO about switching my old visa into the new passport before I applied. I wasn't sure if I had to. You do not have to do it. However if you did lose your old passport or want to move the visa into the new passport then it does indeed cost £160 to change it into the new one. It is not free. I confirmed it with the HO and saw the form for switching the visa.

Sorry guys the original question is not about lost passport but about expiry of passport within less than 6 months of VISA application.

It does not cost a penny to get your valid VISA transferred from your expired passport to your new passport

See this:

ECB17.1 Transferring a visa to a new passport
If a traveller's passport expires during the validity of the multiple entry visa, the visa may be transferred to a new passport for the remaining period without payment of a further fee. The visa in the expired passport should be cancelled.

[moneypenny]

I can see where we got the wires crossed. An unused visa can be swapped for free but if you have used it, it will cost £160...

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ukres ... opassport/

The NTLTOC form is used for changing visas and it does cost £160.

[push]

I can see where we got the wires crossed. An unused visa can be swapped for free but if you have used it, it will cost £160...

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ukres ... opassport/

The NTLTOC form is used for changing visas and it does cost £160.

Either I am reading it with a filter or there is some real contradiction re information available on UKBA website. The section ECB17.1 that I quoted from is NOT for unused VISAs (the following one i.e. ECB17.2 is) and it clearly says there is no fee. Looks like I will have to go through it once again with open mind and ofcourse open eyes

[test001]

Hi Satish,
What country passport do you currently hold? Indian I guess? It takes just a week to get a new passport issued from the indian high commision for a very nominal cost.
I would strongly say to renew your passport.

[traveller1973]

The £160 is for in country transfers. My point being that you should apply for your visa within a decent validity of your passport to avoid the £160 fee in the UK. Failing that you will have to return to the country of issue and get it transferred for free - at the expense of an air ticket! ECG 17.1 refers to overseas transfers.

With regards to the 6 month minimum validity, it is a recommendation only. The UK has no legislation about minimum validity. However, as I say, on a soon-to-expire passport, you will have to pay to transfer the visa once in the UK, so best have a passport that matches the validity of any entry clearance....or pay the HO £160!

[z00ps00p]

In my experience, many countries (UAE, UK, US, Canada) require that your passport be valid for at least six more months at the time of visa application. This is despite the fact that you can have the stamp transferred to a new passport, or carry your old passport with the visa stamp with you. (Perhaps this is because they don't want the passport to expire while they are processing the application?) So I would strongly suggest that you get your passport renewed first, and then apply for Tier 1 (General) migrant status.

[drjabberwocky23]

As far as I'm aware, the criteria regarding less than 6 months remaining on the passport and visa applications refers to applicants looking to gain entry to the couyn try. For leave to remain, I don't think there's anything clearly enshrined in law as such, but the points made above regarding transferring a visa may become relevant.