Help! Home Office has lost everything

[sanfair]

I'm a South African citizen, I originally came over to the UK on a working holiday visa but then married a British citizen. I applied for FLR(M) at the beginning of June.
I phoned the Home Office at the beginning of August because I was worried that it was taking so long and was told that they had no record of my application. They then acknowledged telephonically that they had received it when I gave them the Post Office Recorded Delivery number and I was told that they would open an investigation.
I struggled then to even get a letter confirming they were looking into it.

Now I have received a poorly spelled letter saying that they have no record of receiving my package and advising me to resubmit my application. My original application included my passport, my husbands passport, my marriage certificate and the last original divorce certificate from my previous marriage (the first original was lost when I applied for a Certificate of Approval). It's going to take me at least four months to get a new passport and then I have to go through the whole Home Office rigmarole again.

My working holiday visa expired ten days ago. I know that I can continue to work as long as I have a pending application but what is the situation now?

Has anyone got any advice for me?

[Dawie]

NEVER ever under any circumstances send your passport by post. You and many others have learnt this the hard way. Especially when the pathetic South African government takes 4 months (if you're lucky) to issue another one.

[sanfair]

I know. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't go for the more expensive same day option. Grrrr

[pumkin]

I'm a South African citizen, I originally came over to the UK on a working holiday visa but then married a British citizen. I applied for FLR(M) at the beginning of June.
I phoned the Home Office at the beginning of August because I was worried that it was taking so long and was told that they had no record of my application. They then acknowledged telephonically that they had received it when I gave them the Post Office Recorded Delivery number and I was told that they would open an investigation.
I struggled then to even get a letter confirming they were looking into it.

Now I have received a poorly spelled letter saying that they have no record of receiving my package and advising me to resubmit my application. My original application included my passport, my husbands passport, my marriage certificate and the last original divorce certificate from my previous marriage (the first original was lost when I applied for a Certificate of Approval). It's going to take me at least four months to get a new passport and then I have to go through the whole Home Office rigmarole again.

My working holiday visa expired ten days ago. I know that I can continue to work as long as I have a pending application but what is the situation now?

Has anyone got any advice for me?

If there is proof that it was delivered to home office, they need to track it. Perhaps contact the complaints department. See if royal mail can trace who signed for the letter and what the possibility is of you obtaining a copy of that signature. Send proof along with letter of explanation to the home office complaints section and see what happens. Or, consult with a lawyer.

[John]

NEVER ever under any circumstances send your passport by post.

That is not quite how I would put it, but I would say .....NEVER ever under any circumstances send your passport by post ..... unless you use Special Delivery.

Items sent through the post by Recorded Delivery are given no special security consideration by the Royal Mail. They merely get a signature when delivering. And compensation for loss by the Royal Mail is limited to 100 x the cost of a 1st class stamp .... therefore £32 at the moment.

Compared to Special Delivery .... treated securely by the Royal Mail .... and in the event of loss by the Royal Mail, compensation is quite sufficient to cover for the financial cost of replacing the lost items such as passports.

[RobinLondon]

I'm sorry to hear about this. Before everyone starts reduplicating content that has perhaps been explored before, I'd suggest taking a look at this thread from five months ago...if only for reference.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... ffice+lost

[jjustyy]

NEVER ever under any circumstances send your passport by post.

That is not quite how I would put it, but I would say .....NEVER ever under any circumstances send your passport by post ..... unless you use Special Delivery.

Items sent through the post by Recorded Delivery are given no special security consideration by the Royal Mail. They merely get a signature when delivering. And compensation for loss by the Royal Mail is limited to 100 x the cost of a 1st class stamp .... therefore £32 at the moment.

Compared to Special Delivery .... treated securely by the Royal Mail .... and in the event of loss by the Royal Mail, compensation is quite sufficient to cover for the financial cost of replacing the lost items such as passports.

I agree with John on this. My wife has sent her passport in the post a number of times for different visas etc. but she always uses Special Delivery and the passport has always arrived safely.

[Dawie]

Does your wife's government take 4 months to replace her passport?

I guess it's a personal choice, but even if there was a 0.0000000001% chance that it could get lost or stolen on special delivery, I wouldn't take it.

[John]

Does your wife's government take 4 months to replace her passport?

It is debatable if my wife's country of origin has a government at the moment! LOL .... given that she comes from Thailand!

Dawie, even if you hand-deliver your passport there is still not a 100% guarantee that it will not go missing .... even in an hour or two. The reality is that Special Delivery is extremely safe, and there is no reason not to send items through the post using that method.

[jjustyy]

Does your wife's government take 4 months to replace her passport?

I guess it's a personal choice, but even if there was a 0.0000000001% chance that it could get lost or stolen on special delivery, I wouldn't take it.

In my case, she's Mauritian and admittedly it probably wouldn't take that long, but it wouldn't be straightforward. In many cases, she has had no choice but to send a passport for certain visas and in other cases i.e. for a Schengen and US Visit visa, they send it back Special Delivery, so you have no choice on retrieval too.

[Jeff Albright]

I'm a South African citizen, I originally came over to the UK on a working holiday visa but then married a British citizen. I applied for FLR(M) at the beginning of June.
I phoned the Home Office at the beginning of August because I was worried that it was taking so long and was told that they had no record of my application. They then acknowledged telephonically that they had received it when I gave them the Post Office Recorded Delivery number and I was told that they would open an investigation.

Exactly the same happened to me in 1999. They first acknowledged the receipt over the phone three times, then in 4 years time said they had never had that application.
At least the good news for you is that they accepted it and probably minuted it on your file. Just follow it up, send a complaint to Customer Focus Team as soon as possible.
DMC is probably a culprit. Have you sent your application to ICU to the address given on an application form?
Also, you might want to contact RPU to see if they by any chance had your passport returned there. (just use the main number and ask to be put through to RPU)

Now I have received a poorly spelled letter saying that they have no record of receiving my package and advising me to resubmit my application.

Tell them expressively clear that they must provide the detailed response to your complaint and accept a copy of your application (have you made a copy?) free of charge + pay all the expenses for obtaining the replacements of your documents.
Have you checked with Royal Mail website that the package had been delivered? Just go to Royalmail website, enter your Recorded Delivery number and it should give you the delivery details including the delivery receipt.

My working holiday visa expired ten days ago. I know that I can continue to work as long as I have a pending application but what is the situation now?

Don't worry about this. Just keep that letter and follow the complaint procedure.

[sanfair]

Thanks

Excuse the newbie, but what do ICU, RPU and DMC stand fo?

[Jeff Albright]

Thanks

Excuse the newbie, but what do ICU, RPU and DMC stand fo?

Apologies - I was writing it in a bit of rush.
ICU = Initial Consideration Unit (where all applications should be sent in a first place)
RPU - Return of Passports Unit (do not confuse with Resource and Planning Unit!)
DMC - Document Management Centre.

Good luck!