Please Help-EEA1 Application, my husband passport is lost!!!

[gesa]

Hi everyone,

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

I have a very urgent issue if you can please advise.
My husband, an EU citizen, has applied on 25th of October for a Registration Certificate (under EEA1 Application), in order to support my EEA2 application.

We were living in Cambridge at the time of application, on 13th of November moved to London and notified UKBA for change of address.

On 10th of December we send an email requiring his passport back, no response.
Called HO yesterday and they told me that the documents were send on 19-th of November to our old address in Cambridge.

Two problems:
1. We didnt include a prepaid signed-for envelop for return of documents, even though they have been returned with a signed-for envelop.
2. Someone had signed for the delivery of the documents at our old address(verified with Royal Mail) but we were not notified for the mail (even though we called the landlord several times)

Now the passport is lost, no one knows where it is and we do not know what to do. Called Royal Mail, UKBA but no one give us directives on what to do.

Can you please help?

Many many thanks,

Gesa

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

If your passport is lost, contact your embassy for advice on what to do.

[pilayo]

Uffff I'm sorry about that, for sure they must do something as you let them know the address change....
I'm in the same situation, I'm moving home shortly, could you tell me the email address where you sent the address change notification????

Thanks a lot and good luck

[sheraz7]

@pilayo

The best and solid way to change address is to send them written letter along with the prepaid envelope showing your new address. Hopefully it will work more effectively.

[boloney]

If your passport is lost, contact your embassy for advice on what to do.

Looks like someone Have that passport, so I would report it to the Police and Than apply for new one at Embassy.

[gesa]

Thank you everyone for replying to my issue.

@pilayo:
At this address you can find the form you have to fill and send to them online:
https://contact-ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ ... geAddress/
But I belive as sheraz7 said that it will be better to write a letter as well, because they say taht it takes 72 hours for the address to be changed and the fact was that thay did not change it in time.
Or you can change it online and call them to confirm that the address was changed, anyway they keep very good track of every correspondence you have with them.

@boloney
Yes, I am afraid that this is the case, because I called today the landlord again and he said that they had a mail for us but he did not know where it went. So strange... On the other hand, I have contacted UKBA for this problem and asking advise and they didnt reply to me. I dont know if they can do anything about it.
I have contacted Royal Mail too and they want a confirmation from UKBA that the passport was send in order for them to investigate.
Such a mess.... terrible system, so fed of all bureaucratize!!!

[sheraz7]

@gesa
The situation you telling itself describing that someone get your passport post and most probably the landlord/residents of your old address. Because how landlord can say that he seen post for you that later vanished and post cannot walk itself. Just as a precaution check again with ukba as maybe possible someone RTS (return to sender) your post.

[fysicus]

Two problems:
1. We didnt include a prepaid signed-for envelop for return of documents, even though they have been returned with a signed-for envelop.
2. Someone had signed for the delivery of the documents at our old address(verified with Royal Mail) but we were not notified for the mail (even though we called the landlord several times)

How do you know this? Has UKBA given you the Royal Mail tracking number?
It sounds strange to me, as UKBA has already stopped a long time ago returning documents using signed-for envelopes. If an applicant doesn't supply a return envelope they return it by plain 2nd class post nowadays.

I also have the impression that you acted rather carelessly in this matter. It is not going to help you but for the benefit of others (not to repeat your mistakes) I'll note a few obvious points.
1. if you want the registration certificate for your husband to support a subsequent EEA2 application, it is far easier to submit both applications (EEA1 and EEA2) simultaneously, in one envelop.
2. I find it hard to imagine that at the time of application you did not yet know about your move to London only a few weeks later. Did you mention about it in a cover letter or in the "Other remarks" section on the application form?
Alternatively, could you not wait a few weeks before submitting this application? Or simply write the new London address in the application form, not mentioning the old Cambridge address at all?
3. Royal Mail has a forwarding service to ensure post sent to your old address is delivered at your new address. Did you use this service?
4. UKBA returned your documents very quickly. That suggests the application did not pass the initial screening because some supporting evidence was missing.

I think it will be very difficult to hold either UKBA or Royal Mail responsible for the loss of the passport in this case.