Lost Passport/Settlement visa.

[Robyn.88]

Apologies if I've posted in the wrong forum category!

My husband applied for his initial settlement visa whilst in India and was granted a visa. He arrived here 1st September and a few days ago when he needed his passport he could not find it. We have searched everywhere but so far, we have not been able to find it. It's always at home and the last time he took it outside was when he started his job and they required a copy of his passport/visa. If we are not able to find it, can someone please advise me of what to do next?
He contacted the police and they have not had anything handed in but took his details and said they will contact him if it is handed in. I understand he will have to apply for a new Indian passport but from that point, I am not sure what to do. Is it possible to have his visa transferred to his new passport?
When I go through the UK Border Agency website for partner of British citizen applying in the UK, it's taking me to the page for leave to remain on 5 year route to settlement but that looks like the application for when you have completed your initial 2.5yrs, he has only been here 3months and (maybe!) lost his passport, so I'm confused of what to do now. His visa is valid until April 2016 and it feels like such a waste if we have lost that and need to apply all over again!

Help?!!

[Ayyubi72]

I would say, carry out a meticulous search of your house. I am sure you will find it.

It is going to be a bollywood drama to replace a lost Indian passport.

I have lost my Indian passport about 150 times in past 15 years, but I have always eventually found it sitting somewhere peacefully.

[Robyn.88]

We have turned the house upside down and even my mum came and searched the house, you know a mothers check is always more thorough!

I am not in a rush to go through the visa application process again but just to be cautious, I'd like to know what to do if we cant find it!

[Zebrudaya]

Dear Robyn.88

I sympathise with you and your husband over the loss of his passport/settlement visa. However, I must quickly add that it can still be found despite the number of searches all of you have made. I am saying this from experience because however careful anyone is, having a missing stuff occurs at one time or the other in anyone`s life.

You mentioned that he got it out once to show his employers or words to that effect. Well, assuming that he was still maintaining the custody of the passport in the same place in the house before then, he should now try to think clearly about what transpired in the office. Let him try to follow the sequence as if he is unrolling a recorded film of his activities that day i.e. let him make a mental picture of all the things he did especially concerning the passport. Did he give it to his boss to make a copy? If so, did the boss return the original to him? Did he try to make a copy himself at any nearby photostating shop? If so, did he remember collecting the original from the photocopying machine? You may not believe it but many people, repeat many people forget to collect their original documents after photocoping it, especially if they are in a hurry!

I am pretty certain that if he slowly goes over all the steps he went through in the handling of the passport/visa, he will be able to pin-point the most likely place and time he suddenly started missing the passport.

Also, he should cross-check to confirm that he had not changed the place in the house where he usually kept his treasured documents for safe keeping. People hide things in many unusual places to safeguard those things in case of say burglary. The problem creeps in if they inadvertently hide it from themselves too because they did not memorise the new position of the hidden documents. This is a situation similar to someone forgetting the pin of his bank or credit card which he changed himself!

I wish I live close to you people to cross-examine your husband and help find his documents. Be confident! I believe your documents will soon be found.