Need to Take ALL Old Passports to NCS

[Lilca]

Hi,

I hope that someone here will be able to answer this. I have my appointment booked with the Nationality Checking Service and I have been told that I will need to bring all of my old passports to the appointment for coping/scanning and certification purposes. I entered the UK in 2000 on a passport that was issued to me in my maiden name and which expired in 2008. When I received a new one I destroyed the old one as I did not think I would ever need it again. I got married in 2010 to a British Citizen and I changed my surname to his and the same year I got a new passport issued to me in my married name. At the time of me collecting my new passport, the old one got taken away by the official at the Consulate. Now, I am being told that that I am required to produce all of my old passports that is the one on which I originally entered the UK in 2000 as well as the one that was issued to me in 2008. Does anyone have any experience of this at all? People loose their passports etc. surely, there must be a way round it. I contacted the Immigration and Nationality Helpline and have been advised that it may be problematic and that I have to write cover letters explaining why I do not have my old passports any more but that there is no way of letting me know what potential implications of my inability to produce the old passports may bear on my citizenship application since it is up to the caseworker to decide. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[tripping]

Hello I thought you only need to bring all UNCANCELLED passports, not all expired passports?

Please check the guidance notes again.

What status are you currently on? ILR? If ILR, how then did you manage to get it, as it would have required you to submit your old passport that had the original visa/UK entry stamp on it?

[Lilca]

Hello,

I am a EU citizen, have continually worked here since 2004 and married to a BC since 2010. I have been told that I do not need to have ILR just advised to apply straight away... Yes, I have heard about the need to bring any uncancelled passports but my old ones had been cancelled yet I have been told today by the HelpLine Advisor that I must bring the original passport on which I entered the UK in 2000 plus the one issued in 2008 in my maiden name. Both have been cancelled, and the one on which I entered in 2000 has long been expired anyway - yes I am completely shocked. I did spell the whole situation to the Advisor today and explained it all and asked and asked again to double check so unless I am being completely misinformed by this particular guy, this is very odd. But to make things worse a friend of mine also a EU national who naturalised in 2013 had also been asked to bring the passport on which she had originally entered (she entered in 2004), luckily she had kept hers and had no problem but the passport despite having been cancelled was still required and photocopied!! I can't see any sense in this at all. But the Advisor told me as I said to write a cover letter for each old passport which I am unable to provide them with and 'hope for the best with the caseworker' as it is up to their discretion.

[noajthan]

Hello,

I am a EU citizen, have continually worked here since 2004 and married to a BC since 2010. I have been told that I do not need to have ILR just advised to apply straight away... Yes, I have heard about the need to bring any uncancelled passports but my old ones had been cancelled yet I have been told today by the HelpLine Advisor that I must bring the original passport on which I entered the UK in 2000 plus the one issued in 2008 in my maiden name. Both have been cancelled, and the one on which I entered in 2000 has long been expired anyway - yes I am completely shocked. I did spell the whole situation to the Advisor today and explained it all and asked and asked again to double check so unless I am being completely misinformed by this particular guy, this is very odd. But to make things worse a friend of mine also a EU national who naturalised in 2013 had also been asked to bring the passport on which she had originally entered (she entered in 2004), luckily she had kept hers and had no problem but the passport despite having been cancelled was still required and photocopied!! I can't see any sense in this at all. But the Advisor told me as I said to write a cover letter for each old passport which I am unable to provide them with and 'hope for the best with the caseworker' as it is up to their discretion.

Did the NCS official asking for all passports realise you are an EEA national?
As an EEA national you are probably operating under EU rules and so need settled status via PR (not ILR);
you should only need to show proof of 5 years residency in UK. It will help if you hold a PR card but it's not mandatory.

It's very important you can prove you were physically present in UK 5 years before date of application;
again a passport may be useful to do this but, as an EEA national (who may not have had their passport stamped on entry), other documents will be accepted as proof instead.

It's unclear why you have been asked for all passports ever issued to you back to the year dot though.