Applying for naturalisation with a clean passport

[Dawie]

Let's say that you lose your original passport that you entered the UK on and which contains your original WP stamp and subsequent ILR visa sticker.

When it comes to applying for naturalisation and you use your brand new passport with a brand new ILR visa sticker in it, will this be a problem?

[ppron747]

Bearing in mind that they should have a good idea of your arrivals and departures from their own records, I can't see it would be a problem provided that your account of them matches up with what they've got on file. It may delay things, I suppose, while they trawl through dusty old papers...

I think it could be even more than usually important to record every single second that you've been out of the country, in case IND have any suspicions that the loss of the original passport might be a bit on the convenient side - eg if you've got a little close to the permitted maxima.

[Dawie]

Well, they have a good record of your arrivals at least. Departures is another matter.

I'm sure they have procedures in place though. I'm sure lots of people have lost their passports in the past. Not having your original passport can't be grounds for denying your naturalisation application.

[ppron747]

.....Not having your original passport can't be grounds for denying your naturalisation application.

Absolutely - but not being able to satisfy them that you meet the requirements can....

[RobinLondon]

I agree that departure control is less visible than at arrival, but this may not always be the case. The government introduced Project Semaphor in 2004 with the goal of pre-screening and recording migrants at airports. The process may not be particularly tight for everyone, but it might be more so for those with visas. I noticed, for instance, that airline companies were quite interested in recording details from my visa at check-in upon leaving from/returning to the UK from about mid-2004 or so.

I'm not sure if all this information is passed to the Home Office. To be honest, I don't know at all. From previous experience with UK bureaucracy, however, I have learned one thing for sure. The system here is often wobbly and inefficient, but when it does work, it works...and anyone who doesn't play by the rules usually feels the pain like a tonne of bricks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3700232.stm

[bbdivo]

I remember seeing this, when travelling from Jo'Burg, they were scanning everyones passports (full pages) and it looked like they were going on to USB keys of some sort. You did have the option to opt out, it was a home office initiative as all the equipment and signs had the homeoffice stamps all over it.

Dawie, according to the guidance if you are not able to provide a passport for the full period, you have to state on page 14 why (in your case it was lost Not sure if you'll have to provide a police report or something like that also.) You also have to provide and I quote 'Letters from employers, educational establishments, or other Government Departments indicating the applicant's presence in the UK during the relevant period'

Now I emailed the home office to get some clarification on this as my passport will not cover the last 6 months of my stay, and they didnt really clarify anything except quoting the above. I will be submitting a letter from my Employer stating my start date and current employment status and that I have been with them the whole time.

[Dawie]

I would imagine that P60's from those employers would also be relevant as well as bank statements from your bank. In fact any documentation that showed that you were active in the UK.