HM Passport Office: How to Complain

[melovesengland]

Hello everyone. My husband applied for my son's passport in May and until now we haven't received his passport still.

4 weeks after we applied we received this letter asking me to provide Cenomar from the Philippines and for further information I have to see the supporting documents for overseas application. I asked what is it got to do with my sons application and the examiner simply states that because there is no divorce in the Philippines we have to know if you have previous marriages, I also said that we are not applying outside the UK why did she state on the letter and even provided link for overseas application. she said it's just their standard procedure. STILL asking for Cenomar doesn't explain why its needed for my sons passport application and we strongly believe that she mistakenly reviewed my sons application as an overseas application but not owning to her fault.

After 2 weeks we sent them the Cenomar they needed and now its been nearly 3 weeks since they have received it so I rang today to ask if there is any update and the person I talked to said they have sent it to Bangkok for checks, he said I understand that you are from Thailand I said no I am from the Philippines and he said sorry he's wrong. he then said that the document is in Bangkok and their team there is liaising with the Philippines to do checks. I've only got 4 weeks to go before we fly to the Philippines and they have been playing up with my sons passport application.

Now this has caused a lot of stress to us and I wanted to make a complaint to someone who can shake the passport office to look into my sons application and quicken it up.

Please help. I am in the verge of breaking down.

[lordna]

Have a read of this link:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/organi...ints-procedure

....but it might be worth contacting your MP if your running out of time.

[melovesengland]

Have a read of this link:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/organi...ints-procedure

....but it might be worth contacting your MP if your running out of time.

we have already rung the numbers on that link and filled up the form. we have been in contact as well and some of the people i spoken to said i dont need that cenomar as it is a straightforward application because the father is british citizen but the examiner insisted they needed it. we provided them the document but now they sent it to thailand for checks, he even mistakenly told me i am from thailand and changed his statement and said he is sorry and told me about their team in thailand in liase with the philippines.

ive been back and forth with these people still i didnt get a proper response. i think the MP route is our last chance to get this speed up a bit. so frustrating.

[Steve.r]

There is a complaints procedure and HMPO can ramp up the complaint to a higher level. In your case it seems to me that there has been vast incompetence on their behalf. I have just done the online paperwork yesterday for my son, and there is no requirement for a cenoma in the supporting documents, only a marriage certificate and birth certificates for you, your husband and your son. There are of course other supporting documents that they require, but I am sure you have done it all properly. It is also not an 'overseas' application for you as you are all in the UK now and applying from here.

I had reason to complain about how I was treated when I went to london to get my second passport as they treated me like ....., and told me a bunch of lies. I did complain and it got sorted, so you can do it. Here is a number to the complaints department taken from one of my letters of complaint. Tel 0300 123 1973

I hope you get it sorted in time

[Michael Parnham]

I'm sure it'll get sorted Novie, good luck!

[raynaputi]

Contact your MP immediately.

[grahamw48]

Sorry to hear of your problems Novie, and I hope the situation is resolved for you soon.

I'm assuming your hubby had to send them his passport.

Have they returned it yet ?

I applied for our son's passport (overseas app.) about 3 weeks ago, and was wondering how long they'd take to return my passport (without which I cannot travel, of course).

[Steve.r]

I sent my package to the philippines yesterday by DHL for my wife to finish adding the documents that I don't have here. Luckily the passport that shows that we were together at the time of conception has recently been replaced, so I could send it (the old one) without me being without a passport ( i have 2 new ones hehe)

[melovesengland]

There is a complaints procedure and HMPO can ramp up the complaint to a higher level. In your case it seems to me that there has been vast incompetence on their behalf. I have just done the online paperwork yesterday for my son, and there is no requirement for a cenoma in the supporting documents, only a marriage certificate and birth certificates for you, your husband and your son. There are of course other supporting documents that they require, but I am sure you have done it all properly. It is also not an 'overseas' application for you as you are all in the UK now and applying from here.

I had reason to complain about how I was treated when I went to london to get my second passport as they treated me like ....., and told me a bunch of lies. I did complain and it got sorted, so you can do it. Here is a number to the complaints department taken from one of my letters of complaint. Tel 0300 123 1973

I hope you get it sorted in time

hi steve, that is the number i am using to ring them as well but still no joy. i dont really know now who to ring.

[melovesengland]

Contact your MP immediately.

we have done last night rayna. we thought providing cenomar will do it all but its been 3 weeks since we submit the document still nothing happened.

[melovesengland]

Sorry to hear of your problems Novie, and I hope the situation is resolved for you soon.

I'm assuming your hubby had to send them his passport.

Have they returned it yet ?

I applied for our son's passport (overseas app.) about 3 weeks ago, and was wondering how long they'd take to return my passport (without which I cannot travel, of course).

hello graham, we submitted my husbands expired passport as that was the passport he was using when i gave birth to my son. they havent return any document yet.

[melovesengland]

There is a complaints procedure and HMPO can ramp up the complaint to a higher level. In your case it seems to me that there has been vast incompetence on their behalf. I have just done the online paperwork yesterday for my son, and there is no requirement for a cenoma in the supporting documents, only a marriage certificate and birth certificates for you, your husband and your son. There are of course other supporting documents that they require, but I am sure you have done it all properly. It is also not an 'overseas' application for you as you are all in the UK now and applying from here.

I had reason to complain about how I was treated when I went to london to get my second passport as they treated me like ....., and told me a bunch of lies. I did complain and it got sorted, so you can do it. Here is a number to the complaints department taken from one of my letters of complaint. Tel 0300 123 1973

I hope you get it sorted in time

we have applied online as well and was surprised 4 weeks after that they are requesting for cenomar.

[melovesengland]

I have gave them a bell a again. This time I am asking for the examineers superior or manager to contact me to explain why my son's application has ended up like this. The bloke i spoke to said it will be either today or tomorrow, if i havent heard from them 24 hours from now then ring them back.

[SimonH]

Which passport office did you send the application to originally?

[melovesengland]

Which passport office did you send the application to originally?

belfast, as thats what the address on the declaration form said.

[grahamw48]

You can also email them at: liverpool@ips.gsi.gov.uk (remember to include your application reference number).

I did so on one occasion, and received a prompt reply.... polite and helpful, with a real person's name at the bottom too.

[SimonH]

belfast, as thats what the address on the declaration form said.

I'll send you a PM with the details of the supervisor there

[SimonH]

Sent, good luck

[melovesengland]

You can also email them at: liverpool@ips.gsi.gov.uk (remember to include your application reference number).

I did so on one occasion, and received a prompt reply.... polite and helpful, with a real person's name at the bottom too.

thanks graham will look into this!

[melovesengland]

I'll send you a PM with the details of the supervisor there

saw ur message simon, thank you very much will pass on the details to my husband so he cant contact the person immediately!

[Steve.r]

What a worry Novie, I hope it get sorted soon. Keep us updated

[melovesengland]

Sent, good luck

just gave that number you gave a ring and christine is in a meeting, the lady i spoke to asked me where did i get the number so i said it has been given by a friend.

cut story short, she just basically said that the examineer will make a decision on my sons application and she will put a note to ring me back but its all rubbish because the examineer herself is not being very helpful.

[melovesengland]

What a worry Novie, I hope it get sorted soon. Keep us updated

it is steve, it is. i have just sent and email to the email address graham gave and see how it goes.

[SimonH]

Might be worth dropping her an email with all of your details and concerns?

That number is not readily available, that's probably why they asked how you got it

[melovesengland]

Might be worth dropping her an email with all of your details and concerns?

That number is not readily available, that's probably why they asked how you got it

i finally got through to the examineers office. a lady which was very helpful said that they have to send a copy of the cenomar to bangkok for checks to see if the document is real and to see if i have previous marriages. she said in the past 2 years rules have changed about child british passport application with a filipino mother and from then they have requested filipinos to provide cenomar which I dont believe as I have friends that applied for their childs passport no cenomar needed.

she gave me her name and numberfor me to rung next week and she said to leave it to her and she will try to quicken up the process by sending them bangkok an emergency note/email to say that my travel date is very near now.

the overseas team in bangkok normally process them kind of documents maximum 4 weeks she said. i even told her that there were no cenomar mentioned on the requirements for childs british passport when we applied online, she couldnt answer she just keeps nagging about the rules have been changed 2 years ago.

so i guess i have to wait next week now and ring her for an update. what a load of nonsense that is. stressful i tell you.

[raynaputi]

I think they're just covering up for the mistake Novie. And why do they have to send the documents to Thailand when they process UK applications in Liverpool?! You should have told we have a few members here who applied for their kids' passport recently and never had to go through something like that. I think the best thing to do is still to go to your MP and let him/her help you deal with this urgently. Make sure to point out it's a complaint.

[melovesengland]

I think they're just covering up for the mistake Novie. And why do they have to send the documents to Thailand when they process UK applications in Liverpool?! You should have told we have a few members here who applied for their kids' passport recently and never had to go through something like that. I think the best thing to do is still to go to your MP and let him/her help you deal with this urgently. Make sure to point out it's a complaint.

we are going to make a follow up email rayna tonite and ill ask paul to see if he can actually ring them. i know, there is no proper documentation saying that they have changed the rules and it applied to all as many of our fellow members have applied for their childs passport and didnt gone through with what i am experiencing now.

[Slip]

When we got Kiannas passport it took one week and then they made a mistake in it. I phoned and they asked for it to be sent back. Sent it back on the Wednesday. Got the new amended one on the Friday.

But I guess your situation is different. But if you are applying for a UK passport, don't understand why they sent documents anywhere other then a UK passport office.


Hope you get it back in time and an apology.

[raynaputi]

When we got Kiannas passport it took one week and then they made a mistake in it. I phoned and they asked for it to be sent back. Sent it back on the Wednesday. Got the new amended one on the Friday.

But I guess your situation is different. But if you are applying for a UK passport, don't understand why they sent documents anywhere other then a UK passport office.


Hope you get it back in time and an apology.

That's because I think they mistakenly took/considered it as an overseas application. Loads of stupid people in Home Office based on my experience.

[Steve.r]

Novie, when you fill out the new form online, 'it' supposedly then takes into account where you are from and where you are applying from and then give you a list of supporting document required. IF it is a new rule, then it should be clearly visible on their website, otherwise I call them out as liars and covering up their mistake as Rayna said.

Keep on top of it, don't let them get away with it. Because I complained, they let me have my second passport application for free.