Passport nightmare - What else can I do?

[TinkTatoo]

Originally Posted by Dr.JumbaJookiba

Open 9am-3pm on a Sat according to google.

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If your sister wants her son to be at her wedding (and apart from that - it’s more about that he’s never been away from her so will probably be so upset being left with an aunt) then someone needs to head to the Liverpool office very early Saturday morning. Perhaps a drive up Friday night and an overnight stay in a hotel? I know if it was my child I wouldn’t be able to leave them behind especially if there was a simple, all be it, inconvenient solution. Hope it gets sorted.

[Tinkerbell 1]

Originally Posted by TinkTatoo

If your sister wants her son to be at her wedding (and apart from that - it’s more about that he’s never been away from her so will probably be so upset being left with an aunt) then someone needs to head to the Liverpool office very early Saturday morning. Perhaps a drive up Friday night and an overnight stay in a hotel? I know if it was my child I wouldn’t be able to leave them behind especially if there was a simple, all be it, inconvenient solution. Hope it gets sorted.

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This 👍🏻 In fact time is of the essence so I’d be on my way tonight with a couple of other people and we’d all be playing tag team in the queue if needed. I’m the sort of person who goes in work mode in these situations! We had an issue with a missing PCR test in November and at 3am DH wanted to give up and accept we weren’t going on holiday. I booked a 7am test at Heathrow and we had a 10am flight from Gatwick. Super stressful but all worth it once on the flight with gin in hand.

Sending lots of PD to you OP!

[derenstar]

Just to say that this works - my sister’s passport was issued yesterday from the Durham office. She drove up there to collect it today - she’s travelling to Greece tomorrow!

Originally Posted by Kellea

This was on my Facebook yesterday. It might be worth a try.

So this is a status about how I’ve managed to expedite my passport application and get it in time for my holiday, I’m hoping it’ll help others to get theirs in time too because I know how stressful the process is. Sorry this is long winded. ❤️
Firstly, don’t call them because it’s completely a waste of your time. Whatever office you try to call, it’s the same number, the same contact centre. They are not civil servants, they have no communication with the passport office themselves and their job is to essentially blag us that they’ve helped. All that they see is exactly the same as what we see when we put our PEX number in to get the status of our application. They will tell you they’ve put a “mark” on your file and the upgrade team will call you if your holiday is soon, except they won’t actually call because there’s no such thing as a mark on your file. The people on the phone literally do nothing to help us.
If your holiday is within two weeks and you’ve not got your passport, you need to email the upgrade team as this is the ONLY way to actually contact them. You need to put URGENT and your travel date in the subject. In the email you need to put your name, address, PEX number, contact number for them to call you and attach proof of travel to the email (flight booking). This means they wont have to contact you trying to chase up what they need and delaying the process further. No matter what office your documents are at, it’s worth emailing them all because they are all working through them in travel date order and it’ll just be whichever office gets to your application quicker that’ll call you.
The emails are -
leedsupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
liverpoolupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
glasgowupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
durhamupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
belfastupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
londonupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
newportupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
If you haven’t heard back from the upgrade team within 2 days of emailing, email them again. The upgrade team are the ONLY ones that can help you get it quickly. When they do call you it can be NO CALLER ID, so make sure you pick up any calls incase it’s them. They will usually approve your application there and then on the phone and they’ll print it at your local office so you can go and collect it from the closest one.
If your travel is not in the next 2 weeks there is no point contacting the upgrade team yet as they will not help you. The upgrade teams are helping people in priority order.
If you’ve already got an application in process, do not book a fast track appt at an office as well because they won’t see you if you’ve already got a passport application in process and you’re essentially just paying for your passport twice for no reason and they won’t refund you for the appt you’ve booked (I learnt this lesson the hard way). If you want to do a fast track appt you’d have to cancel the current application, wait for your documents to be returned to you which can take 2 weeks and then make an appointment.
If you haven’t got an application in process yet but want an appointment they are being released few and far between at all offices at random times throughout the day via this link so you’ve just got to keep refreshing…
passportappointment.service.gov.uk
If you’re within a week of flying and the upgrade team haven’t contacted still then you should also email these as well as continuing to email the upgrade team …
fol@hmpo.gov.uk
abi.tierney@homeoffice.gov.uk
CEO@hmpo.gov.uk
feedback@hmpo.gov.uk
escalatedservices@hmpo.gov.uk
complaints@hmpo.gov.uk
southport@hmpo.gov.uk
It’s also worth emailing your local MP who should be happy to send an email to the passport office on your behalf to help expedite your application further.
Hope this helps others ❤️

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[act1980]

I'm just worried that we're going to drive all that way and be refused to be seen. What then? 🤯

[TinkTatoo]

Originally Posted by act1980

I'm just worried that we're going to drive all that way and be refused to be seen. What then? 🤯

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You won’t know unless you try and from what other people have posted there’s a very good chance that the passport will be issued. I guess it’s whether your sister is OK with her son not being at the wedding

Edited to add, does everyone have to go or could just one person make the journey ?

[act1980]

Originally Posted by derenstar

Just to say that this works - my sister’s passport was issued yesterday from the Durham office. She drove up there to collect it today - she’s travelling to Greece tomorrow!

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Do you know if she had booked an appointment?

[munmun]

Originally Posted by act1980

I'm just worried that we're going to drive all that way and be refused to be seen. What then? 🤯

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Then you have at least tried and you can prove that to get compensation not what you want but it has worked for others

[marypoppins38]

Originally Posted by act1980

I'm just worried that we're going to drive all that way and be refused to be seen. What then? 🤯

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Then at least you will have done all you can. It's better than that poor wee little boy being left at home.

[derenstar]

Originally Posted by act1980

Do you know if she had booked an appointment?

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She didn’t need to. She got call from the upgrade team after it had been issued and invited to collect it if she wished. It was a 5hr round trip but she’s relieved. It’s worth a try.

[Blue nose]

Originally Posted by act1980

I'm just worried that we're going to drive all that way and be refused to be seen. What then? 🤯

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But what is the alternative?

Do nothing and wait and see and potentially not take the child away?

If you/your sister want the child there your sister needs to go to Liverpool.

Can she get the train? London to Lime Street is only a couple of hours if your anywhere near there?