NCFC Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 My wife needed to renew her Thai passport in order to complete the application for ILR. We had an appointment booked at the consul to do this but later they rang up and said due to covid lockdown they are closing many consular services including issueing new passports. As this affects our ability to get an ILR settlement visa, I rang a number on the UK immigration website to explain the situation, also worried we could lose the application fee. The person I spoke to said to go ahead with the application but the make a note as to why no current passport is included. I have submitted all our paperwork online and next week we have an interview to which I am not allowed to enter. So it's in my wife's hands to explain clearly what the situation is and hopefully we can get it all sorted. When the Thai consul opens I imagine the queue for appointments will be horrendous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoYai Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Which Consulate are you talking about? Hull's been closed since the beginning of the Pandemic. Your wife can renew her passport at the embassy in London surely? It may be worth phoning them, they are currently dealing with some matters by post that they normally require a personal visit - no idea if passports are one of those. Take a look at their website - the Thai version probably has more information. Edit: I just checked the Embassy website - maybe that's the one you mean? And yes it says its closed due to the lockdown. Hopefully you'll be OK as UKVI have told you but I don't think the Embassy will be closed too much longer. They didn't stop the service because of the Pandemic itself, the did it when the latest lockdown was announced. As you know, restrictions are slowly being removed so it shouldn't be too long. I note they give an e-mail address for enquiries - [email protected] - may worth asking them. They must be issuing passports in some circumstances surely? What would a Thai citizen that was going home do if they lost their passport? Still, they did some crazy stuff last year so nothing would surprise me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigyin Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 When you say interview I assume you mean her biometric appointment? This is with UKVCAS staff not UKVI and they simply do the biometrics and submit everything to UKVI. Have you uploaded her documents already or have you paid for this at the appointment? I would strongly advise you write a letter explaining the situation and either upload it or include it with the documents to be uploaded and submitted at the appointment. Do not rely on UKVCAS staff. I have been through the process last year for my wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 On 3/11/2021 at 2:03 AM, KhaoYai said: Your wife can renew her passport at the embassy in London surely? From the embassy website. Following measures by the UK government to control the COVID-19 pandemic (national lockdown), the passport renewal service will be temporarily suspended from 6 January 2021 until further notice. For enquiries, please email to [email protected] We apologise any inconvenience caused. Source: https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/82038-thai-passport?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd0007340 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoYai Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 7 hours ago, ubonjoe said: From the embassy website. Following measures by the UK government to control the COVID-19 pandemic (national lockdown), the passport renewal service will be temporarily suspended from 6 January 2021 until further notice. For enquiries, please email to [email protected] We apologise any inconvenience caused. Source: https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/82038-thai-passport?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd0007340 Yes Joe, my post included an edit which acknowledged that and indeed, included the e-mail address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7by7 Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 On 3/10/2021 at 6:29 PM, NCFC said: I rang a number on the UK immigration website to explain the situation, also worried we could lose the application fee. The person I spoke to said to go ahead with the application but the make a note as to why no current passport is included. She needs to take some form of valid photo ID with her to her appointment with UKVCAS to prove her identity. As she has no current passport she can use one of the alternatives listed in para 4.2 of the UK Visa & Citizen Application Services FAQs Quote Alternative forms of ID include, but are not limited to: government issued photographic ID such as UK photographic driving licenses (full or provisional), national ID cards, expired (but not cancelled) passports and biometric residence permits. As a belt and braces measure, I suggest she also takes a brief written explanation of why she has been unable to renew her passport as well as a print out of the Thai embassy page linked to above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilly07 Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 London embassy won't do passport renewals by post. They want to use their biometric kit. My son's have been waiting for over a year to do theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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