They accepted it!

[louisekerry]

*Happy dance*

So I took my passport application to the post office today to try to get it sent again, for the 6th time, and they took it!

Now I just have to wait two weeks for them to process it and they said I might have to go for an interview, then it'll be delivered to me a few days after that. I'm so happy, and excited. I know its just a passport but it means so much more to me, its means being one step closer to seeing my SO.. yay!

[snow_girl]

Great news! But why would you need to go for an interview for a passport? I also have never heard of a passport being rejected.

[louisekerry]

Apparently everyone applying for their first passport in the UK has to have an interview, they say it is to prevent identity fraud.

[Zapookie]

I had to have an interview for mine... 3 times! I know how you feel. I finally got mine a few weeks ago. Congrats to you

[rixue]

Congrats!

[Oldblighty]

Well I'm glad to hear they accepted it this time. Why was it being refused? I suppose you used the check and send service? The interview isn't that bad, they just need to verify it's really you....

[louisekerry]

It was getting pretty ridiculous if I'm honest, first they sent me a pre-printed form and made a mistake with my address, so I crossed it out (as the book says you can up to three times for mistakes before needing a new form) and corrected it, and yes, I was using the check and send service, and the woman just told me that as it was a pre-printed form, I wasn't allowed to write on it in pen, so I needed to do a new one. Then when I did I took it back and they told me that the photos were wrong because the side of my hair (like a mm) wasn't in the picture, so I got them done again, they said I was sitting too far back and that my eye didn't line up with the card they used to check it, (it was just slightly off) and he said my signature looked like it had been gone over (it hadn't) then I took more and did a new form, went back and they said the photos were the 'wrong quality', so I got more, went back yesterday and she took the photos out of the envelope went off and checked them, I was certain she was going to tell me something else was wrong, but she said they were fine, the only problem was that I didn't have a full copy of my birth certificate, but I had the original of a smaller copy that was issued when I was registered, so she gave it back and said I wouldn't need to send a birth certificate because I had my mum's full one so that would be okay. I'm just so glad they accepted it this time, as I can't even apply for my visa til I have that back, as I need a passport number.

[Oldblighty]

My, poor you with having to go through all that. Plus those passport photo's are cheap to get done, so that adds up. At least it's done now and you can relax a little. Which passport office will you have to attend the interview at? I had mine at the Peterborough Office. Literally more sitting around waiting than actually being questioned, although my passport was issued on the day I went, so you might not be there long at all.......

Once you have your passport, then all the visa malarkey starts

[Tooki]

I'm pretty sure that they do interviews in Australia as well (which Zapookie confirmed). I first got my passport when I was young so my most recent passport was a renewal.

And congrats!

[MissButterfly]

Never heard of that either, but I'm really glad it worked out for you this time! I'm sure the interview won't be a problem

[squeeker]

I too didn't realize they had interviews for your first passports in the UK! I do remember having to go to the passport office twice because the first time I forgot to bring along my birth certificate (to be honest, I didn't know that it was required.. I had other ID but not my birth certificate), though that's not quite so bad I'm sure! But it looks like the interview shouldn't be bad at all.. And hey, you guys in the UK get your passports for 10 years I hear (at least my boyfriend's is good for 10 years so unless they changed the rules since he got his).. unlike us in Canada who have to renew ours after 5 years. But either way, I'm excited for you, I remember when I got my passport in the mail I was sooo excited because I knew it meant I could go to the UK to meet my boyfriend for the first time! You'll do fine at the interview, I'm sure!

[Moon]

Wow, and here I thought it was just the US that makes things difficult. Good luck, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[Bbth]

Congratulations! This is really good news
This whole process seems to be a lot complicated, but you are one step closer now and, hopefully, everything is gonna be ok

[lademoiselle]

Don't worry about the interview. Mine was a breeze The hardest question they asked me was the date my parents got married - heck, even my dad doesn't know that one (but I got it right)

You'll be fine. Congrats on the acceptance!

[louisekerry]

Thanks everyone! I'm pretty sure I'll have to go to the passport office in Victoria for the interview, I was actually told by my mum's friend who got his last year that there was an office in Elephant & Castle (which is near where I live) and that I could just take the form, documents, photos etc and have my interview there and my passport would be issued. After my fourth attempt at getting it sent at the post office I decided to go try it, and got there to find an empty office and to be told by a grumpy man on reception that it "isn't there anymore" - then when I got home I looked online and found out I couldn't have done that anyway, as its my first ever passport. *facepalm*

Its so nice though to come here and see that people know what I'm talking about and understand why I'm so excited and why it means so much, I have a couple of friends staying at the moment and we were talking about it today and they've been to America, Thailand...all the places I want to go someday, and I was so excited to say I will be getting my first passport soon, and they were just like "pft, I got mine when I was a child :P" and "you've never left the UK?!" One of them said it would have been a lot less hassle if I'd got one when I was five, I said "yeah, I don't think my parents ever anticipated the possibility that I might want to go out of the country one day" :P

Oh well, I'm not too worried about the interview, just looking forward to finally getting the passport and being able to start the fun that is getting the visa!