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You’ll have to call the passport advice line as they have to open a ticket first. It will depend on your circumstances too I think.
Belfast:
Passport printed 9:13pm on 18 March 2022
Application approved 12:26pm on 16 March 2022
Application being processed 1:34pm on 14 March 2022
Documents received 11:33am on 24 February 2022
Application received 9:18am on 14 February 2022Special note:
The only reason our application was approved so soon after processing is because I basically begged the urgent and compassionate team at the Belfast office. I got their email address from someone at the passport advice line.I explained our situation. They responded within 2 hours and also said we don’t qualify for being expedited:
“Thank you for your e-mail. Sadly this situation does not fall within the urgent and compassionate criteria to have _____’s passport issued urgently.
Though as _____’s application is awaiting examination, I will have it lifted and referred to an examiner to process today via the normal service.”
It was approved the same day!
I do think it’s important to note that our situation was unique. If we didn’t receive my daugther’s passport in time, I was going to be separated from her since I had to leave the UK before the end of my visa.
If you have a difficult situation requiring you to travel, it does seem worthwhile to email the urgent and compassionate team to at least get it on their radar.
WOW. I’m extremely relieved.
After many sleepless nights and several calls to the passport team, we finally have it sorted.
I basically had to email the urgent and compassionate team to beg for them to expedite it. This was advised to me by the passport adviceline phone team.
We first emailed the Newport office who said they can’t do anything – only death or hospitalization seem like the ways to actually expedite it. But I think the person answering felt bad and told me it was actually with the Belfast office.
(I don’t know why they move it around so much. We sent documents to Durham, then were told it was in Newport. Then they said it was in Belfast?!?)
So the next day I asked for the Belfast email for the urgent and compassionate team. I explained our situation. They responded within 2 hours and also said we don’t qualify for being expedited:
“Thank you for your e-mail. Sadly this situation does not fall within the urgent and compassionate criteria to have _____’s passport issued urgently.
Though as _____’s application is awaiting examination, I will have it lifted and referred to an examiner to process today via the normal service.”
It was approved the exact same day!!!!
It goes to show that they can do something when the status is “application being processed”. It seems like that’s some sort of “holding stage” to wait for an examiner.
Moral of the story: Be persistent. They do have ways to help you!
Passport printed 9:13pm on 18 March 2022
Application approved 12:26pm on 16 March 2022
Application being processed 1:34pm on 14 March 2022
Documents received 11:33am on 24 February 2022
Application received 9:18am on 14 February 2022
