london / spousal visa / passport request / can i drop off my wife's passport?

[jda]

Hi,

I sponsored my wife last year and we received the passport request letter a few days ago (9 March).  But they only gave us one month to return to Canada (10 June). (It's a long story; we submitted our medical report 11 months ago but not the x-ray since my wife was pregnant at the time.  Now that we've submitted the x-ray, they are only giving us one year from the date of the original medical). 

It is deeply inconvenient but we are prepared to fly on 10 June.  I want to get the visa issued as soon as possible so that we can feel secure about our travel arrangements etc. So, we are going to travel to London to drop off the passport and pick it up two weeks later, as suggested inthe passport request letter. 

Because my wife is nursing the baby, it would be easier if I could take her passport to London and pick it up.  I know that my wife can authorize me to pick it up.  But my question is, can I take my wife's passport to the London office or does she have to be there in person?

Thanks!

[mitamata]

Well... she could just mail the passport, right? Meaning she wouldn't be there anyway. So you're really acting as a very reliable mailman

I've not tried it myself, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't have to go there.

[jda]

no, the passport request letter implies that if you mail it to them, it could take up to six weeks for the passport to be returned to you by post.  if that happens to us, the visa will have already expired before it arrives.  (not to mention the sleepless nights i'd suffer wondering if the passport had fallen through the cracks somehow).  i want it firmly in our hands as soon as possible.  with that in mind our only option is to deliver it in person and pick it up two weeks later.

[jda]

oh, i just re-read your post, and i see your point.  yeah, i thought of that too.  it makes logical sense that if she can mail it, then she doesn't need to deliver it in person, she can send it through me acting as a super-reliable postman.  but, if i just go down to london armed with my wife's passport plus logic and common sense, then to get them to accept the passport i'd have to count on the people who are working the visa counter that day being reasonable and flexible, instead of insanely officious and rule bound.  given my experience so far, i don't want to take that chance, not without some confirmation.

[mitamata]

lol. Well, I can certainly understand that

I think unless it specifically asks to show up in person, then you can deliver it for her.
Here's a post from someone who took in her own passport to London:

I went down the to London visa office this afternoon and handed in my passport.  They gave me a receipt and told me to return in 2 weeks with the receipt to collect the passport with the visa.  I'm glad I was able to do this instead of having to post it and wait after reading cases like yours.  It seems almost cruel to take that long after finally getting through the rest of the process and getting the application approved.

You can find it here. Seems to me it's practically the same thing as mailing it in, the only difference is there's a receipt that you pick it up with instead of them mailing it.

Perhaps you could send a message to Emmy or nabs, as they should have first hand experience. Maybe they can confirm our assumptions.

[Emmy]

Yeah, that post was mine.  I don't think they asked me for any ID when I dropped it off, or verified in any way that I was the PR applicant.  But I guess since I was handing in photos etc, they may have said something if the photo obviously wasn't of me.  They may have actually looked at my passport and the photos and visually verified it was mine, and I just can't remember.

The whole process was very quick though.  They actually set up a table just inside the visa office front door, and got through each person in line in about 1 minute each.  You hand in the passport, 2 photos, and the completed contact information page you got with your PPR letter.  They then get you to read out the Visa File Number for the PR application and hand you a receipt.  That was it.  You barely even make it inside the door, and they're set up specifically to accept passports during that one hour each Thursday.

If you want my opinion, I think it wouldn't be a problem, although I'd take along a lot of ID to prove who you are and that you're her husband just in case they question it.  But that's just my opinion based on going through the process.  If they did refuse to take it, you'll lose an extra week, as you can only hand it in on Thursday's between 2pm and 3pm.

My advice would be to get her to hand it in, just to be 100% sure.  But if losing a week wouldn't inconvenience you too much, then give it a try yourself.  It wouldn't surprise me if they let you hand it in and had no problems.

[jda]

thanks.  your description of what happens when you submit your passport in person was very useful.