PANICKING - HELP! First time Child Passport (within UK)

No experience but my only advice would be to try and speak to someone at the passport office. If they're no help, I don't know whether your consulate could help? Even if it means seeing if they could issue an emergency Canadian passport. Fingers crossed for you.

Hello, sorry I can’t be much help - you definitely need to phone. I have been in processing over a week (started processing 3 weeks after I applied) but that is nothing compared to others who have been waiting 4 weeks in processing alone. Some cases seem to be in and out with no issues in 2-3 weeks so you might be ok?

We sent my daughters on the 30th January it’s been processing since 21st Feb. I sent mine and my other daughters at the same time. I got mine back in 2 weeks, my daughter 5 weeks, but still waiting for my youngest. We are thinking about doing a fast track passport if we don’t hear back soon. X

It’s so stressful Sent my sons passport application online on 27Th Jan, birth certificate sent shortly after and marked as received by the office on 8th February, then identity details for my son were confirmed 10th February! Then nothing since I have phoned god knows how many times and no one can advise you what the delay is regarding, left a callback 8th March and it took until today, 18th March for them to respond!!! They tell us that the hold is due to my partner (sons dad) having his middle name on my sons birth certificate but not having his middle name on his own passport is the delay, like really? For god sake, so god knows how long now until we have another update

You need to talk to the passport office, only they will be able to advise and help with such a deadline looming

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

Meganll how do I email the compassionate team? Where will I find the email address for each office please? So glad that yours has been finally resolved

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.

My son's first passport was submitted on the 8th January, but didn't receive till 27th January. Lady I spoke to yesterday has alerted it as said it's 10 weeks since I submitted, hopefully I hear back soon. Think she alerted it as I need it as we travel on the 4th April, so she said she will alert it and then the examiner can do something. It's been in examination since 11th March.

Someone from the process team called me today and they said they put an alert on for the examiner. The current status is “your application is being processed”. What does this alert mean? And how long could it take? I’ve contacted my local MP Unsure if they can help though.

Amirun87 - I have an alert on my son's application too, as it's been over 10 weeks.

Ok anyone on here with an approaching holiday deadline & application is not moving - DO THIS. Phone the adviceline - they are next to useless for giving you any help with passport process times/deadlines etc. so ask to be put through to the PROGRESS TEAM. If they can’t put you straight through they should offer you a Progress team call back-call back may take up to 72hrs. The Progress team have additional ‘power’ they can contact the examiner looking at your case and give them the date you need your passport for. This is not guarantee but is probably the best chance you have to get it back by that date. My passport application sat at ‘processing’ for 4 weeks. After speaking to the progress team & giving them my travel date, my application was approved within 48hrs. Good luck!

approved within 48hrs. Good luck!

That's only half the battle I am afraid - I've been stuck at approved for 8 days now - no sign of it being printed, the delays seem to have crept all the way through the system now.

A1jeco- I tried to do this today with the process team and they said advice is not too book holiday until passport is received. I started my application 01/03/22 and travel 06/05/22. 10weeks before. But with the whole “application being processed” I feel I’ve lost hope! Let’s hope this alert does something.

Yeah we logged a call to speak processing team and 10 days later we get a call back although it’s when my partner was in a meeting lol not the so called 72 hours they advise! So we have had to log another call! The whole process is very badly run!! We applied 27th Jan for holiday 10th May and still waiting, still 7 weeks to go but no further and no one will tell me why,

We did mine, our 2 daughters on the 30/1/2022 mine came back within 16 days , oldests in 4 weeks, but my other daughters sat at processing until I received a letter on the 15th saying they needed a full birth cert and a new person to countersign. So I’ve now sent them back should be received tomorrow with the sticker address they gave me with my daughters application on. Hoping it’s sorted very soon. We fly on the 28th April x

Hi all, I go on holiday on 06th May 22. Both my childrens application has been stuck in “processing” since 17/03/22. My husbands documents have not even updated as documents received yet. I called the airline today and it will cost me £99 per flight to change dates. Plus additional costs. Do you think I should just request my docs back and request fast track??? I have 6weeks till I go.

Hi all, Have you had any luck with your applications yet? I too am waiting for my child’s first passport (applied 26/01, docs received 21/02 and has been “processing” ever since) need it for 4 weeks time!😫 Cannot get through to anyone by phone as lines are busy then goes dead. Live chat is no help, when you eventually get through to speak to someone they just advise current wait times!! Urghhhh! I see people who have applied after me have already received theirs so understandably I’m stressing! Good luck people!

Mine was not exactly first, it was renewal passport sent online application on 22 Feb and sent old passport through first class royal mail.There was no tracking update so contacted royal mail after 2 weeks they have lost passport. I don't know what's happening now. So stressful at the moment.

Royal Mail says our daughter additional documents have been signed for last Monday, but still no change we fly in 4 and half weeks 🙈😩 applied on the 30/1

It may be worth emailing your local MP to help speed things along. I did this and it seems to have worked! I applied for my daughters first child passport back in January and they only starting processing it 23/02, it had been “processing” ever since. After many calls/emails/live chats with getting absolutely nowhere (what even is the point of those?) I decided to email my local MP on Monday. He replied to me this morning at 10.55 saying happy to help and he would contact the UKVI department and at 11.42 this morning my daughters application was approved! Coincidence or not but it is definitely worth a try, good luck x

I contacted MP on 22/03 after my application for both children went into processing on 17/03. I received this note from my MP. As per your request, we have now contacted Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) on your behalf, in order to get an update on the status of your application. However, please be aware that xxxx is unable to impact on any future decisions reached by the Home Office/UKVI/HMPO. In addition, we have been made aware that it may take several weeks for them to respond to our request, and therefore, our intervention may not achieve a quicker outcome. We will be in touch with you as soon as we receive a response. In the meantime Let’s hope it works x

Anyone worried about not getting their passport back in time. Here’s what I did. With 2.5 weeks to go it was in ‘processing’ with no sign of moving-just got it back yesterday with 3 days to go till holiday, after waiting 6.5 weeks. Phone up & demand/beg to be put through to the PROGRESS TEAM-the initial ‘advice’ team can do nothing to speed up application. When you speak to the Progress team politely explain that your application has stalled but you need it to travel on X date. The Progress team can add the date to your file so the examiner knows when you need it. If it is possible they will aim to get it completed by that date. Once I did this it started moving quickly to approved, took another 5 days to get to printed & another 6 days till delivered. Good luck!

Sorry to jump on here is it easy to complete a childs first passport application online? I did my renewal through the post office but was going to try and do my sons online. I just overthink too much incase i do it wrong! Haha x

Don’t bother just do it fast track