Corby Passport Office - timelines?

Passport arrived this morning, 19 days after submitting the application. Apart from waiting the 12 days for documents to be received it was a very easy process. Passport printed 10:23am on 23 May 2022 Application approved 3:55pm on 19 May 2022 Documents received 1:15pm on 17 May 2022 Application received 3:29pm on 5 May 2022 Application submitted 3:28pm on 5 May 2022

@ribena71 have you had any further update in yours yet, yours was about a week ahead of mine. It's totally crazy that some people are getting there's back in 3 weeks and some are taking month. Into week 9 now. Can't get thought on the phone and no one bothers to reply to emails. It was just a straight forward renewal, no changes to any details. Just over 4 weeks til we fly now.

**PLEASE READ THIS** I’ve been trying to retrieve my supporting documentation I.e my other nationality passport and after several phone calls and hours waiting I managed to have my call transferred to the senior team. One advisor advised me to try to go to Corby in person so I can speak to someone and retrieve my passport so I can travel next week. I was also informed by this advisor that he would write an internal note, advising the team I would go there, since he was unable to transfer the call directly or provide any other contact. I went all the way from London to Corby (to the postcode confirmed by the advisor, who also confirmed my documents were still there) only to get into an industrial park, which basically processes the documents and played oblivious to HMPO and having no idea what I was taking about. I ended up going to the sorting centre in Corby to find out the correct address, hoping that was a misunderstanding and there was indeed another building and someone aware of my visit. Apparently I was one of the few people being misinformed, the staff at Corbys Royal Mail sorting centre reported several people turning up with the same problem. So if anyone advises you to do so, don’t do it as it’s a waste of time and money

So I finally managed to speak to someone on the passport office help line. They said once it gets to 2 weeks before we fly or 10 weeks since the documents where received (which ever comes first) we could call back and upgrade to a fast track service - however this wasn't guaranteed. Has anyone who's had their application go to processing rather than straight to approved had any updates yet.

No updates from me and I’m meant to travel next Wednesday. I have made several people at the management team aware and still no action. That’s just an empty promise

When did yours go in to processing. It's a bit frustrating seeing all these other passports been done straight away when we've been waiting weeks and weeks with no updates

Documents received 12:40pm on 10 May 2022 Application received 11:22am on 27 April 2022 Identity details received 11:21am on 27 April 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:34am on 27 April 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 12:31am on 27 April 2022 Application submitted 12:31am on 27 April 2022 I was told at the time that my support documents would return within 10 days. I am desperately trying to retrieve my returning documents. It’s really frustrating that the exact day Corby has received my documents was when all the news popped up.

They received our documents on the 5th April, went in to processing on the 13th April. There's been no update since. The other 2 we did went straight from documents received to approved, we received them on the 14th April, all done at the same time.

Still no update on mine. I’ve spoke to someone who said the same as you @ronyal. I have a feeling we’ll be chasing them. No holiday excitement whatsoever because of all this. Fly 4 weeks on Saturday. Almost 7 weeks since submission.

From what I see in here the applications tend to get processed a few days after the documents were received, it's the 26th of May but still no status update, should I be worried? Is the Corby office likely to reach out in a reasonable amount of time if there are issues with my documents or my application? It's a bit weird that people that applied and sent their documents even later than I did are already getting their passports, I'm wondering why I've been skipped. Documents received 4:32pm on 12 May 2022 Application received 9:38am on 29 April 2022 Identity details received 9:38am on 29 April 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:08am on 29 April 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 6:52pm on 28 April 2022 Application submitted 6:52pm on 28 April 2022

@roadkillkebab we’re on the exact same boat. I tried everything under the sun to retrieve my supporting documentation with no success so far.

@Ronyal - No, still nothing! The online webchat never works, there's never anyone available on the phone and I had no response to the query form. Annoyingly, the date they show as having received my documents is ten days after they were actually signed for at the passport office so that means I've got to wait even longer for the 10 week cut-off.

@ribena71 It's ridiculous after days of trying to call and getting a recorded message saying there was no one to take my call, I was told that I couldn't do anything until the application was either more than 10 weeks old or 2 weeks before we fly. She said if it ends up being 2 weeks before we fly and its inside the 10 weeks there's a £60 charge and its not a guaranteed service. I even said I was happy to pay the £60 now as I had finally managed to get through to just get the passport back in time, but she said no. Should have just lied and said the flight was in 2 weeks. Doesn't seem at all right that new applications are getting done straight away but some are waiting for ages.

My trip is on Wednesday and even though I managed to speak with several different people, send emails, letters and formularies, no support was given. The most shocking thing is I have requested several times to retrieve my documents back and no answer. At the moment I have no id. I hope you all have better luck

@ricoe I have no travel plans set in stone but it looks like there's a trend where people either wait an extremely short time (as in under a month) or an extremely long time (3+ months) to get their documents back. It just feels unfair that others have been prioritized over me and if I will potentially to have to spend the entire summer without my passport I think I deserve an explanation. I mean, it's fine if they've just been busy, but it doesn't justify scrambling up the queues in my opinion, I figure it would only be ok from a legal point of view if they had a good reason for it and I've neither been communicated that reason nor asked for more information.

Received the so promised call back that then was escalated to a management team member, quite arrogant by the way. Basically said nothing could be done and kept quoting the timelines on the website so no use for keeping calling or waiting for hours only to be given standard information. No compassion no understanding. I hope you all get better luck.

Update Mine went to application approved yesterday exactly 7 weeks to the date I submitted it. So hoping to receive my passport this week 🤞🏼.

@dan9294 Did yours go in to processing or straight from received to approved

They've had our documents 8 weeks tomorrow and still no update

@ronyal Here’s my timeline StatusDate Application approved 3:07pm on 29 May 2022 Application being processed 1:26pm on 12 May 2022 Documents received 12:31pm on 20 April 2022 Application received 5:07pm on 10 April 2022 Application submitted 5:07pm on 10 April 2022 Email the complaints department. I did last week never heard a thing back, so not sure if it helped or this was just pot luck. I just said my husband waited two weeks, and it was submitted after mine etc etc. And I wasn’t happy how newer applications were being super quick.

Ours has been in processing since 13th April. I've spoken to someone on the phone, sent multiple emails. Had an email back from someone last week saying it hadn't been more than 6 weeks since they received the documents, but the documents are showing as being scanned in on the 5th April so I've emailed them back telling them to check the dates.

@ronyal I hope you get sorted soon. Its ridiculous how some are so quick. I thought mine was going to have to be chased up to be honest with our holiday in 4 weeks. Hopefully you’re next.

My timeline for an online adult renewal Application approved 4:52pm on 31 May 2022 Identity details received 6:36pm on 30 May 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 6:25pm on 30 May 2022 Person not eligible 5:09pm on 30 May 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:45pm on 30 May 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 11:34am on 30 May 2022 Documents received 12:59pm on 24 May 2022 (was actually signed for and notified as delivered by royal mail on 16th) Application received 4:57pm on 15 May 2022 Application submitted 4:56pm on 15 May 2022 Was worried because I accidently submitted a crap photo for my application but it seems to have gone through fine.

due to receive my passport today, didn’t make it to my flight. I hope you all have better luck. Thanks for the support and for sharing your experiences

@Ronyal - any news on your application yet? Mine took a very strange turn! I got a letter at the weekend telling me my application couldn't be approved as my daughter hadn't signed the form. There was 2 issues with this...firstly, I did the application online so there was nothing to sign and secondly, my daughter was 11 when I sent the application in so wouldn't have had to sign anyway! They had enclosed a regular paper application form which they told me I had to fill in and send endorsed photos etc. Well, I sent off a very fierce email, heard nothing until today when I received an email saying the application had been approved! So I have no idea what the deal was with the missing signature! Just a quick word of warning though...the letter I received came from the Durham Office, not Corby. I'm guessing that Corby are snowed under and are having to ship some applications elsewhere, which is obviously going to cause delays in itself. I hope you've had good news by now!