I am an American moving to London to live with my partner. I expect to arrive with an approved Family Permit, which I understand is valid for six months. I have been advised to immediately apply for a Resident Card once I arrive in London. I also understand that I am required to submit both my partner and mine passports. My question is what I am to do about traveling during that time? We were planning to return to the States for a family event. I read that we might be able to send a certified copy in place of our actual passports? Or that perhaps we can attach a letter stating that we will send our passports when they are needed? Please advise what our options are, and if there are any risks involved. Thank you very much.
Hello,I am happy to deal with your UK immigration law issues. You should send in your original passports and make a request that these be returned to you for travel purposes.There is a facility to request return of your original passports for travel purposesas follows:
If you need your passport or ID card back whilst we are processing your application you should follow the instructions below. We will endeavour to return your documents as soon as possible- usually within 5 working days, however there may be exceptional cases where it takes longer so we strongly advise that you do not book travel until your application has been fully considered and your documents returned to you.
Non-urgent requests
If you will be travelling in the near future (i.e in the next month) and need your documents back, please email your request to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk. Please provide details of your travel plans and your Home Office reference if possible.
We will normally return your documents to you using Royal Mail 2nd class post. If you have provided a pre-paid Recorded or Special delivery envelope with your application then we will use this to return your documents securely.
Emergency Requests
We understand that sometimes circumstances arise when you need your passport or ID card back as a matter of urgency. As with all requests we will endeavour to return your documents as soon as possible (within 5 days) , however in emergency cases we will allocate your case to a manager who will monitor your request to ensure you are kept informed of progress. In order to request this service you should contact our European Enquiries Contact Centre on 0845 XXX XXXX. Please note that we do not routinely accept emergency requests, therefore we require evidence of your need to travel.
If we return your documents at your request we will not withdraw your application and you will not be required to make a fresh application. However, on occasion we may need to request your passport or ID card back to complete the processing of your residence card