Royal Mail lost my passport. What are my options?

I know. I really wouldn't leave the UK if I didn't already spend £1000 on tickets, accommodation, etc for 2 different trips I've planned for sometime now. It's also annoying because this is happening so close to the Christmas period and I really want to spend it with my family, as I haven't seen them for over a year.

I'm confused, how can you get back in here without your visa? 
If you're a dual national and you normally enter and leave on one passport with a visa and now you're doing that with a different passport, I would think that be considering lying to an I/O and I would imagine (though I'm not entirely sure) you could be subject to the 10 year ban. 
I think its awfully risky trying to do what you're trying to do.  I hope you can find a solution to your problem!

Maybe it's because I always addressed the envelope to my home address before putting it in with the application, thus making it useless if not used for that purpose?

Cover up the address with an adhesive label.

I'm confused, how can you get back in here without your visa? 
If you're a dual national and you normally enter and leave on one passport with a visa and now you're doing that with a different passport, I would think that be considering lying to an I/O and I would imagine (though I'm not entirely sure) you could be subject to the 10 year ban. 
I think its awfully risky trying to do what you're trying to do.  I hope you can find a solution to your problem!

I don't think I'm lying to the I/O if I'm going to be honest about my situation?! I have photocopies of my lost passport and I'm trying to get a letter detailing the situation from Home Office. My Post-Study Work visa has been approved but it just got lost on the way back to me! Besides I did mention that I'm a dual national on my visa application and I think I gave them my other passport number (if they asked for it). It is a messy situation I'm calling the Home Office tomorrow to see what they advise.

No pont. They don't make the decision about you getting back into the country.

Again, how do you expect to get back into the country?



Vicky

I don't think I'm lying to the I/O if I'm going to be honest about my situation?!

No, its not lying if you explain, however, without the actual visa and passport its going to be very difficult, if not impossible to get back in. Then you'd be in a worse situation. 

another thing,
say she came back in on her American passport , saying she was a tourist etc... , then the IO will scan her passport . wouldnt they be able to see through their database (assuming they have one?) that she  already  a residency card under the same name? and then they will start questioning her why she is not using it? then when she explains  they will ask why she lied to start with?

Well I think I've decided to call off the trips. :\\\'( Losing £1000 is painful but whether I can successfully enter the country is a huge gamble. I spoke with Home Office today. They said that it is totally at the immigration officer's discretion (which I already knew based on some of you guys' response) even if I had a letter from Home Office stating the situation. Besides I don't have the letter yet and with Home Office's inefficiency who knows when I would receive the letter or if at all receive one.

They filed a P58 form today and told me to wait 2 weeks for them to contact me...

A similar situation has actually happened to my friend before. She has dual nationality and has an ILR on one passport. She went on vacation but (stupidly) only took the other passport without the ILR. When she arrived at immigration, she explained what happened to the officer. The immigration officer snapped at her a little (I was there with her) then had someone take her to the office. They looked up her name on a computer and found that she has an ILR and let her go. At first I thought I would be okay too because of what happened to my friend, but then I have a Post-Study Work visa, not an ILR, which means they can still refuse entry.

Oh no!  I'm so sorry this happened to you, cardany!  What really bites is that you have to call off your holiday plans.  Ugh...   :\\\'(

This is why I don't bother with anything that asks me to send my passport through the mail, even if it means giving up my shot at a certain kind of visa.  I know people send their passports through the mail all the time and get them back just fine, but I simply don't trust other people to be as careful and protective with my passport as I would.

Aww, it sucks, but you really are better off not leaving than not being able to get back in. I'm sorry!

I know. That's what I figured. I just don't want to have to deal with the stress of worrying about trying to come back in. I am going to write a complaint to the Home Office about the level of customer service, inefficiency, etc, especially regarding the fact that you can't call to check the status until after six weeks which is slightly ridiculous because I didn't find out that my passport went missing until after 24 days of it being posted. (Probably not going to do much but I am bitter and have a lot of time on my hands now!)

One of the trips I canceled was a trip to Thailand. It's not the best place to be at the moment and probably not for the next few weeks! So oh well, everything happens for a reason. (I spent most of today crying about not being able to go on my trips, but I need to start to see the brighter side of things) 

Hello All,

I did a random search on-line and found this forum.
I have exactly the same problem, ....I sent my visa to the Home-Office for an extension about a month ago but never got a response so I decided to call them up yesterday to find out the status of my visa.

I was shocked to know that my passport was sent by recorded delivery via Royal Mail.
Worse yet, I was told it will take the Home Office a good 2 weeks to before a claim can be issued, which will only amount to £4.50 ?

Surely the onus lies with the Home Office to provide a duty of care in ensuring that the documents they post to applicants are mailed in the safest way.

I will like to know how I can proceed with recovery of my passport, and if it is lost, what options I have got in terms of compensation.

Thanks

Surely the onus lies with the Home Office to provide a duty of care in ensuring that the documents they post to applicants are mailed in the safest way.

They did, Royal Mail Registered Delivery is the best you get in the UK.  (I can insert all sorts of snide comments about losing the whole of the UK children benefits database in the post).

Not much you can do.  File the claim, contact the US Embassy about a lost passport, and start the process with the UK again.  Read here on how to make an official complaint.

They did, Royal Mail Registered Delivery is the best you get in the UK.

Royal Mail offer two signed-for services: Registered Post, and Special Delivery. Sounds like you are conflating them.

1. Registered Post: This is basically just the First Class postage plus 70 pence additional charge, and what you get for the 70 pence is a tracking number, receipt on despatch and a signature on delivery (whenever that happens, no guarantee over & above 1st class service. The items go the same way as 1st class.) This service is for ensuring that items of no value have a record of being signed for. Just that, no more.

2. Special Delivery: This gets you guaranteed next (business) day delivery (2 levels: before 9 AM and before 1 PM) despatch receipt and delivery signature, segregated secure transit, tracking, contents insurance cover starting at £500, up to £2500. Optional consequential loss cover. Prices start at £4.65. For a 100 gramme package delivered next day by 9AM with £2,500 cover, the price would be £12.65. Saturday delivery is £2 extra. This is the service to use for valuable or important items.

Royal Mail offer two signed-for services: Registered Post, and Special Delivery. Sounds like you are conflating them.

Actually, it is RECORDED delivery, not registered.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?catId=400023&mediaId=11200122

Vicky