筆者早前成為了「英國人」,入籍那天剛巧是出發往香港度聖誕節的前一天,當然無法在出發前申請英國護照。回來時在希斯路機場給入境處職員訓話了一頓,因為一旦成為公民,之前的居民證 (Residence Permit) 便告作廢,而居民證上的指模等記錄也會給消毀。幸好英國人做事欠效率,入境時,入境處職員仍能在居英外國人記錄系統上找到筆者的記錄(可能是聖誕新年關係,入境處辦公室的工作人員也放假,沒有把新近入籍的公民的居民證資料消毀),這樣才能順利入境。
為免下次回英時再給入境處職員留難,回來英國後便趕快申請護照。在英國,申請護照只有郵寄的唯一方法,勉為其難也得把申請書、現有護照、入籍證書一併郵遞到護照申請辦事處。筆者在英國六年多,聽過不少關於證件在申請簽證時寄失的故事,在等候批核期間難免擔心證件的安危。雖然入籍證書被護照申請辦事處職員弄得殘殘皺皺,但總算很快地給平安送回家中。
證件送回來時也同時收到護照申請辦事處的信,跟着信上的電話號碼預約面試。所有首次申請英國成人護照的人也得前往面試,聽說由BNO轉換為普通英國護照可豁免面試,可是筆者從沒有領取過BNO所以沒有豁免。面試預約倒也很有快捷,預約時是星期二,職員說星期四便能往面試。雖然明知面試沒有難度,但也事先上網查看網友的面試經驗。
面試那天,在預訂時間早了十多分鐘抵達位於 Victoria 的護照申請辦事處。過了機場式的安全檢查,櫃檯職員派了個號碼便上一樓辦公室,到了那裡,職員作登記後又派了另一個號碼。由於每天都有大量護照申請,辦公室不停有人進進出出。等了十多分鐘,終於被叫到一櫃位面試。和面試官打了招呼後,他詢問筆者知不知道面試的目的,然後面試便正式開始,面試官把整個過程錄音。
面試剛開始,筆者竟和面試官作出爭議!面試官問筆者的出生年月日和地點在哪裡,筆者回答出生地為香港,他跟著問:「香港是屬於哪個國家?」。這個問題挑起筆者的神經,堅持香港是香港,過往的簽證申請和續期都是這樣寫,從沒有問題。他續說,「不是應該說中國嗎?」,那一刻簡直想怒罵這面試官,回答道:「如你要堅持問國家,我只可以說是英屬香港,香港十七年前才回歸中國的。」。面試官顯得無奈,便轉問其他問題。
餘下的面試過程總算順利,不消二十分鐘便完結。翌日早上,收到護照申請辦事處傳來的手機短訊,謂護照已在印製中,會在稍後寄出。剛剛昨天便收到新護照,從速遞申請表那天計起,前後不過兩星期,簡直不能相信原來有些英國政府部門辦事也很有效率。十分慶幸回復「自由身」,護照到手,又可以到處旅遊去!
(欲知護照面試問題有多無聊,可參考以下的一段,這是筆者被問的問題)
為免下次回英時再給入境處職員留難,回來英國後便趕快申請護照。在英國,申請護照只有郵寄的唯一方法,勉為其難也得把申請書、現有護照、入籍證書一併郵遞到護照申請辦事處。筆者在英國六年多,聽過不少關於證件在申請簽證時寄失的故事,在等候批核期間難免擔心證件的安危。雖然入籍證書被護照申請辦事處職員弄得殘殘皺皺,但總算很快地給平安送回家中。
證件送回來時也同時收到護照申請辦事處的信,跟着信上的電話號碼預約面試。所有首次申請英國成人護照的人也得前往面試,聽說由BNO轉換為普通英國護照可豁免面試,可是筆者從沒有領取過BNO所以沒有豁免。面試預約倒也很有快捷,預約時是星期二,職員說星期四便能往面試。雖然明知面試沒有難度,但也事先上網查看網友的面試經驗。
面試那天,在預訂時間早了十多分鐘抵達位於 Victoria 的護照申請辦事處。過了機場式的安全檢查,櫃檯職員派了個號碼便上一樓辦公室,到了那裡,職員作登記後又派了另一個號碼。由於每天都有大量護照申請,辦公室不停有人進進出出。等了十多分鐘,終於被叫到一櫃位面試。和面試官打了招呼後,他詢問筆者知不知道面試的目的,然後面試便正式開始,面試官把整個過程錄音。
面試剛開始,筆者竟和面試官作出爭議!面試官問筆者的出生年月日和地點在哪裡,筆者回答出生地為香港,他跟著問:「香港是屬於哪個國家?」。這個問題挑起筆者的神經,堅持香港是香港,過往的簽證申請和續期都是這樣寫,從沒有問題。他續說,「不是應該說中國嗎?」,那一刻簡直想怒罵這面試官,回答道:「如你要堅持問國家,我只可以說是英屬香港,香港十七年前才回歸中國的。」。面試官顯得無奈,便轉問其他問題。
餘下的面試過程總算順利,不消二十分鐘便完結。翌日早上,收到護照申請辦事處傳來的手機短訊,謂護照已在印製中,會在稍後寄出。剛剛昨天便收到新護照,從速遞申請表那天計起,前後不過兩星期,簡直不能相信原來有些英國政府部門辦事也很有效率。十分慶幸回復「自由身」,護照到手,又可以到處旅遊去!
(欲知護照面試問題有多無聊,可參考以下的一段,這是筆者被問的問題)
- 姓名/出生時的姓名(如不同)/為什麼現在的名字跟出生時的不一樣
- 出生年月日/地點
- 父母名字,出生年月日/地點
- 現在的住址,在那裡住了多久,有多少人同住,住址是租還是買,如是租的,業主是誰。現址住少於五年,會被問舊住址。
- 可否形容住宅附近的環境,例如附近有沒有地鐵/巴士站/什麼商店等。
- 什麼職業,在哪裡工作,工作了多久。現職少於五年,會被問舊職。
- 護照申請書見證人的名字,和他/她的關係,相識多久,見證人的年齡。
- 有沒有英國駕駛執照?持有了多久?擁有車輛嗎?
- 什麼途徑成為英國公民?何時初抵英國?為什麼會來英國?
- 何時成為英國公民的? 儀式在哪裡舉行?有人來觀禮嗎?
- 有沒有登記做選民?成為選民有多久?
- 在英國有沒有銀行戶口,是哪間銀行?有沒有信用卡?多少張?什麼信用卡?
- 工餘有什麼嗜好?(筆者當然答旅遊,便被問到過什麼國家,隨便數一些便可)
- 有看電視嗎?看哪類型的節目?
- 有沒有手機?是合約還是現收現付的?是跟哪一家電訊公司上台的?
I officially became a Brit a little over a month ago. As the naturalisation ceremony happened to take place on the day before I was due to fly out for Christmas holidays, clearly I didn't have time to apply for a British passport in time for the trip. On my way back, I got a telling off by the immigration officer at Heathrow for not being a Briton but not having a British passport. Even though I still had my residence permit (a biometric card which all foreign residents in the UK have) with me, the officer warned that my details could have been deleted from the system already as I am no longer a foreign resident, and if that was the case, it would take extra time for him to confirm my identity. Luckily, as expected the Brits aren't an efficient lot and my details were still in the system (perhaps nobody was working over the festive season to delete out-of-date records!), and I was let in without problem.
Not wanting to get hold up at immigration desk again (not to mention, not wanting to go into the always endless Other Passports queue), I was determined to apply for a British passport as soon as possible. Over here, there is one and only one way to apply for a passport, that is by post (even though there is an online form, but as far as I know, once filled in, you still need to print it out and post it, so much for an online form!). So, with apprehension, I sent off the application form with supporting documents such as existing passports and naturalisation certificate. I have heard of so many stories of how important documents go missing in transit during visa application, my fear was not unfounded. Fortunately, although my naturalisation somehow got all scrunched up, all my documents were returned safely in good time.
On the same day my documents were returned, a letter from HM Passport Office also arrived advising me of making an appointment for an interview. All first time adult passport application requires the applicant to attend an interview to confirm his/her identity. I called the number in the letter, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that appointments were available in two days' time. Even though I knew the interview would be a walk in the park, I still googled what others were asked to be mentally prepared.
On the day, I arrived at the passport office in Victoria roughly 15 minutes before appointment time. After breezing through airport style security check, I was given a ticket by the desk staff downstairs and was instructed to go to the first floor. Once arrived, the reception logged my details into the system and I was given another ticket. After waiting for about ten minutes, I was finally called to a counter for the interview. After exchanging greetings and confirming that I understood the purpose of the interview, the interviewer officially began the interview and the whole thing was voice recorded.
The interviewer and I had a little clash almost at the beginning of the interview as he asked me to confirm date and place of birth. I said my I was born in Hong Kong, and he asked, "and the country is?", to which I said it's just Hong Kong. I always get very sensitive on this and when he said, "is it not China?", I was furious, but keeping my cool I said, "if you insist on asking for a country, when I was born, Hong Kong was a British colony, so I should say British Hong Kong. For it only returned to the Chinese 17 years ago!" That seemed to shut the interviewer up and he moved onto other questions.
The rest of the interview went without a hitch, and it was over in roughly twenty minutes. On the very next day, I received a text on my phone from the passport office that my passport was being printed and would be delivered shortly. Surely enough, I received it after the weekend. From the day I sent off the application till the day I received a new passport was just under two weeks, which is truly impressive! Only if the Home Office (known as UKBA at the time) had the same efficiency back in the days when I was applying for a visa extension. It's just a big sense of relief that I never have to deal with Home Office again, and now that I have all my passports with me, I am free to travel again!
(For those interested in what I was asked during the interview, here are the questions, I have not got a clue how some of these questions are related to confirming my identity)
Not wanting to get hold up at immigration desk again (not to mention, not wanting to go into the always endless Other Passports queue), I was determined to apply for a British passport as soon as possible. Over here, there is one and only one way to apply for a passport, that is by post (even though there is an online form, but as far as I know, once filled in, you still need to print it out and post it, so much for an online form!). So, with apprehension, I sent off the application form with supporting documents such as existing passports and naturalisation certificate. I have heard of so many stories of how important documents go missing in transit during visa application, my fear was not unfounded. Fortunately, although my naturalisation somehow got all scrunched up, all my documents were returned safely in good time.
On the same day my documents were returned, a letter from HM Passport Office also arrived advising me of making an appointment for an interview. All first time adult passport application requires the applicant to attend an interview to confirm his/her identity. I called the number in the letter, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that appointments were available in two days' time. Even though I knew the interview would be a walk in the park, I still googled what others were asked to be mentally prepared.
On the day, I arrived at the passport office in Victoria roughly 15 minutes before appointment time. After breezing through airport style security check, I was given a ticket by the desk staff downstairs and was instructed to go to the first floor. Once arrived, the reception logged my details into the system and I was given another ticket. After waiting for about ten minutes, I was finally called to a counter for the interview. After exchanging greetings and confirming that I understood the purpose of the interview, the interviewer officially began the interview and the whole thing was voice recorded.
The interviewer and I had a little clash almost at the beginning of the interview as he asked me to confirm date and place of birth. I said my I was born in Hong Kong, and he asked, "and the country is?", to which I said it's just Hong Kong. I always get very sensitive on this and when he said, "is it not China?", I was furious, but keeping my cool I said, "if you insist on asking for a country, when I was born, Hong Kong was a British colony, so I should say British Hong Kong. For it only returned to the Chinese 17 years ago!" That seemed to shut the interviewer up and he moved onto other questions.
The rest of the interview went without a hitch, and it was over in roughly twenty minutes. On the very next day, I received a text on my phone from the passport office that my passport was being printed and would be delivered shortly. Surely enough, I received it after the weekend. From the day I sent off the application till the day I received a new passport was just under two weeks, which is truly impressive! Only if the Home Office (known as UKBA at the time) had the same efficiency back in the days when I was applying for a visa extension. It's just a big sense of relief that I never have to deal with Home Office again, and now that I have all my passports with me, I am free to travel again!
(For those interested in what I was asked during the interview, here are the questions, I have not got a clue how some of these questions are related to confirming my identity)
- Your name/name at birth (explanation on why they are different if they are different)
- Date and place of birth
- Parents' name, date and place of birth
- Home address, how many people live at that address, is it rented or owned, if rented, name of landlord. If living at home address for under 5 years, name previous address.
- Describe the local area - tube station/bus, any shops nearby
- Occupation, name of employer. If worked at current employer for under 5 years, name of previous employers'.
- Name of counter-signatory, relationship with him/her, duration you have known each other, his/her age.
- Do you hold a driving license? How long have you had it for? Do you own a car?
- How did you become a British citizen? When did you first arrive? Why did you come to the UK?
- When did you become a British citizen? Where did the naturalisation ceremony take place? Did anyone attend the ceremony?
- Are you on the electoral roll? How long have you been on it?
- Do you have a bank account here? If so, which bank do you hold an account? Do you have credit cards? How many do you have? What credit cards are they?
- What do you do in your spare time? (I of course answered travelling! Of course I was then asked what countries I have been to, I just named a few)
- Do you watch TV? What sort of programs do you watch?