Passport Interview experience - Strange

[bebe2011]

Didn't know under which sticky I had to post this - so decided to create a new topic.

Basically I thought to share with you, my experience of the interview for the British passport, 2 days ago, as nothing I had read or heard prepared me for this!

The whole interview took just under 15 minutes. I was called 10 minutes after my allocated interview time (which I wasnt too happy about as my given time was 9.45 and I got there at 9.35 - called for interview at 9.55 - which I thought was late on their part - maybe i was nervous and wanted to get it over and done with!)

But the interviewer (a lovely, lovely lady) came out to meet and greet me, and extended a hand for a handshake. She then told me my passport photo looks so different from me and we both laughed about it. Then she directed me where to sit.

Questions (I will try to remember as many as possible) included:

1. By which form of transport did you come today?
2. How many minutes was the journey?
3. How did you get your train tickets?
4. Is there a ticket barrier at the station?
5. Did you use a store or photo booth to take your passport photo?
6. When and where did you attend the citizenship ceremony?
7. Describe the citizenship ceremony. What did they give you at the ceremony?
8. Show me the directions from your home to the place you took your passport photo? (I was confused with this question, as I was not familiar with the names of the roads - so she just said, show me when you get out of your house whether you go left or right etc....so i did......i said - i get out of my house, turn left, then left, then straight, then right........etc!)

9. Tell me the names and dates of birth as well as the place of birth of both your parents.
10. Where are your parents now?
11. Which mobile phone do you use?
12. What is your mobile phone number?
13. What is your address?
14. Spell your full name
15. What is your date of birth.
16. Do you have a contract with the mobile phone provider and which one is it?

17. Describe your counter signatory to me.
18. Does she wear glasses (I was confused here as I couldn't remember so I said I really am not sure but possibly not)
19. What is her occupation?
20. What is your occupation?

21. Which supermarket do you shop at?
22. How far away is it to your home?

23. How long have you lived in the U.K?
24. Write your signature on the signature pad.

25. Describe your house to me - is it a bungalow or a story building?
26. How many floors has it got?
27. Who do you live with?
28. What is their name?
29. Why did you leave your old address and move to a new place?
30. Which career path have you chosen?

31. How did you get to the train station from your house?
32. Which bus did you take? Which bus number and how often do they run?
33. Do you have any relatives in the UK?
34. When was the first time you entered the UK?
35. Are you registered on the electoral role?


There you go....for those who might need it. I was baffled when I came out - but then I guess if someone was trying to impersonate me, they will have panicked with all these questions. I knew all the answers as they are about me.

However, some of the questions, I felt were as if they have been following my movements for days or even have a photo of my house!

Anyways all went well and at the end I asked her, when do i expect to hear from you. She said roughly 10 working days, but feedback from customers is showing 5 working days.

[linkers]

This would be very useful to the members. Thanks for sharing your experience bebe2011.

[lamzat]

Those are normal questions. The officers have turned up the heat. Be ready for probing unexpected questions. [/u]

[ilrbuddy1]

This is just to cross verify your identity. Once you get citizenship it is your right to get passport but all they need is to prove u are same person who has become British Citizen.. They don't want to give your id to someone else basically.

[cs95tdg]

Interesting, and thanks for sharing the questions & experience... it certainly provides some insight into the depth they go to when questioning an applicant to verify identity.

[AlexS]

Wow, my interview (two weeks ago) took 3 minutes. He asked my name (spell it), date of birth, address, name of my mother, her date of birth, date of my citizenship ceremony, and that was it. He probably spend more time explaining how the interview was going to be and why they do it, than doing the real interview. The passport was then printed on the same day (but then DX screwed things up a bit).

[lumera]

Wow, my interview (two weeks ago) took 3 minutes. He asked my name (spell it), date of birth, address, name of my mother, her date of birth, date of my citizenship ceremony, and that was it. He probably spend more time explaining how the interview was going to be and why they do it, than doing the real interview. The passport was then printed on the same day (but then DX screwed things up a bit).

Congrats AlexS.

Please how did the DX talk to things up?
Also, where did you have the interview?

[lumera]

Many thanks bebe2011.

This interview was exceptionally intrusive but quite understandable so that fraudsters will have much more to cram if they are to obtain passports through dubious means...

BTW, where did you have your passport interview?

[bebe2011]

@lumera - leeds.

As much as those are normal questions,@lamzat, and it is used to verify my identity, nothing anywhere prepared me for these kind of questions. All websites including this forum, mostly describe a different set of sample interview questions .

Now at least others who come on to this forum will be able to view an alternative set of questions asked.

On a more positive note, 1 1/2 days after my interview, I received my British passport (The Red Book )

[lamzat]

My brother congrats its a worthy and tortous journey and at the end you heave a sigh of relief of absolute attainment and achievement and what next! They read posts like this too and have moved away from elementary questions. Its more like a cv and family outlook now. Its all to confirm that they have not made any mistake with you all these years. Lovely country lovely people. God Bless the Queen.

[AlexS]

Congrats AlexS.

Please how did the DX talk to things up?
Also, where did you have the interview?

The interview was at the London Victoria office.
Well, DX said they tried to deliver on 26/6 (not sure about this, there was only a short window of time when nobody was at home), but instead of leaving a card (as Royal Mail does), they left nothing and sent a letter (which incidentally was delivered by DX again) on Friday 29/6. At that time my only option was to reschedule a delivery for the following Monday 2/7, which it they did.

I was waiting for my passport to book a holiday, and since it took a week instead of the usual 2-3 days, I missed some cheaper flight fares.

[push]

@lumera - leeds.

As much as those are normal questions,@lamzat, and it is used to verify my identity, nothing anywhere prepared me for these kind of questions. All websites including this forum, mostly describe a different set of sample interview questions .

Now at least others who come on to this forum will be able to view an alternative set of questions asked.

On a more positive note, 1 1/2 days after my interview, I received my British passport (The Red Book )

But one does not need to prepare for these questions and if he/she does, I think there is something to be skeptical about.

[lumera]

Congrats AlexS.

Please how did the DX talk to things up?
Also, where did you have the interview?

The interview was at the London Victoria office.
Well, DX said they tried to deliver on 26/6 (not sure about this, there was only a short window of time when nobody was at home), but instead of leaving a card (as Royal Mail does), they left nothing and sent a letter (which incidentally was delivered by DX again) on Friday 29/6. At that time my only option was to reschedule a delivery for the following Monday 2/7, which it they did.

I was waiting for my passport to book a holiday, and since it took a week instead of the usual 2-3 days, I missed some cheaper flight fares.

Many thanks for the update.

[mcovet]

those questions would only be relevant if they knew answers to all of them! The real fraudster would just keep answering those questions about family history etc (which is mentioned nowhere else) as normal as if it were him.

And I am sure that interviewers ask specific questions to which they know the answer (as it would have formed part of the application form etc) among the gibberish questions so that if the person is making up everything they would mess up even that.

But to be honest, I doubt that this would deter the real fraudsters from anything! DX goes to the address at which the successful citizenship applicant lives (and only in cases of the change of address there may be suspicions) so I am highly sceptical of this method deterring anyone!

Waste of time to be honest. I would love to see someone who would have his application refused based on interview questions! In law, it is a matter of fact to prove whether the person in front of you is who he says he is. If you are British and you are applying for your entitlement (a passport in this case) even if they suspect smth, they can't withhold the passport.

I really don't get people being nervous about the interview, you are ALREADY British so this interview is like a CBT (compulsory basic training) for bikes, i.e. you cannot really fail it, you just have to attend it to get the paper (even there, with passport interview, there is NO likelihood of failure, while with the CBT there is).

Anyway, I personally don't see the point of exchanging those Q&As as, unless you are preparing to pass yourself for someone else, right or wrong answers, the fraudster may answer those Qs with the same calm face, and also know quite a bit about the applicant he/she is impersonating! So, unless you are a fraudster, this thread is really not much of help.

[lionking007]

May be she is single or fancies you mate.... and she wants to know whether you are single or married or in a relationship etc... (Just Joking) These questions are strange never had that before from anyone on the forum

Didn't know under which sticky I had to post this - so decided to create a new topic.

Basically I thought to share with you, my experience of the interview for the British passport, 2 days ago, as nothing I had read or heard prepared me for this!

The whole interview took just under 15 minutes. I was called 10 minutes after my allocated interview time (which I wasnt too happy about as my given time was 9.45 and I got there at 9.35 - called for interview at 9.55 - which I thought was late on their part - maybe i was nervous and wanted to get it over and done with!)

But the interviewer (a lovely, lovely lady) came out to meet and greet me, and extended a hand for a handshake. She then told me my passport photo looks so different from me and we both laughed about it. Then she directed me where to sit.

Questions (I will try to remember as many as possible) included:

1. By which form of transport did you come today?
2. How many minutes was the journey?
3. How did you get your train tickets?
4. Is there a ticket barrier at the station?
5. Did you use a store or photo booth to take your passport photo?
6. When and where did you attend the citizenship ceremony?
7. Describe the citizenship ceremony. What did they give you at the ceremony?
8. Show me the directions from your home to the place you took your passport photo? (I was confused with this question, as I was not familiar with the names of the roads - so she just said, show me when you get out of your house whether you go left or right etc....so i did......i said - i get out of my house, turn left, then left, then straight, then right........etc!)

9. Tell me the names and dates of birth as well as the place of birth of both your parents.
10. Where are your parents now?
11. Which mobile phone do you use?
12. What is your mobile phone number?
13. What is your address?
14. Spell your full name
15. What is your date of birth.
16. Do you have a contract with the mobile phone provider and which one is it?

17. Describe your counter signatory to me.
18. Does she wear glasses (I was confused here as I couldn't remember so I said I really am not sure but possibly not)
19. What is her occupation?
20. What is your occupation?

21. Which supermarket do you shop at?
22. How far away is it to your home?

23. How long have you lived in the U.K?
24. Write your signature on the signature pad.

25. Describe your house to me - is it a bungalow or a story building?
26. How many floors has it got?
27. Who do you live with?
28. What is their name?
29. Why did you leave your old address and move to a new place?
30. Which career path have you chosen?

31. How did you get to the train station from your house?
32. Which bus did you take? Which bus number and how often do they run?
33. Do you have any relatives in the UK?
34. When was the first time you entered the UK?
35. Are you registered on the electoral role?


There you go....for those who might need it. I was baffled when I came out - but then I guess if someone was trying to impersonate me, they will have panicked with all these questions. I knew all the answers as they are about me.

However, some of the questions, I felt were as if they have been following my movements for days or even have a photo of my house!

Anyways all went well and at the end I asked her, when do i expect to hear from you. She said roughly 10 working days, but feedback from customers is showing 5 working days.

[Mow12345]

If incase they clearly see this is your photo and give all information correctly, but think you are older than your age what kind of thing by law they can do?
Does any one experience that kind of thing?