Perm Resident - lost UK passport while outside Australia - can I re-enter with new UK passport?

[KidA]

Hi forum,

 

I'm a UK citizen and hold a permanent partner visa for Australia. While visiting the UK a few weeks ago, I lost my UK passport. I replaced it, and am currently in Nicaragua on holiday. I return to Australia in just under a week.

 

It just occurred to me that my visa was linked to my previous passport.

 

I tried logging into immi account to change my passport details there, but it wouldn't let me, as my passport had been lost. It advised me to complete a paper form 929 and return it with a certified copy of my replacement passport. There's no way I'm going to be able to organise this in time.

 

Does anyone have a number for DIBP that I can call from outside Australia? Or am I best going to the Australian Consulate in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday?

 

Or, should I just re-enter Australia next week with my new passport, on a tourist visa, and then sort it out when I am in Australia? Will this cause me more problems down the line?

 

I'm freaking out slightly and don't know what to do. I should have sorted this out a few weeks ago, when I first got my replacement passport, but I had to re-organise my whole trip and the Visa issue slipped my mind at the time.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Many thanks,

 

Jon

[Guest]

Don't get a tourist visa. That could cancel out your partner visa. Seek advice from a reputable migration agent to see if this could cause you grief and lose you your partner visa.

 

You should have gotten on to this as soon as you got your replacement passport as you've not left yourself much time to notify them correctly now. I don't know if calling is going to get you anywhere. The 929 form is the one you should use to notify them, outside of that I don't know what to suggest.

[vickyplum]

I thought you might be able to contact the British Embassy in Managua but their website specifically states they do not deal with passport enquiries... and urgent assistance is considered as death, being arrested or attacked (which is fair enough!).

 

Link below incase you want to have a look: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-managua

 

Had a thought, perhaps try Australian Consulate?

 

http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-locations/missions/Pages/australian-consulate-in-managua-nicaragua.aspx

 

Address

 

De la 2da Entrada Las Colinas,

3 cuadras al este (derecha en triangulo),

1 c. al este, 1c. al norte, 1c. este

Managua, Nicaragua

 

Telephone +505 2298 5300

Email - General enquiries: Aushonconsul.nicaragua@gmail.com

Edited September 3, 2016 by vickyplum

[Guest]

Calling DIBP about the matter may not get you the correct info. I'd be cautious about what they say unless a MARA agent can confirm it as being correct.

 

I'd really consult an agent about this asap to see how to proceed now with only a week left till you are meant to return to Aus.

 

It may be you can get your passport certified in your holiday destination and send it off via courier. Or it may be you need to return to the UK and get it sorted. Or something else.

[Bungo]

Hi forum,

 

I'm a UK citizen and hold a permanent partner visa for Australia. While visiting the UK a few weeks ago, I lost my UK passport. I replaced it, and am currently in Nicaragua on holiday. I return to Australia in just under a week.

 

It just occurred to me that my visa was linked to my previous passport.

 

I tried logging into immi account to change my passport details there, but it wouldn't let me, as my passport had been lost. It advised me to complete a paper form 929 and return it with a certified copy of my replacement passport. There's no way I'm going to be able to organise this in time.

 

Does anyone have a number for DIBP that I can call from outside Australia? Or am I best going to the Australian Consulate in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday?

 

Or, should I just re-enter Australia next week with my new passport, on a tourist visa, and then sort it out when I am in Australia? Will this cause me more problems down the line?

 

I'm freaking out slightly and don't know what to do. I should have sorted this out a few weeks ago, when I first got my replacement passport, but I had to re-organise my whole trip and the Visa issue slipped my mind at the time.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Many thanks,

 

Jon

 

No definitely do not acquire a tourist visa, you can only hold one visa at a time so theoretically this could replace your PR for good. You really should have got onto this weeks ago. Perhaps you could call a migration agent and see if they can navigate immigratuon to get your visa reassigned, expect to pay for their services. If not I doubt that you can get this sorted in Nicaragua, so I think you need to forget going back to Australia next week, rather go back to the UK and get it sorted from there.

[macplayer]

This is the answer I received from a case officer at a similar question with yours: "Thank you for your enquiry.

 

If you have been granted a permanent resident visa and have made your first entry into Australia, it is no longer a requirement to update personal information, including address and passport details.

 

If the above does not apply to you and you want to update your address or your passport details, you can use <image001.gif>Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details (89kB PDF).

 

Please submit the completed Form 929 and colour scanned copies of the bio-date pages of your new and old passports to skilled.support@border.gov.au

 

Please ensure you always provide your file reference number, TRN (if applicable) and old passport number in the subject line of your email, along with the full name and date of birth of the primary applicant.

 

Kind regards"

 

Since I will return to Australia only next month, I didn't had the chance to check if the answer is correct.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KidA]

This is the answer I received from a case officer at a similar question with yours: "Thank you for your enquiry.

 

If you have been granted a permanent resident visa and have made your first entry into Australia, it is no longer a requirement to update personal information, including address and passport details.

 

If the above does not apply to you and you want to update your address or your passport details, you can use <image001.gif>Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details (89kB PDF).

 

Please submit the completed Form 929 and colour scanned copies of the bio-date pages of your new and old passports to skilled.support@border.gov.au

 

Please ensure you always provide your file reference number, TRN (if applicable) and old passport number in the subject line of your email, along with the full name and date of birth of the primary applicant.

 

Kind regards"

 

Since I will return to Australia only next month, I didn't had the chance to check if the answer is correct.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Thanks for all the responses!

 

I went back onto the immi website, selected 'update details', and this time selected 'damaged passport' rather than 'lost passport' for my reason for updating details. It let me update the details there and then.

 

I've since checked VEVO and it seems to have updated my passport details.

 

Fingers crossed...

[macplayer]

I went back onto the immi website, selected 'update details', and this time selected 'damaged passport' rather than 'lost passport' for my reason for updating details. It let me update the details there and then.

 

I've since checked VEVO and it seems to have updated my passport details.

 

Can you tell me from where you accessed 'update details' ?

 

In my account, I cannot find this option and if I click "Related links/change of address and or/passport details" it opens the link to the Form 929.

 

Later edit: I discovered from where I can make the change and it worked

Edited September 3, 2016 by macplayer
update

[Dindin14]

I hope your online update has worked - if not, my story may offer you some reassurance. This was a few years ago while backpacking. I had obtained an Aus visa & then decided shortly before leaving the UK to get a new passport as mine only had a few months left on it. Not realising the visa was electronically linked to the passport I arrived in Aus only to be told I didn't have a visa. Once it had dawned on me what had happened I explained it to the immigration officials & It was all sorted. I probably spent about an hour in a back room of Sydney airport & my friends had no idea what was going on but all was well in the end. Not an ideal situation but you have a valid visa so hopefully all will be well. Good luck.

 

BTW I was travelling from Thailand, not direct from the UK & nothing showed up at any point until I set foot on Aussie soil. I was briefly threatened with being put back in the next plane to Thailand but luckily it never came to that!

Edited September 3, 2016 by Dindin14

[Quinkla]

It sounds as though it is sorted. But the issue was always likely to be persuading the airline to let you board a flight to Australia without being able to show a passport linked to a visa. The Australian border authorities are quite sensible and would do the necessary research to admit you on a replacement passport, albeit probably with some delay.

[KidA]

Thanks for the responses / reassurances. I arrived in Australia this morning - no issues.