Immigrationboards.com

Hi!

I recently got the citizenship after a long delay because the ceremony invitation went into my old address, and nobody ever responded to my emails, and the given phone number didn't exist, and at other numbers they didn't want to discuss the topic. So almost a year after being accepted, I managed to get into a ceremony without invitation. There they told us we're not allowed to bend the naturalisation certificate, or it becomes invalid. So naturally when I had to send it to the Passport Office to get a passport, I was worried about how they'd treat it, so used a cardboard envelope and paid for their "secure" service for sending it back to me. And of course they sent it back bent and damaged.

I compained to TNT, who denied that the delivery is supposed to be secure and asked me where I got the idea that it should be. They apologised but did nothing, noting that the HMPO envelope did not forbid bending. I also complained to Passport Office, but their response was to just state that the delivery person might leave it in a mailbox if nobody is home, and said nothing else! (I was at home like I told them, they just couldn't be bothered to ring the doorbell.) I had to file another complaint. Finally, after a couple of months of trying to get a real response, they suggested mailing the certificate to them, and if they found it damaged enough, they might compensate for the new delivery and get me a new one. In other words, the likely result would be that I'd have to pay for yet another expensive delivery, they'd refuse a refund and replacement, and send it back with even more damage!

I pointed out to them that in another post here, someone else
(british-citizenship/naturalisation-cert ... 10985.html) was allowed to just take a photo of the certificate and email it to them- why couldn't I do the same? Their response: "I am unable comment on the events of other applicants regarding their damaged documents, as each case is treated on its own merit."

Should I just give up and hope they will never start complaining about the certificate later?

Nowhere does it state you cannot fold the certificate. Whoever told you that is talking nonsense. What you must not do is Laminate it.

Other than it being folded, what other damage does it have if any.

If only folded, you are overreacting and there is nothing you need to or can do.

I looked into their rules and it says it cannot be modified, without any definition of what that means, so I'd feel inclined to trust the person giving the speeches in the citizenship ceremony - why else would he specifically highlight that we'd have to buy a new one for £300 if we bent it? (Well, actually it's £250, but maybe there are other expenses.) And the post I linked to got theirs replaced on those grounds. It's also wrinkled.

Also, if bending were acceptable, the HMPO people responding to my complaint about it should have said so.