Do you need to send physical passport after submitting your online application?

I am in a bit of a funny situation:

My employer is sponsoring my citizenship application, while at the same time I am personally preparing that of my partner. This means, on one hand I have a professional legal team taking care of my case, while on the other I am solely and amateurishly responsible for my partners'. This also means, on one hand I am following filtered instructions and filling a customised MS Word form from the solicitors for my application, while on the other also following the direct instructions of the Home Office and filling the online application, for my partner's.

(Before you ask why aren't the solicitors doing both applications, my company declined to include my partner's application in the package; and I cannot afford the solicitor's fee. And while I have managed to ask them general questions, I don't want to ask them questions that obviously don't pertain to my case).

You would think this is an advantage, but the problem is, the two instructions are not always the same. The solicitors tell me that no physical documents are required at all and that scanned copies will be submitted. Yet, the online AN form says the following:

Providing your documents
You must provide your documents after you submit your application, these can be originals or copies. Any passports provided must be originals.

You will be able to upload copies of your documents on our commercial partner's website, or you can take your documents to your biometrics appointment to be scanned and uploaded by our commercial partner for a fee. You'll be told how to book an appointment and upload your documents after you submit your application.

You do not need to send any physical documents to the Home Office or UK Visas & Immigration unless you are advised to do so.

Plus, the solicitors told me I would only need my passport for biometrics appointment, and then I can keep it. This is a professional legal team who has processed several British Citizenship applications for colleagues, so I feel like I should trust they know what they are doing.

So... Is it or is it not mandatory to send the passport physically? I'm really confused. Any first-hand experience appreciated.

Thank you.

No originals are sent in. All scanned and uploaded digitally. This is asked almost daily on the forum.

Also, a solicitor is not needed for a citizenship application. It is not a difficult one to make.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:04 pm

No originals are sent in. All scanned and uploaded digitally. This is asked almost daily on the forum.

Double checking. The instructions imply otherwise, it can be interpreted equally to mean "send" and "do not send" at the same time. HO communications are a true nightmare.

Also, a solicitor is not needed for a citizenship application. It is not a difficult one to make.

I am aware.

I asked to handle the application myself and be reimbursed via expenses, but my employer insisted their solicitors handle the case. And since it's at no cost to me...

kamoe wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:48 pm

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:04 pm

No originals are sent in. All scanned and uploaded digitally. This is asked almost daily on the forum.

Double checking. The instructions imply otherwise, it can be interpreted equally to mean "send" and "do not send" at the same time. HO communications are a true nightmare.

Also, a solicitor is not needed for a citizenship application. It is not a difficult one to make.

I am aware.

I asked to handle the application myself and be reimbursed via expenses, but my employer insisted their solicitors handle the case. And since it's at no cost to me...

It's been a few days, so maybe not relevant, but back in late November I completed the application for my sister (who did her ceremony a few days ago). She took her passport to the appointment with Sopra Steria (but we uploaded all documents before going there). They check the passport at the appointment. It's not sent anywhere else and you will come out of the appointment with it.

rely1458 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:01 pm

It's been a few days, so maybe not relevant, but back in late November I completed the application for my sister (who did her ceremony a few days ago). She took her passport to the appointment with Sopra Steria (but we uploaded all documents before going there). They check the passport at the appointment. It's not sent anywhere else and you will come out of the appointment with it.

Thanks

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:04 pm

Also, a solicitor is not needed for a citizenship application. It is not a difficult one to make.

I'm sorry if this comes off-topic, but I ned to say it: After a rollercoaster couple of weeks, I know this is not necessarily the case. And I'm savvy on immigration matters and have handled my own applications for over 10 years now.

While sometimes an application can be straightforward and anyone already good at managing the paperwork of their life should be reasonably capable of handling a British citizenship application, there are times where available help should not be turned away on a whim. Specially when you are handling more than one application, and specially when one of them has challenging aspects (like travelling abroad every week for the most part of 3 years). I asked to manage my application myself, thinking the help of the solicitors wasn't necessary. I was forced to use their services (at no cost), and I have been proven wrong all the way.

My solicitors have already provided me with advice not previously available on this forums (I have posted what I've learned in relevant topics), but most crucially, they saved me from disaster: I submitted my partner's form on a date that was not suitable, even when I thought I knew how the "exactly 5 years" rule was applied. They made me realise my error on the nick of time, two days before the biometrics appointment. See this post.

So by all means people should handle their application themselves if they feel then can do it, but, please, don't underestimate the stress you will be under while completing it. If you are offered help, don't turn it away.