Older Passport Reported Lost Years Ago - Later Found

[Andychimes]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for any help in advance! Weird situation / question.

A few years ago I lost the passport I used for my landing. I reported it lost and it was cancelled and a new passport arrived (Which is my current passport). I think I filed a police report but honestly I cannot remember.

A few weeks after reporting it lost and getting a new passport issued, my old passport actually turned up as luck would have it (Found at the back of a store I was in)

So I actually have a physical copy of it.

Should I mention this on the application form? I'm worried they will think it's suspicious that I have held two passports overlapping when the first one had not expired. And I may have filed a police report in the past.

Thanks for any help here! Really appreciate it.

Separate note: one other dumb thing I did at the time is cut the corner off the old passport as I didn't want to have a second passport lying around. Any chance that could raise some eyebrows? All the content is there

 

[THS]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for any help in advance! Weird situation / question.

A few years ago I lost the passport I used for my landing. I reported it lost and it was cancelled and a new passport arrived (Which is my current passport). I think I filed a police report but honestly I cannot remember.

A few weeks after reporting it lost and getting a new passport issued, my old passport actually turned up as luck would have it (Found at the back of a store I was in)

So I actually have a physical copy of it.

Should I mention this on the application form? I'm worried they will think it's suspicious that I have held two passports overlapping when the first one had not expired. And I may have filed a police report in the past.

Thanks for any help here! Really appreciate it.

Separate note: one other dumb thing I did at the time is cut the corner off the old passport as I didn't want to have a second passport lying around. Any chance that could raise some eyebrows? All the content is there

Hi Andychimes
I am in almost similar situation. It will be great help if you can leverage your experience and advice. My family passports got lost few years back, police report for done and new passport were issued. After some time, passports were found in home and were already expired by that time. Now my family will be applying for citizenship and have confusion about mention or not about lost passports which already found. We have police report and original passports also. Appreciate if you can and advise and leverage our experience and how it went through

 

[Deedle]

Hi,

I lost my passport too but I never found it again but the new passport that replaced my lost one said in the notes of that it replaced lost passport and then the number. I would continue as if the passport was still lost and not mention that you have found the lost one. Just cut the corner and let it be lost again. No point in over complicating things as the lost passport is invalid now anyway.

 

[hamgha]

the passport is "cancelled" and is already known. i agree with deedle. it's not like you're holding two valid passports

 

[Rutherfords]

Hi Andychimes
I am in almost similar situation. It will be great help if you can leverage your experience and advice. My family passports got lost few years back, police report for done and new passport were issued. After some time, passports were found in home and were already expired by that time. Now my family will be applying for citizenship and have confusion about mention or not about lost passports which already found. We have police report and original passports also. Appreciate if you can and advise and leverage our experience and how it went through

If the previous passports were lost prior to the 5 year period, you do not need to mention them at all.

However if the previous passports were valid and then lost and cancelled during the 5 year eligibility period, then:

It makes sense to mention all the details, for both the passports, including the 'Date issued' and 'Expiry Date' info as mentioned on the respective passports.

However you should briefly clarify the intersection of passport validities, by providing a very brief letter of explanation - that your former passports were lost and cancelled. But in the letter there is no need to mention the 'found' part.

Do provide photocopies of all pages of both the old and new passports.

 

[THS]

Hi,

I lost my passport too but I never found it again but the new passport that replaced my lost one said in the notes of that it replaced lost passport and then the number. I would continue as if the passport was still lost and not mention that you have found the lost one. Just cut the corner and let it be lost again. No point in over complicating things as the lost passport is invalid now anyway.

Hi Deedle
It would be great help if you can leverage your experience during interview about questions regarding lost passport. I need to send application of my family.

 

[THS]

If the previous passports were lost prior to the 5 year period, you do not need to mention them at all.

However if the previous passports were valid and then lost and cancelled during the 5 year eligibility period, then:

It makes sense to mention all the details, for both the passports, including the 'Date issued' and 'Expiry Date' info as mentioned on the respective passports.

However you should briefly clarify the intersection of passport validities, by providing a very brief letter of explanation - that your former passports were lost and cancelled. But in the letter there is no need to mention the 'found' part.

Do provide photocopies of all pages of both the old and new passports.

Hi Rutherfords
Thanks for your advice, but would you please elaborate why not to mention the 'found' part. I have found it and it is already expired last year.

 

[Rutherfords]

Hi Rutherfords
Thanks for your advice, but would you please elaborate why not to mention the 'found' part. I have found it and it is already expired last year.

Its only my opinion, that by not mentioning the 'found' part, you avoid having to explain the cutting of the 'lost' passport - which could seem suspicious. In any case you know your details and situation best, to do what you find right.

 

[gsohi2011]

I am in a similar situation, eligibility for my application is from Apr/16 to Apr/21, I had changed my passport in July/17. Due to this the old passport got cancelled, I used the new passport for landing in Apr/18. So the new passport covers approx 3.75 year period and old cancelled passport covers 1.25 year. I am able to cover my physical presence with my new passport. I am about to send them scanned copy of my new passport and only have front and back page of old cancelled passport, should I write an letter of explanation for this? @rajkamalmohanram can you help me with this?

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

I am in a similar situation, eligibility for my application is from Apr/16 to Apr/21, I had changed my passport in July/17. Due to this the old passport got cancelled, I used the new passport for landing in Apr/18. So the new passport covers approx 3.75 year period and old cancelled passport covers 1.25 year. I am able to cover my physical presence with my new passport. I am about to send them scanned copy of my new passport and only have front and back page of old cancelled passport, should I write an letter of explanation for this? @rajkamalmohanram can you help me with this?

Yes, please do. If you do not have passports that covers the full 5 years, then provide an explanation. Explain that you only have first and last pages of the old passport and you are submitting that.