HI all,
I was working in China last year and came back to Phnom Penh for a holiday. I've been here on, off for 16yrs now. While on holiday Covid began so I stayed and worked online for the school for six to eight months. Then I changed jobs and worked for another online company.
Last September the 2nd my passport was full and about three weeks before I applied for a renewal. I have the receipt saying paid etc. So now we are in April 8 months later and still no passport.
The thing is I tried countless times to contact the UK passport website but just got emails saying they were short staffed and everyone was PT so expect delays. I filled in their form more than 10 times asking for help, but nothing. I called numbers but was just redirected and on and on it went.
I asked for some advice on Facebook (Big Mistake) but then began receiving dodgy hacker emails telling me payment did not go through and I had to pay over the phone. I spotted the little mistakes here and there so never paid.
Finally about 2 months ago I contacted the Passport Twitter account for Liverpool. They told me payment had failed and I had to reapply as the process had been cancelled.
Now I'm working for a school they are getting me a work permit. They say it will be completed very soon.
So I am now in this weird situation where I'll have a years work permit but still no passport or visa.
What will happen when they see I have a years work permit but no visa for eight months?
It is all the useless UK passport service in UK that made this mess for me so they should send a letter saying why it was delayed so long which may hopefully get the over 2k fine wavered ( yeah some hope )

Any advice grateful.




Cheers.

I thaught there is some kind if "maximum-overstay-fine", but no idea how much is was ??
And what happens if you get a clean new passport, i pretty sure you can get a new arrival stamp in it with some tea-money, or not ??

VFS have been working as normal all this time - there isn't really a valid reason for you to not have a passport at this stage

I have a friend in similar situation told the Overstay is $10.00 a day matters not one year or ten years still $10.00 a day their is no "maximum-overstay-fine" and no wavers ... he is now almost two years poor bugger similarly his situation due to extenuating circumstances and listening to incorrect information from an agent .

Did the OP not notice that no payment had been deducted from their debit/credit card?

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:11 pm Ummm....how is your employer applying for a WP for you without a valid passport and Visa EOS? They are required supporting documentation, can't apply for WP without. They are also employing you illegally without a valid passport and EB EOS, the worse that will happen to them is a fine, you however, if caught working illegally, face fines, possible imprisonment, and deportation.

Once you get your new passport, you will have to present yourself to the DoI Visa office in Pochentong, you may be able to negotiate a reduced overstay fine, if your Khmer style negotiation skills are on point. Once you have paid the overstay fine, the DoI;

- May allow you to purchase a new Visa without leaving the country, otherwise
- They will make you purchase an Exit Visa and you will need to leave the country within 7 days

If unable to pay the overstay fines, you will be detained at the Immigration Detention Centre pending payment and deportation, so pack a bag.

Note: If the delay in receiving your passport was due to your country's Passport Department, you may be able to get a letter from your Embassy explaining the situation and delay, this may help with obtaining a reduction or even a waiver of overstay fines, it has worked for a few people that I have been advising over past months, none of them Brits though, so whether you'd even be able to get such a letter I can't say.


Edit: When exactly did you actually arrive in Cambodia, and on what type of Visa did you enter on?

so pack a bag

That's very sobering advice...

How did you apply for renewal and who gave you the receipt? Did you hand your passport to someone and why didn't you go back to that place after a few weeks demanding your passport?

Did you enter on a tourist visa?

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:11 pm
Edit: When exactly did you actually arrive in Cambodia, and on what type of Visa did you enter on?

Maybe he's got the overstay amnesty if he entered on a tourist visa early in 2020 right?