British citizenship: a comedy of errors

[qatarperegrine]

I've been trying for some time now to register as a British citizen. My forms are filled out; my birth certificate and my mother's are attached; I have the necessary letters of reference from British nationals.

What I don't have is a check for £400.

While the UK government accepts application fees via credit card, the local British embassy does not. Nor does it accept riyals, as the American embassy does. No, this has to be a check, and it has to be in pounds.

I tried to get one from my American bank, but they won't issue a cashier's check unless I go in in person, which, um, I can't.

So I deposited money into my recently opened Qatari bank account and then tried to get a check in pounds. They said, "There's no money in your account." I said, "But I just deposited $1000." They said, "Oh, it takes 45 days to deposit a check."

?!?

So, I waited 45 days. This morning, I went in and again asked for a check in pounds. The cashier's eyes widened and she turned to the manager for help. "In British pounds? I'm sorry, maam, there was just a change in policy. We don't do that anymore."

Comments

[underpope.livejournal.com]

D'oh!

I bet there's a conspiracy.

[canyonwren.livejournal.com]

What a pain! Can you send money to a family member in the States and have them send you a check, made out to the appropriate people?

[qatar.livejournal.com]

Even better, my sister (in England) is going to do so. But with my luck, I'll get to the embassy and they'll tell me rates have gone up. :-)

[canyonwren.livejournal.com]

She'll need to submit a DNA test to prove she's your sister.

[don-k-hotay.livejournal.com]

from materjibrail:
As someone who is part of an English family, you do in fact have people with pounds who can prove that you have Real Links here. Between us we can send you what you need- probably a cheque drawn on an English bank. Or will they tell you it has to be your own bank account, which you can't open from out there! y_pestis will be helpful, though I do wonder how she did it.

[y-pestis.livejournal.com]

y_pestis was able to use a credit card - it's just the local embassy that's so difficult. y_pestis has also found her chequebook and will get something in the post tomorrow. (Yes, y_pestis uses cheques so infrequently that she loses her chequebook between cheques. It was in the nightstand, for some reason.)

[qatar.livejournal.com]

The nightstand? Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and have the urge to pay bills?

[y-pestis.livejournal.com]

Exactly never... I don't know why it was there.

Sometimes things end up in odd places as a result of combining Charles' organisation style (putting things away) and my organisation style (piles of stuff - but I swear I know what's in each pile).

sad

[(Anonymous)]

May u find peace from your current status, bu I guess thats how it is when you are in Camel Land
Diinesh

Damnfool Governments

[shmuelisms.livejournal.com]

What, no cash option? I'd think they'd be happy for a local supply of British Pounds. Here, the US Embassy will take Shekels, at a slightly lower exchange rate.

I'll shortly be changing my sir-name (back to the original form), and checked what the local US Embassy would require to update my US Passport. So I can either show them an "Official Name change document" or THREE pieces of valid picture ID, that have all "been valid for at least 5 years". So if the local "foreign government" doesn't supply me with the needed document (probably will), I'll have two sir-names for five years. I expect it will be Very Interesting getting through security with a plane ticket that doesn't match one of my passports. :-P

Why can't the US Embassy just issue me a US "Official Name change document" and take it from there. Just like the US Government would if I was applying for the change from within the USA.

easy in singapore

[(Anonymous)]

you could do that in singapore very easily... in fact, any post office can issue you a check in british pounds, or any currency you wish. just takes a few minutes...