Those waiting for their UK passports to be returned by the Home Office before going on holiday should not be left waiting for their passports because of revised rules, which could result in much longer waiting times, critics have argued.
The Home Office has strenuously denied such claims that new strict rules and parameters around photograph requirements could impact wait times. Revised measures include photographs being able to be electronically read, for the first time.
Additionally, photographs should show applicants looking directly at the camera with a neutral facial expression and no smiling or frowning. Thus far, rejection rates have jumped 13% since the introduction of the new rules, with more than 15,000 forms returned to applicants in the first 3 months of the new measures.
