Guidance

Names: name related case notes

Published 23 June 2023

Version 1.0

About: Names: name related case notes

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office staff about name related case notes and name related automatic case notes that the system adds automatically.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then you can email Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email Guidance & Quality, Operating Standards.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• Version 1.0

• published for Home Office staff on 15 May 2023

Changes from last version of this guidance

This is new guidance.

Name related case notes

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office operational staff what they must include in their case notes about the customer’s name.

In line with the how to record decisions, case notes and passport notes guidance, you, the examiner, must add case notes to the Application Management System (AMS) that:

• are clear and concise

• explain what actions you have taken and the outcome

• explain decisions you have made and why

• explain what action we may need to do on a future application (if there are any)

• clearly distinguish between the customer’s forename(s) and surname

• record changes of name in date order (so it is clear what names the customer used and when they changed their name)

• do not breach the General Data Protection Regulation Act 2018

Case notes: customers who have more than 1 previous name

If a customer has more than one previous name, and you completed a Main Index or watchlist check in line with this guidance, you must add a case note on AMS. When you do, you must:

• make sure your notes correctly show the actions you took and decisions you made (as it’s your responsibility to confirm you carried out watchlist checks)

• clearly show what names you used to carry out the check

• include any wildcards you used

• include the outcome of the check

Case notes: change of name

When you accept a change of name, you must add a case note on AMS and include:

• the customer’s old and new name in full, to show a link between the names (you must include details of every change of name if there is more than 1)

• a summary of what type of evidence the customer gave for each change of name and if you scanned it on the system

• the date of marriage or civil partnership, if the customer’s name changed because they married or entered into a civil partnership

• the names of anyone with parental responsibility who gave consent to the change of name (if the change of name is for a child)

• the deed poll has been signed and dated and shows the customer’s old and new name and the name of the witness, if the change of name was by deed poll

• the court name, location and reference number, the name of the act used, and anyone named in a court order with parental responsibility for the child (if the customer provided a court order)

• all Main Index or watchlist checks you have carried out – when you do, you must:

  • make sure your notes correctly show the actions you took and decisions you made (as it’s your responsibility to confirm you carried out watchlist checks)

  • clearly show what names you used to carry out the check (you do not need to list all of the different name combinations)

  • include any wildcards you used

  • include the outcome of the check

Case notes: name differences

When you issue a passport using the name on an application (even though it is different to the name on the supporting documents) you must add a case note to show:

• what the difference is and what document this is shown on (for example, a foreign passport)

• why you accepted the name (for example, because it met 1 of our exceptions or there is a naming convention)

• what evidence the customer gave that explains the discrepancy

• any references to Knowledge Base that supports your decision to accept the name

• the customers full name in your case note, if you shortened it because it was too long to fit on the passport

Case notes: for customers who need an interview

We add case notes to a passport application for customers who need to attend an interview. This is to help the interviewer:

• prepare

• ask the customer relevant questions

You must add case notes, to:

• explain the differences between a name on the supporting documents and a name on a passport application

• show any differences with a name you identified during the examination

• explain the different spellings of a customer’s name (for example, their name is ‘Jackie’ but they are also known as ‘Jaqui’)

• show all name changes and when they changed, in date order (for example, ‘born Mary Elizabeth Smith, c/n 1975, from Mary Elizabeth Smith to Mary Elizabeth Jones, reverted to birth name 1979, Mary Elizabeth Jones to Mary Elizabeth Smith)

Name related automatic notes

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff how to make sure the Application Management System adds the correct case notes and passport notes.

The Application Management System (AMS) adds automatic notes for renewal and replacement applications as long as the customer puts their old passport number on their application. The system will automatically:

• cancel their old passport on Main Index (MI)

• add a passport note to their old passport record (see cancellation of passports)

• add a case note to their new application

The automatic case note will say ‘This application replaces passport number [passport number], in the name of [name]’.

If the customer provides more than 1 passport number, you must make sure the system cancels the correct passport.

Automatic notes: counter applications

You, the counter examiner, must make sure the customer correctly completes all sections of their application form so the system can add the automatic case note.

Automatic notes: paper and online applications

You, the examiner, must make sure the customer adds all previous names and their old passport number to the correct section of the application form. If they do not, you must:

1. Add them to the correct fields on AMS.

2. Compare their passport record against the record from MI or G-search. Select ‘yes’ when you are asked if you want to cancel the passport.

3. Add a manual case note and passport note to say ‘This passport was cancelled by the application [number] in the names of [name]’.

Automatic notes: when there is a minor name change

When the customer has a minor change of name the system will:

• not add an automatic case note, you must do this manually

• automatically add a passport note (see: name related automatic notes)