Passport Info

[Retired 07]

If you're traveling in 2 weeks, (like me), and you haven't recieved your passport yet, (like me), and you're starting to panic just a little, (like me), fear not. I called them today, exactly 2 weeks before we travel, and after being on hold less than 15 minutes, was told that our passports would be expedited, and sent by overnight express when they are ready...no extra charge. They won't even talk to you if you are more than 2 weeks from traveling.

[tromvest]

Could you please tell me when you applied for your passport and now that you have spoken to someone to expedite, when exactly will they send it out. We are leaving in 3 weeks from today, and applied on March 5th (8 1/2 weeks ago) We have called the passport office several times to find out the status and you are right, they won't put a rush on anything until we reach the 2 week mark.

Any info on your process would be appreciated.

 

Thank you

[lilrere]

I sent mine in to have my name changed back in February and still have not received it. I called last week and I ended up having to pay 60 dollars to rush it since we leave in 11 days. I have been checking the status on the passport page for weeks and for 3 weeks it has been saying processing. :confused: I did not want to pay the extra money but they told me it was in the early stages of being processed and to increase my chances of having it here I would need to pay the money. She said there was still no guarantee!:mad:

[Retired 07]

Could you please tell me when you applied for your passport and now that you have spoken to someone to expedite, when exactly will they send it out. We are leaving in 3 weeks from today, and applied on March 5th (8 1/2 weeks ago) We have called the passport office several times to find out the status and you are right, they won't put a rush on anything until we reach the 2 week mark.

Any info on your process would be appreciated.

 

Thank you

 

I applied on March 1 at a passport acceptance facility. When I called yesterday, they said that they couldn't tell me exactly when I'd get them. That I should check the website again next Wednesday, and if it doesn't show that they have been sent, to call again. She didn't seem to think that there would be any problem in getting them in time.

[CindyAlex]

Good Luck!... I ended up spenting the day at the passport office in New Orleans yesteday.... At the 2 week point I had mine expedited and then had to call back a few days later to get the status of it, still in processing.... I really got tired of the telephone game with them, not telling me anything for sure.... There was lots of very unhappy people there, some had driven all night to get there... Good luck hope yours comes in soon...

[tromvest]

CindyAlex-What was the outcome of your visit to the passport office? Did they give you a timeframe as to when you will receive your passport?

 

Retired 07 - If you could post when you receive yours I would really appreciate it. Maybe I will feel a little better that we may get ours soon too.

 

Lilrere- Could you let us know when you receive yours too?

 

My husband has a lot more faith in this passport system than I do. He thinks that we will receive them. I am a little more skeptical. If I would have known that I would not have mine 20 days before my trip I would have paid the extra to expedite when we applied March 5th.

 

Thank you all for your information and good luck.

[Minnesota Rookie]

We leave in 3 weeks too, and still don't have ours. Applied for our passports 12 weeks ago this past weekend (Feb. 9). I called this past Friday, even though it was still 3 weeks out, and the very nice woman who answered after about 20 minutes on hold said that the passport was done but being made into the little booklet and that we should have it within a week. Nevertheless she said she would email them and ask them to expedite it. She invited me to call back in a week if we still didn't have it. Here's hoping...!

[Rowdy from Phoenix]

Hi- I applied Feb 2 and emailed them friday about still no passports and received return email that I could call them with credit card to expedite them. I assumed that applying in Feb would be enough time that I wouldn't have to expedite. I sail May 27 so still have a little time but we sent our birth certificates so don't even have them. Should I give them the extra $60 for both of us now?

[Retired 07]

Well, we all are getting different stories from the passport people. I specifically asked if there would be a charge for expediting the process at this stage, and the lady said "no charge" for expediting or overnight express.

[johninwpa]

Sorry to hear about all of these delays. Although we have ours, I would suggest calling or visiting your local federal representative and Senator. Quite often they can apply the pressure or whatever that all of us can't. It actually makes you feel that you're actually getting something for all of your taxes. Have never found the offices unwilling to help, for fear of losing potential votes. Good Luck.

[CindyAlex]

Tromvest...got it while there, sit and waited a few hours...If it had not been in processing it would have been an all day affair.... I hate New Orleans!

[lilrere]

I will let you know as soon as I get mine! But I would suggest that anyone needing their passport in the next few weeks pay the extra $60. I am just hoping and praying I get mine in the next ten days! I sooo wish I had listened to my husband back in February and paid the extra money to begin with but oh well!!!:rolleyes:

[tromvest]

Thank you everyone for responding. I called the passport office again this morning and they again told me to call back at the 14 day mark. The representive told me that there is a tentative date of mailing out our passports of May 16th. That would make it 10 1/2 weeks from when we applied. She said that I should still call back this Thursday the 10th, and if the status still shows a mailing date of the 16th it can be changed to expedite at no charge. I guess we will wait and call back Thursday.

 

I'll keep everyone informed. Good luck to everyone!

[flowerchild]

Birth Certificates and a government or state issued ID (Drivers License, Military ID) still work until the end of this year.

 

If you sent your birth certificate to the State Department with your passport application, order a new one and have it shipped next day...a lot cheaper than the $60 for expedite fee the Dept of State wants to charge you with no guarantees you will actually get it on time.

 

Here's a website I found that does it for $33 (for state of NY) and included overnite shipping.

 

http://www.usbirthcertificate.com/google/

[Retired 07]

Birth Certificates and a government or state issued ID (Drivers License, Military ID) still work until the end of this year.

 

If you sent your birth certificate to the State Department with your passport application, order a new one and have it shipped next day...a lot cheaper than the $60 for expedite fee the Dept of State wants to charge you with no guarantees you will actually get it on time.

 

Here's a website I found that does it for $33 (for state of NY) and included overnite shipping.

 

http://www.usbirthcertificate.com/google/

 

 

flowerchild....you need a passport to fly in from Canada or Mexico effective Jan of 2007..

[8mpg]

Ok guys..maybe I can help clear up some confusion from my experiences with this mess of a passport system..

 

If you applied atleast 10 weeks out and you get within 2 weeks of traveling, they will expedite your passport free. Its not really "expidited" as in you get your passport faster than normal, but its to ensure you get it before your trip.

 

If you waited until 3 weeks before you leave, you have to expedite them when you apply. Or they will make you pay the $60/passport for expedited charges.

 

The online system is so far off its not even funny. It took 6 weeks for my passport to even show up in the system. Then it still says its being processed even though i got it in via Fedex overnight this morning. My girlfriends passport was sent out the same day, requested expedited service 2 weeks prior to leaving and her online tracking says they have recieved it but have not started processing. When we call, they say its almost done.

 

Dont worry about your passport until you are 2 weeks out. Get them to expedite it when needed and follow up every 48-72 hours until its mailed out and you have a tracking number. Dont rely on the online tracking

[flowerchild]

flowerchild....you need a passport to fly in from Canada or Mexico effective Jan of 2007..

 

Darn it, that's rite, I was thinking only of Seattle departures. Forgot completely about Vancouver.

 

Good luck to all that have not recived thier passports.

 

Funny (not so funny story):I applied at the Post office for my passport. The clerk noticed that I had crossed out something on the application and told me I had to re-do it. She took both copies, assumedly to throw the 1st one away, and I was on my way. A few weeks later I got a letter from the Dept of State returning my application because it had not been signed. I remember signing it and immediately noticed that it was the first application that I had made the mistake on! The clerk had sent the wrong application!

 

I had a deadline to get the application back to the post office and get it re-sent (you cannot send it directly, you have to sign it in front of the postal clerk). I finally made it 2.5 weeks before the date stated on the letter. I pointed out the mistake that the original clerk had made to the new clerk and mentioned that I was on a deadline and they assured me that it would be sent out right away.

 

A few weeks later I get all my original documents back from the Dept of State and a letter stating that since the deadline had elapsed, my file was now closed and that I would have to re-apply, including re-submit ALL COSTS. I called and spoke to a live person and tried to plead my case, but nothing could be done. I was so mad, almost $100, lost. CRUISE MONEY!! Since I knew I didn't absolutely need it for my cruise since the law had changed, I planned on re-applying later this year, no hurry now. This all happened back in early February....

 

Guess what came in the mail last week?

 

My passport.

 

?????????????????????

[fti]

Here's a website I found that does it for $33 (for state of NY) and included overnite shipping.

 

http://www.usbirthcertificate.com/google/

 

There is no reason to go through a third party service. If you get it for example directly from the city of New York (if you were born there), it only costs $15.

[camphappy]

When my daughter and I applied 6 weeks ago at the post office we were told it will take at least 13 weeks if not expedited and at least 8 weeks if expedited. With new laws coming into effect Jan 2008 (passport required with any border crossing) I think the wait will just get worse!

[Roxilla]

We applied for passports for our 2 sons on Feb 20th and they came within 3 days of each other this week. So it ended up taking about 11 weeks.

[SunFunCruiser]

Tromvest...got it while there, sit and waited a few hours...If it had not been in processing it would have been an all day affair.... I hate New Orleans!

 

Okay, how does that work? I could easily go to the Miami office.

 

BTW, my DH appilied for his a couple of weeks after we did and he got his already@@.

 

We applied March 1st and none of us have gotten ours yet. I think DH went approx. March 18th.

[LauraUSF]

I applied for mine on February 23rd and I haven't gotten mine yet. It's been over 10 weeks and I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks; I'm gonna call tomorrow.

[flowerchild]

There is no reason to go through a third party service. If you get it for example directly from the city of New York (if you were born there), it only costs $15.

 

Plus air shipping charges...

[aroach2524]

My passport was up for renewal, so I sent both my passport and my husband's so they would have the same date for renewal in 10 years. The Post Office scared me into thinking I needed to expedite since I was 12 weeks out from our cruise so I paid the extra money. We received our passports in 2 weeks and I was irritated about the extra money I had paid--but now that I'm reading these posts, I guess I'm okay with it! I would hate to be waiting on my passport at this point! Less than 2 weeks till we leave on our Cruisetour!:rolleyes:

 

I hope everything turns out okay for all of you waiting.

[8mpg]

My passport was up for renewal, so I sent both my passport and my husband's so they would have the same date for renewal in 10 years. The Post Office scared me into thinking I needed to expedite since I was 12 weeks out from our cruise so I paid the extra money. We received our passports in 2 weeks and I was irritated about the extra money I had paid--but now that I'm reading these posts, I guess I'm okay with it! I would hate to be waiting on my passport at this point! Less than 2 weeks till we leave on our Cruisetour!:rolleyes:

 

I hope everything turns out okay for all of you waiting.

 

LOL..you did a good thing. My girlfriends passport arrives tomorrow and we leave Saturday. Its really stressful