GRJohn

Hello All,

I am new to this forum, and need some advice. I sent my passport for routine renewal on April 12th, and know it was delivered the following morning. I have heard nothing since. In the meantime I have been asked to fly to Barcelona for a business trip on Friday of this week, and am also supposed to visit the UK from June 16th on vacation.

What are my options? This summer is looking like a disaster about to happen.

Thanks.

Jerseygirl

Hello and welcome to BE.

It would be very helpful if you could read through the stickied threads at the top of this forum's index page...then read through this thread...paying particular attention to Dean's posts. Most of the questions people ask have been answered many, many times already.

GRJohn

Yes, I read them. It's not clear to me what the terms are for an emergency passport and I didn't see that in the stickies. Specifically, can it be used to get back into the US? Can it be used to travel within the EU? Under what circumstances can it be issued?

My trip on Friday is to London then to Barcelona on Monday, and return to NYC the following day. I'm guessing that one is busted.

Careline are utterly and completely unhelpful and appear incompetent (although not rude and they do have nice happy scottish accents lol).

I was hoping for more informed advice here. Thanks.

lansbury

It is mostly here http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...s/short-notice

You can use it to return to the US.

GRJohn

Thanks, that's just what I was looking for. I have an appointment for an ETD tomorrow at the consulate here in NYC - they called me this morning and are pretty helpful. I dare say the embassy staff would be too, if we were allowed to talk to them.

In contrast, the passport telephone helpline offers no real information and appears transparently designed to generate revenue. Sack Careline and set up something that works? Just a thought.

lansbury

Two problems. Careline is in Scotland, and the passport center isn't at the Washington Embassy, the address for the Embassy and passport center are different. So calling either doesn't get you in touch with anyone who actually is doing the work.

Could be worse Careline could be a call center in India

GRJohn

Yes, they need to put the helpline in the same location as the processing center. As opposed to on opposite sides of the Atlantic ocean.

Bob

And you think that might be a cost effective use of resources?

Why else was it out sourced in the first place, to reduce their costs.

It's not ideal for sure, but that's unfortunately the way it is these days.

GRJohn

If it's cost effective but ineffective, it's a false economy. Eventually they will have to fix the problem, which will cost even more. More efficient to get it right the first time. It sure as heck doesn't work now.

Paul Drinkwater

Hi, new to the forum as I got more concerned over the long wait for my kids passports. They arrived today! All correct, all paperwork returned. I mailed the documents via UPS overnight around the middle of March. Payment was taken from my credit card on 4/15 (roughly one month later) and they were signed for by me today on 5/18. I do not have an exact recall of the date I mailed them, but overall its been around a two month process for me. Hope this helps - good luck to anyone who is still waiting

meauxna

What problem? It's not a problem for them. For you, yes.
/devil's advocate

GRJohn

I'm guessing the FO is currently receiving a large volume of complaints, plus they do look at feedback from message boards like this one.

When the contract comes up for renewal, they'll look at the current contractor's record and decide on an alternate solution. That's how it works.

meauxna

With all respect for the people currently having a problem, most of the time the system has worked just fine.
I'm just being realistic I guess.

YLCheng

Hello all,

New member and new post here. I live in New York City, mailed my UK Passport renewal application in early March, and the consulate charged my credit card on April 5th. Have not heard anything since then and I need to travel in mid-July. I am a teacher and if I cannot travel in July, my schedule is basically shot until next year.

Though my case is not as dire as the poor poster above who needs to renew a work authorization in Canada, I am starting to be worried since other people who were charged payment later than I was (I saw one person above charged on April 15) have since received their new passports!

My renewal application is a simple plain vanilla one - does anyone have a similar experience?

Dean - if you are reading this, can you please PM me so that I can ask you to look into the case for me? I understand that I cannot PM you until I have posted at least 3 times. You seem to be a beacon of hope and a truly wonderful person for helping us out on the forum, and for that, I give you heartfelt thanks in advance.

Many thanks also to all for maintaining and corresponding on this forum.

Jerseygirl

You cannot make or receive PMs until you have made 3 posts.