Lover not a fighter

[PM Dean at the consulate. He and his staff are extremely good at what they do. Don't bother doing anything else...



QUOTE=Helen79;7874438]Thanks for the info Sharron, it has certainly helped to calm me down a little! It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since they took the money so I guess its not that unusual after all. Did they call you with a tracking number or anything or did it just appear?

Re - the green card application, my husband is a US citizen and whilst my visa is good until dec 2010, I really want to get started with the green card thing just so I can get it over and done with (without my passport I cant even legally change my name on my US documents, ss card etc etc). Im just panicking I guess, but I dont see why it would take so long just to mail my things back, espcially now they have cleared the back log.

Thanks so much for the advice, I really do appreciate it![/QUOTE]

Sharron_

I got a call from UPS about 8.30am one morning saying they were delivering my passport that day and they did....but you have to sign for it, so be at home!. They didn't give me a tracking number at all.

It came 3 weeks & 2 Days after they took the money...on a Friday. So I wouldn't start making enquiries just yet. I would leave it until the week beginning Sept 7th, before I panicked!

Helen79

Ok, thanks everyone for your advice, it really helps! I will leave it a few more days and then contact Dean for advice. Im guessing it just got caught up in the delays and I have nothing to worry about but theyre such precious documents I cant help but feel anxious about it (plus I feel like my entire life is on hold until I get it back).

Thanks again

Helen

jeremy-clarkson-for-pm

Feel free to look over my recent successful experience - link below. Start to finish in 28 business days.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=613501

thx

British Consul

Some of you have noticed that we've removed the on-line status enquiry from our website. This is because processing time has reduced to four weeks, and the on-line enquiry should have only been used if you were due to travel within a rolling six-week time frame.

We did consider retaining the on-line enquiry service but it had been massively abused and we just don't have the resources to continue to manage it (thanks to all those who enquired about applications they never submitted, and for those who were traveling in 2010, 2011, and beyond). The Passport Information Line, operated by Careline Services, can now handle all future enquiries for passports and they should be contacted if you need to travel urgently.

A couple of points to note:

As we progress to the Identity & Passport Service owning UK Passport operations overseas (instead of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office), there will be a number of changes introduced which I'll make you aware of. The first is that the North American Passport Production Centre has been renamed to the UK Passport Service for the Americas and the Caribbean (or UK Passport Service, Washington) for short. You can still access information about British passports at www.ukinusa.fco.gov.uk.

Your local British Consulate will continue to issue Emergency Passports for a one-way journey, but they won't be able to help you with passport renewal enquiries (although they will point you in the direction of the Passport Information Helpline and the website).

One final point on the processing of applications, and I've seen a number of questions regarding charging. The charge is for the processing of the application and not a passport. So it follows that the charge is applied as the first step in the process before an examiner reviews your application. If your application looks valid but is incomplete, you will be asked to supply further information to support your application. If the application is bogus, we will tell you, and retain the application fee.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

Dean

bakedbeans

In the same boat!

My girlfriend applied 5 weeks ago. Called the help line 3 days ago, was told D.C. embassy would send an email. Nothing. We're leaving on Saturday Sept. 5 for UK. Still don't have any passport news. Does anyone know what we can do?
Thanks, Jon.

dbnull

This is an update on my 3 kids first time passport application.
Our first 2 children were born in 2003 and 2004 before I married their mother and then we had our last born in 2007 after our marriage.
I was required to fill out a domicile questionnaire since the first 2 kids were born before we were married and they were considered illegitimate kids, but filling out the domicile questionnaire and sending it back to washington which in turn sent it to London, made the kids legitimate.
My 3 kids passports were approved last week and we received all their passports today.
I must commend the power of communication via this forum. Thank you very very much all for your points, comments, assistance and not forgetting to thank D (British Consul). Good Job on your tremendous assistance Dean.
As a follow up, I have read a lot about that it is not necessary to register the kids birth since they have their passports now, but I still find that plausible because in the event something happens to their passport and they cannot find all the documents we sent to washington -- What happens next?
Well, I'll at my earliest convenient register the kids birth and also request for a copy of their registration document which I believe is the BC just like the one I have. It's somehow in the range of $1000 for my 3 kids but it will give my wife and I an the kids piece of mind in the event something happens.

My kids were born in the United states and their application was received in washington 2nd week of April 2009. It took a while firstly because we needed to send the first 2 kids hospital record based on washington's request and then they later discovered we needed to fill out the domicile questionnaire.

I Love this forum and will continue to assist.

gatorbite35

I got my passport today!!!
Here's the timeline:

Sept 11th - Sent out stuff via ups regular shipping (11 bucks)

Sept 16th - Embassy received package

Sept 30th - My credit card was charged

Oct 4th - Received an automated phone call from ups that I will be getting a package tomorrow

Oct 5th - I received my passport!

It took 14 business days and 20 total days from the time the embassy received. This was faster than expected!






Here's my thread explaining my situation

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=629804

chadwick7345

Dean,

After reading through some of this thread you seem to be a massive help to many people and wonder if you could help me in anyway? My brother is getting married in India and we are due to fly 22nd oct, the day i booked my flights i stupidly noticed my passport had expired! I quickly ran to the Chicago office and they told me how to proceed. After checking online and seeing 10 days for the process I breathed a huge sigh of relief, however what has happened since is making me extremely worried.

I have a situation that is starting to become dire! I sent all my papers in for renewal 29th sept, it was showing as received the 30th sept at 10.30 am, however no charge has shown on my credit card to date, I have called the new careline on two occasions at great expense and they have informed me to wait for a call, They aslo told me that i am not in there system. I am still waiting for a call. I have tried every which way to contact someone in washington and get no where. Its only 7 days till my wife and I are due to fly and I do not know how to proceed, any help would be greatly appreciated,

Thankyou very much in advance

Nick Chadwick

chadwick7345

Has Anyone heard from dean recently or would know how to contact? im having a problem with my passport and reading through this thread he seems to be a great go to person,

Thank you

lansbury

When you have made 3 posts on BE you can send a PM. However Deans last post gives the distinct impression the Consulates can no longer help with passport renewal inquiries.

meauxna

Your posts are also getting hung up because you're including links. Please don't post your email and phone number.
You could try a British Consulate more local to you also; Dean is in charge of Florida and beyond.

chadwick7345

Hi all

Does anybody know a good contact to chase delayed passports? Im travelling in 7 days and am getting no help from the care line.

Thankyou

chadwick7345

thankyou, chicago is not helping and will not talk on the phone or in person, im at my whits end and not sure how to go foward?

chadwick7345

Thank you, I have just done this and will wait for a repsonse, hopefully someone can help me? Not sure how else i can pursue this?