Re: Passport Delays
 

The website now says there is "high seasonal demand" for passports. Well, perhaps now, but not in late October when I mailed the damn thing!!

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I got a reply back from Washington. Careline is wrong. The consular staff told me that it is not stuck and can't understand why they would give me such information. And I PAID for this wonderful Careline service! :blink:

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i have been waiting 6 weeks for my kids passports, called careline last week got a phone call from washington they said there was a problem with my payment so i sent a money order off they got it on monday phoned careline again today and they said that they haven't even been proccessed yet we are due to fly to the uk on the 21st dec now i don't know what to do, it's just one big joke.

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Same thing happened to me though they sent back my application after 3 weeks. Sorry to hear about your situation :(

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I'm sorry to hear so many of you are experiencing what seems to be appalling service from the Embassy.

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I don't think it is the Embassy but the private company the work has been contracted out to.

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And who "contracted out" the work?

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Who else but the Foreign Office issues new PP's?

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The Identity and Passport Service is responsible for issuing UK passports and identity cards and for the registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales. It is an executive agency of the Home Office.

As they are part of the Home Office and Embassies are F&CO I wonder just how much the Embassy in Washington has to do with it.

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Bottom line is that the Foreign Office decided to "contract out" a service that is critical to British citizens overseas. It it perhaps symptomatic of much that has gone wrong in Britain over the last 15 years.

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I believe that it is still the Consular staff who accept the applications and handle the processing. Careline just provides the information regarding the application process and the status of current applications.

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I actually dialed this number and yes I got to speak with her, she said that the USA system is different than the Canadian one but my passport is well over due and she will look into it and get some one to call me back. I sent in my passport in October, I am dead concerned since I bought my air ticket for leaving on the 23 of this month.

Thanks for the number!

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Clare is the best! A asset to the British High Commission for sure. She assisted me with all the steps of my British citizenship, and she was simply amazing.

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I agree.

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phoned careline today, 2 of my kids passports are printed but they could'nt find the 3rd one in the system so don't know what that is about hope they sort it quick.

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Update,

I woke up around 4am this morning to make a call to Claire, and I did speak with her told her my full name, date of travel, birthplace, passport number and phone number. I told her that I sent off my forms in early October and her reply was that it was well over due, she would make some calls.

Two hours later, I got an email from the passport office telling me that they had debit my account and that they need more information.

Six hours later from original call to Claire, I got a phone call, asking me to confirm my details. The person on the other line told me to send in the information to the passport office and once they get them, they will process my passport.

I just got home from work, so I plan to find a 24 UPS or Fedex to post the documents requested.

I will keep you posted if all goes well.

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Good Luck! :thumbup:

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good luck i waited 7 weeks for mine, 3 phone calls to careline no good ,contacted dean and whatever he did worked passports turned up today ,yeah i can go home on monday for christmas thankyou so much dean.

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:thumbup:

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Thanks, I am really missing the good ol UK.

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I've been away from Blighty too long it seems.
I took the 'Ten day processing' at face value and sent in my kids passport renewals mid-Nov with travel date on Dec 18th.
Payment wasn't taken until Dec 10th. Not feeling too optimistic right now.
Planning on calling Careline ASAP. Do I have to wait until 08.30est as stated on website or is 08.30gmt an option?

Any info appreciated.

Of course once I find out about passports I can start fretting about the pending BA strike. :unsure:

Re: Passport Delays
 

Okay, so as common sense seemed to demand, Careline operators are available from 08.30gmt and not 08.30est as the ukinusa.fco website states.

They were helpful and efficient, just waiting to hear from the folks in Wash. DC now.

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I just called and hell just froze over! My passport was printed today!!!!!! :eek::eek::thumbsup:
Now to await the dreaded UPS service. I may have to wait longer than the passport.
I sent my application via UPS on October 29th. They finally finished with it today, Dec 16th. Almost 7 weeks! (I am a first time applicant though)
I can't wait to see it.

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:thumbup:
They send it next day air. My was printed on Friday then received on Tuesday.

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Well this is my problem. I sent my passport application( first time application since I havent had one since I was 12) in the beginning of Oct 2009. The money came off my credit card Oct 14th. Its now Dec 16th,2009 and nothing. Getting pretty upset it takes this long. My husband got his canadian passport 10 days after he applied( first time for him). Why does it take so bloody long for the British passport. I was holding off calling the careline but by the looks of the previous posts I better call. :(

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Jewels, mine took about 6 weeks from the time they took the payment and I am first time applicant. Call Careline. It really is painless, and you are not on the phone that long at all. Make sure you have your credit card ready as it is not a free service. Call the UK number and not the 1-900 number. It is a bit cheaper. Good luck

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Heard from the Wash DC passport office this afternoon.
I was told that as a result of Careline getting in touch and because of my imminent travel date they had printed both of my kids' passports and were shipping them overnight tonight.
Not counting my chickens just yet but I am very impressed with what one call to Careline has achieved.

Feeling somewhat optimistic.

Now, about that BA strike... ;)

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Great news Brit in TN! You might be interested in my new thread on UPS shipping of passports!!

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I have nothing to add... I just wanted to say hi. I lived in Kingston for 13 years; was a teacher for the (then) Frontenac County Board of Education. I actually lived in Sharbot Lake for 3 years before moving "south". :)

Welcome to BE.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

I just got my passport about 5 mins ago! :eek::eek::thumbsup: I couldn't believe that I was stuck on the phone when the UPS guy tried to call in through my phone (our apartment building lobby buzzer goes to our phone to enable a person to be buzzed in) I couldn't find the flash button! I went onto my balcony and yelled down to wait!! Lucky me, it is in my hands now!

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Great news here.
UPS delivered the passports about an hour ago.

To recap my experience:

1) Mid-Nov sent in for two passport renewals. Dec 18th travel date.

2) Heard nothing until Dec 10th when credit card was charged.

3) Dec 16th (08.30gmt/03.30est) Out of hopeless desperation called Careline. Was told that Dec 23rd was likely delivery date, but they would email passport office in Washington DC to see if anything could be done. I gave them my mobile number as a contact number.

4) Dec 16th (approx 14.00est) Passport office called my mobile, said they were about to print passports and would be shipping them overnight to me. Gave me a UPS tracking number.

5) Dec 17th (09.45est) UPS delivered passports to my door.

I am hugely relieved and grateful to the people at the passport office and at Careline. The initial processing may have dragged on a little but once I made them aware of my plight they were magnificent.
Big thumbs up to all involved :thumbsup:

Less than thirty hours from my call for help to receiving my passports. Excellent.
We leave tomorrow. :thumbup:

Okay, British Airways, your turn now. Follow that!

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PS... The Careline call cost me about $16usd. I used the number in the UK not the 900 number.

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Great news!!! Good luck with BA. That is another matter altogether!! Can you imagine what the 1-900 number would have cost you??

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Just called the Careline and because I didnt put a firm date for travel I have been put back til the backlog of people travelling with a firm date have been cleared and the 9 weeks that I have been waiting isnt abnormal. I still think this is ridiculous since I put the application in before the backlog in the begining of October!!!!:frown:

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9 weeks is unacceptable. I merely was furious with a total of 7 weeks door to door. Have you tried calling the British High Commission in Ottawa? They have been helpful to other posters on this board. (613) 237 1530 That is the main switchboard number. Ask to speak to a Consular officer. (Ask for Clare)

Re: Passport Delays
 

BREAKING NEWS.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8418805.stm

BA obtained a court injunction that will prevent BA from a strike over the holidays.

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No kidding 9 weeks is ridiculous!!! And they are telling me to call in the new year again... then it will be 3 months since I sent it.They need to change the way they issue passports in North America. Not sending to Washington for a canadian and call England when you have problems. Definitely not a streamline system.
I wont make plans til I know I am getting my passport and I guess I am getting punished for that.:confused:

Thanks I will call Clare for sure.I will let you know what happens

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It has been 10 business days :sneaky: since my passport renewal application was delivered to the embassy in Washington. Would I be correct in assuming that absolutely nothing will happen with my application for weeks (emails, phone calls, credit card payments, etc). I have no travel plans and my passport runs out in April 2010. How long should I wait before being concerned?

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Even though you haven't any travel plans you never know when you may have to return to the UK in the case of a family emergency.

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Good Luck! :fingerscrossed: