Passport Delays
#1546
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 4
Re: Passport Delays
I have a situation. My FIL lives in Canada and is British subject. He applied for his British passport to come down to the states. It is a new application as his old one lapsed. It has been 18 weeks. He has spent hundreds of dollars calling the care line to see if they can give him some information. All he wants is to come to the states to meet his new grand children. We can't find any information. On Friday he received a reference number but no other information. We have been EXTREMELY patient. We don't know where else to turn. Looking for help on how to navigate the system. Can anyone guide us? I have been reading other posts but not knowing what it means that a reference number was issued we are not sure what to do next???
#1547
Re: Passport Delays
I have a situation. My FIL lives in Canada and is British subject. He applied for his British passport to come down to the states. It is a new application as his old one lapsed. It has been 18 weeks. He has spent hundreds of dollars calling the care line to see if they can give him some information. All he wants is to come to the states to meet his new grand children. We can't find any information. On Friday he received a reference number but no other information. We have been EXTREMELY patient. We don't know where else to turn. Looking for help on how to navigate the system. Can anyone guide us? I have been reading other posts but not knowing what it means that a reference number was issued we are not sure what to do next???
Careline should be able to tell you when processing started. Currently, they are saying the processing time is 10 weeks from payment taken. If it is a new applciation, there are several things that need to be sent in addition to what is sent with an ordinary renewal. After 18 weeks, I would be concerned that there is some hitch in the process, but for some reason your FIL has not been informed and they are waiting for something at the passport office due to his paperwork being incorrect (did he get a professional British citizen, (non family member) to attest that his photos were a 'true likeness' and sign them etc). Did he send his original birth certificate and old passport? Did he send the correct fee?
I hesitate to recommend calling Careline again, but perhaps, if asked the correct questions they might be able to tell you when processing was started on the application, and if there are any problems, and perhaps ask if they can 'escalate' it.
#1548
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 4
Re: Passport Delays
Thanks for your response. We are having a hard time getting any information from Careline. He is being left on hold for long periods of time and it is costing him a lot of money (3.00 a minute). I did find out that he sent a money order as payment. I see that other people sent credit card information and when the card is charged they know the application is being processed. The last passport he had was as a child when he immigrated to Canada and to my knowledge he is not sure what happened to it. Besides Care line is there any other outlet that we can try to get information from. He did have the photos signed.
Should he resubmit a new application? Wouldn't they inform him if something was missing or wrong on his application?
Because this process it taking so long he is also trying to get his Canadian citizenship and try to obtain a Canadian passport. For now he is stuck in Canada! Any help is greatly appreciated!
Should he resubmit a new application? Wouldn't they inform him if something was missing or wrong on his application?
Because this process it taking so long he is also trying to get his Canadian citizenship and try to obtain a Canadian passport. For now he is stuck in Canada! Any help is greatly appreciated!
#1549
Re: Passport Delays
Thanks for your response. We are having a hard time getting any information from Careline. He is being left on hold for long periods of time and it is costing him a lot of money (3.00 a minute). I did find out that he sent a money order as payment. I see that other people sent credit card information and when the card is charged they know the application is being processed. The last passport he had was as a child when he immigrated to Canada and to my knowledge he is not sure what happened to it. Besides Care line is there any other outlet that we can try to get information from. He did have the photos signed.
Should he resubmit a new application? Wouldn't they inform him if something was missing or wrong on his application?
Because this process it taking so long he is also trying to get his Canadian citizenship and try to obtain a Canadian passport. For now he is stuck in Canada! Any help is greatly appreciated!
Should he resubmit a new application? Wouldn't they inform him if something was missing or wrong on his application?
Because this process it taking so long he is also trying to get his Canadian citizenship and try to obtain a Canadian passport. For now he is stuck in Canada! Any help is greatly appreciated!
If your FIL has not had a passport for (lets say) DECADES and he's been out of the UK in Canada all that time, then I would imagine that would be just about the worst case scenario for a delay.
Writing to the passport office is always an option.
#1550
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 19
Re: Passport Delays
I see it now....tucked in the middle, and not where the normal status message is.
"Please note that the Washington Regional Passport Processing Centre is experiencing a significant increase in demand for passports which may affect the processing time for applications. Your passport application could take up to ten weeks. We have put in additional staff resources to reduce processing times. We are sorry for the delay. Please bear with us while we work hard at processing your passport application as quickly as possible."
"Please note that the Washington Regional Passport Processing Centre is experiencing a significant increase in demand for passports which may affect the processing time for applications. Your passport application could take up to ten weeks. We have put in additional staff resources to reduce processing times. We are sorry for the delay. Please bear with us while we work hard at processing your passport application as quickly as possible."
#1551
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 90
Re: Passport Delays
I'm having great difficulty too in getting any info about how to get an ETD - the nearest consular office is in Vancouver and I'm in Alberta! Supposed to be travelling this weekend
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
#1552
Re: Passport Delays
I'm having great difficulty too in getting any info about how to get an ETD - the nearest consular office is in Vancouver and I'm in Alberta! Supposed to be travelling this weekend
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
#1553
Re: Passport Delays
I'm having great difficulty too in getting any info about how to get an ETD - the nearest consular office is in Vancouver and I'm in Alberta! Supposed to be travelling this weekend
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
The careline info states it can't help with info on applications in progress
This is getting so stressful - my BP is through the roof!
Anyone know how to contact Dean Churm please advise
Katie
#1554
Re: Passport Delays
True. Dean told me he would need a Careline tracking number before he would be able to invrstigate any issues. I tried calling them and once again I was told to hang up and try later because of delays. 10 1/2 weeks since payment taken. Still nothing.
#1555
Re: Passport Delays
Foreign issued passports don't need a Brit to counter sign them, just just need to be someone in "good professional" standing that they know.
#1556
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3
Re: Passport Delays
Okay, so here is my timeline thus far.
June 2-Arrived and signed for in DC
Some time between June 2 and June 8, the disclaimer showed up on the website saying it would now take longer than the original eta.
June 9-Call careline to see what the heck the disclaimer means. They can't tell me anything because I'm not in the system
.
June 2-Arrived and signed for in DC
Some time between June 2 and June 8, the disclaimer showed up on the website saying it would now take longer than the original eta.
June 9-Call careline to see what the heck the disclaimer means. They can't tell me anything because I'm not in the system
.
Hoping to travel in August so still all of July to go.. but it sounds like it can take a few weeks after payment is taken
I'm upset as this trip may end up being the last chance my kids get to see one of their grandparents. We'd apply for an emergency passport given that circumstance but I have no idea how my wife would get back into the US correctly given that her current visa is stuck in her old passport!
Is there truly no way to get information until payment is taken?
#1557
Re: Passport Delays
I'm almost on the exact same timeline for my wife's passport - signed for on June 2nd, called June 16 ish to find out what the disclaimer meant. Seems like I'm going to be in the dark until they take payment (checking credit card status every day... nothing so far)
Hoping to travel in August so still all of July to go.. but it sounds like it can take a few weeks after payment is taken
I'm upset as this trip may end up being the last chance my kids get to see one of their grandparents. We'd apply for an emergency passport given that circumstance but I have no idea how my wife would get back into the US correctly given that her current visa is stuck in her old passport!
Is there truly no way to get information until payment is taken?
Hoping to travel in August so still all of July to go.. but it sounds like it can take a few weeks after payment is taken
I'm upset as this trip may end up being the last chance my kids get to see one of their grandparents. We'd apply for an emergency passport given that circumstance but I have no idea how my wife would get back into the US correctly given that her current visa is stuck in her old passport!
Is there truly no way to get information until payment is taken?
Might need to look at an ETD, depending on when in August.
#1558
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3
Re: Passport Delays
Does anyone have any experience traveling from the US and back in on an ETD when they have an active US visa?
#1559
Re: Passport Delays
August 3rd was our original travel date - as a fallback I can travel with the kids as planned and my wife could follow later - far from ideal as our youngest is only 4 and that would be a pull for him. Also as its her mum that is ill cutting my wife's trip short would be sad.
Does anyone have any experience traveling from the US and back in on an ETD when they have an active US visa?
Does anyone have any experience traveling from the US and back in on an ETD when they have an active US visa?
Private message me, in this circumstance I may be able to point you in the right direction.
#1560
Re: Passport Delays
It's a general policy to be wary of sending or receiving sensitive advice like this (and immigration etc) in private messages/email.