British Expats

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-   -   Passport Delays (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/passport-delays-607794/)

Saro Jul 20th 2011 3:10 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by vanfan1 (Post 9506008)
Saro, sorry to hear they spelled your name wrong, hopefullly they'll fix it quick for you. :fingerscrossed: They can move quickly if they have too

Thanks! I'll call Careline tomorrow and see what they can tell me about correcting it. The "My new passport has arrived and there is a problem" link on ukinusa.fco.gov.uk is dead - of course! I'll let you guys know what they tell me, in case they can't spell your names either.

OIG Jul 20th 2011 9:26 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by vanfan1 (Post 9506008)
Looks like I may be getting my passport tomorrow, was sent a UPS tracking number today by the embassy. Was supposed to be delivered today but the address was wrong so they're sending it Wed. So excited!, last Thurs night when I called they hadn't even started processing. was apprently printed and ready to go Friday!

Saro, sorry to hear they spelled your name wrong, hopefullly they'll fix it quick for you. :fingerscrossed: They can move quickly if they have too

Did they send the UPS tracking number by e-mail? Something else to look out for....

OIG Jul 20th 2011 9:38 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by Saro (Post 9505698)
I wonder about that R. I was given a number with an R without giving a travel date - all I asked Careline for was a status. On the other hand, mine should have arrived my now, even by their current, completely ridiculous, estimates. Does it just depend on who you get on the phone? Does it even mean anything?

I'm starting to think that it doesn't mean anything, some people get theirs straight away after calling. I said to my wife that I think that they have a button next to the computer that is not connected to anything with "expedite" written on it, or it could be that this whole situation is annoying the whatsit out of me...

Saro Jul 20th 2011 2:28 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by Saro (Post 9506040)
Thanks! I'll call Careline tomorrow and see what they can tell me about correcting it. The "My new passport has arrived and there is a problem" link on ukinusa.fco.gov.uk is dead - of course! I'll let you guys know what they tell me, in case they can't spell your names either.

I called this morning and was told to send proof of the real spelling of my name (birth certificate, old passport, etc.), along with a cover letter explaining the mistake, and that I could request a refund for the extra postage. I forgot to ask how long it would take to get it back, though. And this time I can't stalk my credit card online to figure out when they've started processing it.

vanfan1 Jul 20th 2011 4:33 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by OIG (Post 9506554)
Did they send the UPS tracking number by e-mail? Something else to look out for....

I sent a complaint to the embassy a few weeks ago, they didn't reply until they sent my tracking number (was very snarky too)

I'm pretty sure that my passport was escalated through Careline. It really depends on who you talk to. It took 5 phone calls till I got Becky who helped (passport was printed and processed 1 day later so it must have been). My only advice to those still waiting is to keep on calling Careline,

lizr Jul 20th 2011 7:14 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 
Anybody successfully get a hold of the Washington Consulate to get an appointment for Emergency Travel Documents? I left a message Monday and have not heard back. Left another message today.

Any help would be appreciated.

just_jenn Jul 20th 2011 7:20 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 
Just popping in to see how things were working out for folks. Glad to see you got your passports, Shazban! Did yours arrive yet, aml?

Good luck to everyone else waiting!

nursefoxfire Jul 20th 2011 7:21 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by lizr (Post 9507640)
Anybody successfully get a hold of the Washington Consulate to get an appointment for Emergency Travel Documents? I left a message Monday and have not heard back. Left another message today.

Any help would be appreciated.

Wouldn't you go to your local Embassy for that? For example, here in the Dallas area, I'd have to go to the UK Embassy in Houston for Emergency Travel documents (and we'd all have to apply in person).

lizr Jul 20th 2011 7:27 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by nursefoxfire (Post 9507653)
Wouldn't you go to your local Embassy for that? For example, here in the Dallas area, I'd have to go to the UK Embassy in Houston for Emergency Travel documents (and we'd all have to apply in person).

The Washington Consulate is my local Embassy. I live in Maryland.

Zinfan Jul 20th 2011 7:36 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by midmod (Post 9504990)
Wow, good for you. I've called careline twice, my call-back date changes. PP received in DC 16 MAY, cc debited 20 JUNE. Pretty random stuff huh?

My passport actually showed up with UPS this afternoon! What a relief.

Zinfan Jul 20th 2011 7:40 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 
After calling careline yesterday and having being told it was ready, my passport arrived this afternoon. Time for some bubbly. It "only" took 31 days after my payment was cashed. That shows hope for those still waiting. Good luck to all.
Alan

nursefoxfire Jul 20th 2011 7:42 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 
Like the many people here who've had problems, we've run into some unique issues.

We're moving over to the UK in August, and I finally got my Settlement Visa for going over there (I'm a US citizen). My husband needed his UK passport renewed and our son needed a new UK passport.

Timeline:
  • passports and applications mailed 6th May (back when the website claimed 4-6 weeks processing time)
  • Received by Washington 9th May
  • credit card charged June 20th
  • Careline called July 11th and 18th

Both times we called Careline, we got through to someone who just didn't seem to care, and was unconcerned that we were running up against immigration deadlines, etc... However she DID promise to put in an email for us, expressing our delay issues.

She also asked if we'd booked tickets. We had, but had made sure they were WELL beyond what we'd need for a timing cushion, WE THOUGHT (back in early May, who knew late August would be an issue!). She issued us a case # followed by an 'R'.

However, yesterday we got a phone call from Iain, a Careline Team Lead. He said my husband's passport had been processed and they just had a question about our son's documentation.

A HEADS UP for anyone who might run into the same problem. Iain said that because I'd been overly helpful and included a photocopy of our marriage certificate (it didn't actually ASK for one, I was trying to cover everything), we NOW had to prove that we were married when our son was born.

I expressed incredulity at that, because if I was a single parent applying for my son's UK passport (he's a dual citizen), they wouldn't have needed to see anything. Iain shrugged and said that was the procedure.

So we had to overnight Iain 1) our original marriage license, 2) my original divorce paperwork from my first marriage, plus we had to fill out and sign two forms (which are nowhere on the website, as far as I can tell): 3) a Marriage Declaration Form (where we both had to swear that we were married when our son was born), and 4) a separate Mother's Declaration Form (where I had to swear that I was either married or not married, as appropriate).

The (hopefully) good news is that Iain promised us it would take no longer than 2 days to process once he got the documents, and that we'd have everything back in a week. So YAY!

I'll let you know whether it does or does not happen.

aml1982 Jul 20th 2011 8:08 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by just_jenn (Post 9507650)
Just popping in to see how things were working out for folks. Glad to see you got your passports, Shazban! Did yours arrive yet, aml?

Good luck to everyone else waiting!

Not yet - I only got my little one's escalation done on July 8th (and given that it was Friday afternoon, it may has well have been July 11th), and the payment only cleared last Thursday, 14th, so I wasn't really expecting anything just yet. I'm going to give them until next Wednesday, which will be four weeks before our moving date and almost three weeks since I got my "R" case number, before I call them and give them a nudge.

aml1982 Jul 20th 2011 8:17 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by nursefoxfire (Post 9507689)

However, yesterday we got a phone call from Iain, a Careline Team Lead. He said my husband's passport had been processed and they just had a question about our son's documentation.

A HEADS UP for anyone who might run into the same problem. Iain said that because I'd been overly helpful and included a photocopy of our marriage certificate (it didn't actually ASK for one, I was trying to cover everything), we NOW had to prove that we were married when our son was born.

I expressed incredulity at that, because if I was a single parent applying for my son's UK passport (he's a dual citizen), they wouldn't have needed to see anything. Iain shrugged and said that was the procedure.

So we had to overnight Iain 1) our original marriage license, 2) my original divorce paperwork from my first marriage, plus we had to fill out and sign two forms (which are nowhere on the website, as far as I can tell): 3) a Marriage Declaration Form (where we both had to swear that we were married when our son was born), and 4) a separate Mother's Declaration Form (where I had to swear that I was either married or not married, as appropriate).

The (hopefully) good news is that Iain promised us it would take no longer than 2 days to process once he got the documents, and that we'd have everything back in a week. So YAY!

I'll let you know whether it does or does not happen.

How old is your son? The rules around passing citizenship from British fathers to children when the mother is not British are a little more complicated and change depending on when the child was born. I ask because if he is 5 or older (born before July 1st 2006), it does make a difference to eligibility. IIRC, since your husband is a UK citizen and you are not, you would have to prove that you were married at the time of your son's birth. If your little one was born after July 2006, then so long as your husband's name is on the birth certificate, it shouldn't really have made any difference.

midmod Jul 20th 2011 8:54 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by Zinfan (Post 9507687)
After calling careline yesterday and having being told it was ready, my passport arrived this afternoon. Time for some bubbly. It "only" took 31 days after my payment was cashed. That shows hope for those still waiting. Good luck to all.
Alan

Excellent news. Have a good trip, enjoy that wine!


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