Wooglin

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!!

Wooglin

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!

welshwer

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.

jamestravis

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

Jerseygirl

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

lansbury

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

JAJ

And who "contracted out" the work?

Jerseygirl

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

lansbury

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.

JAJ

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.

Wooglin

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.

veryfunny

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!

Wooglin

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.

veryfunny

I agree.

welshwer

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.