Re: Passport Delays
 

It is 10 working days from the payment being taken, but for most people here it has taken much longer. I wound not expect you to see anything until 2010.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Yeh my credit card was charged Oct 14th,2009 and I still dont have my passport (first time passport) so I wouldnt hold your breath

Re: Passport Delays
 

Another update

It is official Claire, is a miracle worker hands down. My passport arrived!:thumbup:

Originally applied in October.

Ticket bought to fly out on the 23rd, talk about cutting it close.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Has anyone tried to call the Careline number over Christmas? I have been on hold for hours without ever getting through to a representative.

I complained via the e-mail address listed on the website and just got an automated response:

Thank you for your email.

Careline Services are unable to provide any information by email.

I called the general Careline number in the UK to ask if the passport department was even open and they confirmed that it was and that there was no backlog of calls. I told them that there was obviously a problem since I had been on hold for over an hour.

I think that it is completely unacceptable that it seems impossible to speak to anyone about a passport application made in the US during the holiday season:frown:

The reason for calling Careline is that a few days before Christmas they said that they could not see my son's passport application in the system, even though my credit card had been charged by the FCO a few days earlier. I just want to check the status of the application as we are returning to the UK permanently at the end of January with our newborn.

We received our son's US passport within 10 days, no hassles.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I finally got through to Careline and it was a waste of time and money. They could not find record of the application on their system despite the credit card being charged on the 21st December.

What I find infuriating is that they say they can't help any further unless I have a flight booked. This is ridiculous given that the FCO state that you should not book travel until you have received the passport. It's very frustrating that you have to spend so long waiting to speak to someone that can't actually help anyway.

I think I entered mid January on the application form as my travel date so have a two week cushion until my job notice is served and I have to leave the country and start a new job in the UK. The current process seems to require you to play Russian roulette with your travel plans.

Re: Passport Delays
 

What is worse is that most of the time, Careline will only pass on messages to the Passport Office. It's not like many people actually speak to a consular official. I had brief correspondence only through e-mail.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Hi all,

I sent in my passport on Dec 7th for a renewal. My CC was charged on the 21st.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, some business has just come up which forces me to travel to FL for work till about Jan 13th. Do you think my PP would be ready and delivered while I'm away? If this happens no one will be at home to sign for the PP. Should I call careline to have my PP sent to the address in FL where I will be working or ask them to delay mailing my PP until I return home?

thanks

Re: Passport Delays
 

They may have an issue with you changing where the passport is being mailed. UPS actually delivered mine and left it with the landlord of my apartment building. Apparently no signature was required for my passport.

Re: Passport Delays
 

BE members are fortunate...they can contact Dean http://britishexpats.com/forum/member.php?u=93085
You could do that or call your nearest UPS and ask them to hold your deliveries until you return (I think that's the carrier but check previous posts in this thread).

Re: Passport Delays
 

Jersey,

thanks, I have sent Dean a PM and will call UPS in the AM to see if they can either redirect or hold my deliveries.

Re: Passport Delays
 

There is an official site which may be visited by entering "UK Passport Office Complaints" into Yahoo Search.

If you have a complaint about the way your application was handled, this is the correct way to initiate an investigation with the details of the difficulties which you experienced and which may lead ultimately, if the complainant so wishes, to the Ombudsman.

If we do not complain to the central Passport Office, they will never realize that the Washington office is not functioning satisfactorily, and think all is well. It is the duty of everybody who has suffered through this passport application process in Washington to spare ten minutes to make his/her complaint through official channels.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Oh shit.

My passport expired in August. I plan to travel in March. I haven't submitted the application yet. NOW I read this thread...

Re: Passport Delays
 

Geoffrey,

You're confusing the production of passports in the UK with the passports operation overseas. I've explained further up in the thread how it all works, but IPS run the operation in the UK and the FCO run it overseas. Two separate organisations. If you want to make a complaint about the Washington office, follow the complaints procedure at http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/our-off...akingcomplaint

Dean

Re: Passport Delays
 

Hi there,

Just a shout out to the British Embassy in Washington, I received my passport today, it took 4 weeks...for a renewal application sent from Vancouver, BC. Canada. I thought, in the spirit of fair play, after so many complaints and negative comments I would like to say, job well done, considering it was over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Dear British Consul

Thank you for your kind advice.

My personal situation is that I made my passport application seven weeks ago today by courier from Argentina (Tuesday 17 November).

The official brochure published by the UK Embassy in Buenos Aires states that one may expect to receive the passport renewal, or the return of the rejected application, "in about three weeks" from mailing. This is the core of my particular protest, that this official publication contains a statement which the UK Embassy in Argentina and Washington knew to be false, or did not believe to be true. Thus it is a matter of bad faith on the part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The complaint to Washington which is, so it appears from what you say, my only recourse, is by airmail which will take seven days there, seven days for the reply and fourteen days for the investigation, a total of 28 more days before the possibility of any knowledge of the "problem" is communicated to me. It is indicative of the situation in Washington that it takes one week longer to reply to an enquiry about a stray passport application than it once did to simply renew the passport at the local embassy. And this is all part and parcel of Britain's contribution to the fight "against terror".

What surprises me is the ignorance and pitiful understanding of UK Embassy staff in Washington about what a passport is and does in the Americas. Clearly, all they understand is the need to "travel", i.e. travel to the UK or "long distance". Their training does not extend beyond this concept. They are unable to grasp that for tourists and other travellers with extended stays in the Americas, particularly virtually everywhere south of the United States, "travel" also means "crossing a frontier there and back to renew the previous entry stamp", which cannot be done without a passport, and, as is the case in Argentina for example, to change a cheque or otherwise receive money.

A passport is equally a means of identity for the interior of a country as for crossing frontiers. Note that if a passport renewal is not delivered within twelve weeks of mailing at the maximum, then the passport holder is not only illegally overstaying in the country in which he/she is marooned, but will have to pay a fine for overstaying when attempting to leave and also has meanwhile no acceptable receipt for the absent passport.

"But gentlemen," I hear you say, "these are but minor matters in the great struggle to the death in which Britain is currently engaged "Against The Terrorist"!