Jscl

Best of luck, Kinghuang. I'm still shocked - I'd prepared myself for two more weeks of stressful waiting!

If anyone has their flights booked on British Airways, they have announced their strike dates for March, and they are March 20-22 and Mar 27-30. Some flights will be running with reduced service but some will be cancelled. Details are here:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel..._URGENT_CENTRE

They haven't announced dates for April yet, but as I read the announcement on the BBC News front page, they wouldn't be striking after those dates until April 14th at the earliest, if by then there was no resolution. It wasn't entirely clear though.

Smiffy1

...

GreyDawg

Partial timeline

Feb 17 - FedEx'd application to Washington
Feb 19 - Delivered -- signed for by security guard
March 12 - No charge yet on my credit card (3 weeks from receipt in CD)

Fortunately, my travel date is June; I figured that sending the application in February ought to be enough lead time.

This application will take longer, as it is a first time UK passport application (by descent -- Welsh father, but I was born in the US). I think I've got everything right: copy of his birth certificate from Brigend, copy of my parents' marriage license/certificate from the county clerk in Oklahoma, my original, 1957 birth certificate (a lovely, sepia document), marriage affidavit signed by both parents (fortunately still alive at 81 and 87!) and everything countersigned by a lawyer who has know the family for 20+ years. Really grim photos, too!

(I made one error: I didn't tick the boxes in the checklist at the end of the application -- but everything on the checklist is included/completed. Fingers crossed the application isn't returned for failure to tick the boxes.)

My biggest fear is that my application will be lost in the bowels of the system: my 81 year old mother is very upset that I sent the birth certificate in, as her children's birth certificates are among her prize possessions. Until now, I've always been able to use an official copy, so she could safeguard "her" documents.

ian-mstm

Your original documents will be returned.

Ian

Jscl

That part about things being lost in the system is the most worrying thing (unless you're running out of time before a flight). My credit card was charged just over three weeks after the application was received, so hopefully that will happen to you this coming week.

Jesse923

My passport applications were received on February 18th, and still no credit card charge.

Starting to get a bit worried about being "lost in the system". Waiting until the four week mark to worry some more.

Smiffy1

Okay, FINALLY it came this morning. This is my time frame:

12 Jan - sent to Washington by Priority Mail
19 Jan - received and signed for in Washington
28 Jan - payment taken
15 Mar - finally received the passport!!!

What a relief - we are due to fly in 3 days!!

GreyDawg

So, about six weeks from payment taken to receipt of passport. Good information -- thanks!

Smiffy1

..... AND thanks to the wonderful Dean for his help - dont know if it would ever have come, much appreciated!!

Jscl

Jesse, don't worry too much yet, I was following the receipt to charge times and they are mostly int he 3-4 week mark, mine was 23 days. Hopefully yours will get charged this week.

GreyDawg, I got my passport last week, just eight days after they charged my card. The whole process was 31 days. Maybe if your renewal is straight forward the process is much quicker. It's odd there's such a difference in process times.

Burn1911

Well seems lilke they are catching up on the backlog - our timeline:

Feb 15th - sent with UPS
Feb 16th - received and signed for by "Guard"
March 8th - Card charged
March 15th - Passport received with UPS.

So in all it was exactly 4 weeks from the date I sent it in, and I received it back 5 working days from the card being charged.

Nothing to complain about from me

Smiffy1

I dont think you can generalise like this - mine was pretty straightforward and it took almost 9 weeks. My friend renewed hers (sent it in 2 weeks after i did) and got it back 1 week before me! Hers was exactly the same as mine - a straightforward renewal. Best of luck!

Amanda F

Yes I got my passport back and my new pictures were not countersigned as my appearance was similar. However, it appears all this fuss I had over my passport and one wonders if you really need them - the immigration officer in Heathrow last week appeared to be reading his newspaper as we waitied patiently behind the yellow line to be called forward - as I looked closer he was actually looking down at the paper, but his eyes were closed !!

kinghuang

I got my passport back today! Interestingly, it was issued and mailed right after my credit card was charged.

Complete timeline:

January 31, 2010 — Mailed from Calgary, Canada
February 16, 2010 — Received by Embassy
March 10, 2010 — Credit Card Charged
March 11, 2010 — Issued, Mailed
March 15, 2010 — Received

Jscl

Yey, they're churning them out now!