Re: Passport Delays
 

No email, no tracking. It just showed up.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I have my passport

Application sent via USPS: June 1
Application received by DC: June 2
Credit card charged: July 11
Called Careline: July 22 (friday) - The only thing they can tell me is that it's been looked at. I need to travel in two weeks, suggest I call consular
Call consular :July 25 (monday) - new phone system, kept disconnecting
Call consular :July 26 (tuesday) - It's been looked at and no action has been taken. I need to travel in less than two weeks.... They will call Washington and get it expedited
Passport received via UPS: July 29 (friday) YAY!!!!

Re: Passport Delays
 

eanne06 where do you live in USA or Canada. from the posts i have been reading the Washington office is taking care of people in the USA first :confused:

Re: Passport Delays
 

Well, I live in the US and my old/expired passport was issued in the US too, I dont know if that makes a difference.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I live in Florida. My app was sent in June 2 and I need to travel August 5. I think I would've had it by now, but they wanted my mother's dissolution of marriage certificate in addition to the docs I sent in. That added at least two weeks to my processing. Nowhere could I find the need for this document on the website. I guess what they request on their page is just a starter.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I know this may seem like a silly questions, but will I have issues leaving the US on a new, first-time UK passport that hasn't been stamped and does not have a visa in it? Will US immigration want to see proof of my US citizenship or right to be in the US?

Re: Passport Delays
 

Wondering if anyone can help. My friend sent her UK passport and her teenage son's UK passport off to Washington for renewal a week ago. They're green card holders, if that makes any difference. They've now received news of serious family illness in the UK and need to travel home urgently. Is there anything they can do to speed up the process, or can they get emergency travel documents? Do they have to go to Washington to get them?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Passport Delays
 

There is no exit control in the United States. But if you are ever asked to show a passport by a US official (airline staff are not officials) then show a US passport.

Re: Passport Delays
 

1. They can get emergency travel documents from a consulate, assuming these are passport renewals not first time applications:
http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...s/short-notice

2. Perhaps reflect on getting US citizenship once eligible so they won't be so vulnerable to the same thing next time.

Re: Passport Delays
 

If you are leaving the US, then I dont think you will have to interact with immigration. At the airport check in counter, you will have to show your valid new UK passport. If your US visa is in the old passport, then you will need to show them that too, as they will remove your I-94 which should be with your US visa. I am not sure if they will ask proof of US citizenship.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I won't have my US passport. I'll only have my brand-new UK one. My US passport is having a visa put on it for a job I am taking overseas. It won't be ready in time for me to go over there and start setting up my living situation. I have to represent myself as a US citizen during my time at this job, but I can enter the country and begin preliminary research on my UK passport. Once I get my US passport with the visa on it, I'll have to leave and re-enter the country on it.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Without a US passport how are you going to get back into the US. If you are a US citizen you are required by US law to leave and enter the US using a US passport. You will need to have your US passport sent to you before you travel back from wherever you are going.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Getting back in is not going to be an issue. I will have my US passport before I come back to the US. I just won't have it on me when I leave. I was planning on leaving on my UK passport, because that one will be available to me before my US passport will. I do have an old expired US passport but I don't know if that will do any good or if it's even necessary to exit.

Re: Passport Delays
 

You shouldn't have a problem leaving. Most times I've flown out on United and given them my UK passport that have looked for the I-94, and when they couldn't find it asked if I was a resident alien. I've just said no I am dual US/UK national. End of discussion.

Re: Passport Delays
 

PASSPORT IS IN HAND!! I got it this morning from UPS! First-time applicant!

June 2-App received in DC
June 8-1st Call to Careline, 3 more calls since then.
June 26-Visit to DC Passport Office to file a complaint and ask for application to be given priority
July 6-Another call to Careline
July 9-Call to British Consulate in Orlando, FL. Established a twitter account to demand answers from officials on twitter.
July 13-Sent in complaint letter.
July 15- Call from DC office requesting further proof of citizenship
July 29- Requested proof of citizenship received in DC
August 1- NEW, FIRST-TIME PASSPORT IN HAND! ALMOST 8 WEEKS TO THE DAY!

My advice, do not let them forget about you! Good luck to everyone! And thank you all for your help and support during this grueling process.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I got my passport this morning. So like everyone has been saying, I think they are speeding things up. It was my first passport so I feel like I got it pretty fast. I did not call the careline and I never got an email saying my passport had been shipped. It just showed up this morning.

Re: Passport Delays
 

That's great news. Just over a month. Alot better than the 3 1/2 months it took my husband to receive his! I hope this wasn't just a one off and that they are actually starting to get their act together!

Re: Passport Delays
 

not good for me 17 WEEKS NOW WTF!!!!!!

Re: Passport Delays
 

pbx have you called the careline and asked them about your application?

Re: Passport Delays
 

Yes, I really think you need to contact someone. 17 weeks is too long, even if there are delays. Something seems to be wrong.

Re: Passport Delays
 

My daughter's been away for a week...when she got home her UK PP had been delivered.

She lives in Toronto and sent it in for renewal 14th June. She has a US PP...so she wasn't desperate to get the UK PP back and she did not call CareLine. It took approx 1 1/2 months.

Re: Passport Delays
 

1- Sent April 5 2011 with birth certificate Parents Marriage license and dads passport in formation Photos and stuff

2- Washington received April 8 2011

3-Wait till June 2 2011 called British Counsel in Toronto

4-Alot of calls to Toronto no help due to privacy act.

5-E-mail from Washington July 29 2011 stating more photo id is needed .

6- Sent 3 expired Ontario drivers licences and one student id all with photos June 30 2011

7- Washington received July 5 2011

8-Off to bank to see if money order has been processed July 19 2011 not yet

9-Call to Toronto Embassy July 25 2011

10- August 3 2011 still waiting

Re: Passport Delays
 

With all due respect, why are you calling the Toronto embassy for help without calling the passport folk first? You're creating a middle man. I understand exploring other avenues if you have tried the standard procedures with no success, but why haven't you called the dedicated careline to press your case to them?

It also doesn't make sense that they are working on your application - they wouldn't have contacted you for more info unless an examiner was working on it - but have yet to process the payment. Call the dedicated passport careline in the UK on + 44 208 495 8079 and ask them what is going on. If someone from Washington has emailed you, then you should be in their system and they will be able to tell you what stage your passport app is at. If they can't find you in their database, then (hopefully) whoever you speak to will take your details (name, DOB, when your app arrived in DC, etc) and get in contact with the DC office to find out what is going on.

Re: Passport Delays
 

got e-mail from Passport help line

Dear Mr Miller,

Thank you for your e-mail.
I can confirm that on this occasion we have raised an escalation to the
processing team asking them to contact you with regards to your
application.

The processing team will be in contact with you within 72 hours from them
receiving your escalation. It may take up to 24 hours before they may pick
up the escalation.

Kind Regards,
The British Passport Information Helpline

Re: Passport Delays
 

and i wait yet more.

All this because i let my Ontario drivers licence expire

The Province will not renew it unless i have a passport!

Re: Passport Delays
 

The boy's passport arrived this morning!

Rough timeline:

9th June - Application sent off

10th June - Application arrived in DC

June 13th - Credit card details compromised, had to cancel CC.

June 14th - 30th June - Multiple calls to careline to explain about our payment details being cancelled, and explain that we were moving back to England at end of August. Multiple unhelpful responses.

July 2nd - Tried passport helpline again. No help. Contacted my family's MP back in UK, who was appalled by our situation, and the general situation in DC. He agreed to help us.

July 8th - Tried helpline one last time - figured it couldn't hurt, and it didn't. Got someone helpful who told me I would be contacted within 72 hours for new payment details.

July 11th - Lady from DC rang, took new payment details, payment taken the same day. She told me that they had tried to take the payment sometime previously, and the app was sat in the "payment rejected" pile, contradicting what I was told by careline folks during June, who told me that when payments are rejected, DC will contact the applicant for new details automatically.

July 20th - Called careline to check that the boy was now in the system and things were progressing. Told that he was only in there as "payment taken" and was yet to go to an examiner, and that it was possible the previous escalation had only been for the payment details, not to put a rush on the application. Lady I spoke to re-escalated as urgent.

July 25th - Figured I would call again given that the first escalation hadn't been fully actioned. Spoke to the same lady as on 20th - she assured me that his application was now with an examiner and barring any eligibility or documentation issues, his passport should be done in a couple of weeks.

August 3rd - Passport arrived!


Can't begin to express the relief I feel at this. Had it not been for the fact that we were moving back to the UK, I would have been happy to wait our turn and if it took 3 months, so be it. I almost feel bad that I had to be so pushy about it all, but needs must. Good luck to everyone else who is still waiting!

Re: Passport Delays
 

Glad to hear your son's passport arrived, aml! I know I just can't imagine the relief you must be feeling right now!

I am just staggered by how variable the info given by careline is. My move date is after your's, if I remember correctly, but I seem to have been lucky that I got a helpful person right away and they had my son's passport out to me right away. There just shouldn't be this much of a difference in the levels of service people receive.

Re: Passport Delays
 

That's been one of my biggest peeves. I would read that people were getting hold of helpful folk at the careline, and it would get my hopes up, then when I spoke to them I would get the standard "can't do anything for you until you're in the system" response.

I don't know if it's a training issue with them and some of them don't actually realise that they can push to help people before they are in the system, or otherwise if it's just that some are more willing to help than others. I was just so relieved when I finally got hold of a lady who wanted to help us.

Then there is the issue with timing. I would hear that some people would get an escalation and then receive their passports less than a week later, while others would have to wait much longer. That's not a huge issue for me, because I always said that as long as we got it before August 23rd it wasn't an problem, but it's still surprising how inconsistent they seem to be.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Well i went to my bank and they informed me that the money order that
i sent with my passport application

HAS BEEN PROCESSED MAY 11 2011

I put my dob and name on the back of the money order

So i will ask again where is my passport and all the identification i
sent to the Washington office.

The bank has put a note on my account to protect me.

And the nightmare continues

Re: Passport Delays
 

Call them and find out.

011 44 208 495 8079

Re: Passport Delays
 

I can't hardly believe it, but while I was out this morning, UPS attempted to deliver my passport! I am going to pick it up from them this evening. Thus, my timeline is:
July 6: Mailed passport overnight to Washington
July 7: Passport received.
July 26: Credit Card charged.
Aug 1: Called Careline - spoke to very helpful gentleman called Andrew. He
said he would send e-mail to Washington to escalate my case, and
to call back to Careline if I hadn't heard anything in3 days.
Aug 4: UPS tried to deliver passport.
29 Days Total from start to finish.

I actually called Careline BEFORE I mailed the passport to make sure that I was filling out the application correctly. I noted that Credit Card charges go faster than Money Orders, and I called Careline fairly promptly after the credit card charge. I am amazed at the speed with which my case was handled. Huge sighs of relief!!

Re: Passport Delays
 

You don't need a passport to get an Ontario drivers licence.
http://www.drivetest.ca/en/license/HowToApply.aspx

Re: Passport Delays
 

with all due respect

Did you read the first 2 documents needed to satisfy all three elements


Item
# LIST 1 DATA ELEMENTS
Acceptable Identity Documents Legal Name Date of Birth Signature
1 Passport - Canadian • • •
2 Passport - Foreign • • •
3 Canadian Citizenship Card with photo • • •
4 Canadian Permanent Residence Card • • •
5 Record of Landing (Form IMM 1000). If information on the IMM 1000 is amended and an IMM 1436 is issued, IMM 1436 must be accompanied by IMM 1000 to be acceptable • • •
6 Confirmation of Permanent Resident Form (IMM 5292) • • •
7 Refugee Status Claim (IMM 1434) • • •
8 Acknowledgement of Intent to Claim Refugee Status (IMM 7703) with photo • • •
9 Report Pursuant to the Immigration and Refugess Protection Act (IMM 1442) with photo • • •
10 Student Authorization Study Permit (Form 1442) • • (•)
11 Employee Authorization/Work permit (Form 1442) • • (•)
12 Visitor Record (Form 1442) • • (•)
13 Temporary Resident's Permit (IMM 1442) • • (•)
Note:
Any document from List 1 above will satisfy all three data elements required.
Applicants identified as a child on their parent’s Passport, Record of Landing/Refugee Status Claim must provide an additional document that provides proof of the applicant’s signature.
Legal name is defined as the one registered at birth or the one changed legally through adoption, court order/Change of Name Certificate or marriage.
(•) Satisfies the signature data element only if Form 1442 has a pre-printed area for the holder’s signature, otherwise, the applicant must provide another piece of acceptable identification from list 2 to prove proof of signature
If you do not have the required ID documents from List 1, the following documents from List 2 are also acceptable.

Item
# LIST 2 DATA ELEMENTS
Acceptable Identity Documents Legal Name Date of Birth Signature
1 Canadian or US Birth Certificate. • •
2 Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate (issued by governments, Canadian or foreign) •
3 Certified Copy of Statement of Live Birth (issued by Ontario only) •
4 Canadian Certificate of Indian Status - issued by Canadian Federal Government • •
5 Driver's Licence - issued by a Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction •
6 Identity Card - issued by a Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction •
7 Ontario Health Card* •
8 Ontario Student Card with signature •
9 Department of National Defence (DND) identity card •
10 Declaration of Guarantor, Form SR-LD-40 •
11 Enhanced Driver’s Licence •
Note:
Two documents from List 2 above are required to satisfy all three data elements.
If an applicant is unable to present proof of signature from items 4 to 9 on List 2, the applicant may present an original, completed “Declaration of Guarantor” form attesting to their signature. Applicants must first ensure that no other acceptable documents for signature are available from the list identified above.
Direct identification by a parent or guardian will no longer be acceptable. The applicant will be required to present an acceptable document with their signature.
*A Health Card signed by a parent or guardian is not acceptable. The

Re: Passport Delays
 

Of course I read the first 2 documents, but I continued to read the rest of the list. Are you telling us you have no Canadian immigration/citizenship documentation?

Re: Passport Delays
 

Canadian immigration 1964 on my Mothers passport

In the 70's when i was in high school i asked the Canadian immigration people
about citizenship.

Was told why would you bother we are part of the British commonwealth

Guess what the rules changed

UK birth certificate no good, I have had a drivers licence since 1976

i am in the system but if you let your DL expire it is no longer acceptable as proof of identity

Common sense not so common

When it come's to the government

Re: Passport Delays
 

Have you called the passport careline yet?

Re: Passport Delays
 

Did not call Don't careline

I have had some luck with e-mail

will post back soon

I hope

Re: Passport Delays
 

Must have been after 1972 - which is when I naturalized as a CDNC, at the tender age of 18.


Just because the web site says so? It might be worth it for you to check what the actual law says... the web site is not the law.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

I was in the service Ontario Office not just the weeb

Re: Passport Delays
 

Call them. Explaining your situation to someone over the phone is going to be a lot easier (and faster, given that the passport office has a 10 day reply timescale in place). Tell them how long you've been waiting, and the impact it is having on your life. As long as you don't get stuck with one of the less helpful agent, the person you speak to should be able to escalate your case, or at the very least, check in the system and let you know exactly what stage your application is at.