British Expats - Passport Delays

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- USA (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/)

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

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jodilynn0330 (Post 9437538)

I sent my marriage certificate I guess I sent the wrong one? I have to go home and search through everything and see if I can find the one they want any advice?

Send in what they're asking for....or you've just wasted a load of money.

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jodilynn0330 (Post 9437538)

Update: I have received an email from fco.gov.uk in Washington who have informed me (after 10 weeks) the following:
Your application has been processed and payment taken but we are unable to issue a passport for the reasons highlighted below. Your case will remain active for 6 months from the above date; if you have not supplied all supporting documentation requested your application will be rejected and you will not be eligible for a refund.

· Marriage Certificate – The marriage certificate provided is not acceptable for nationality purposes. We require a State issued certificate,
signed by the province/state/country authorities (a certificate issued by the Church is not acceptable). These documents are generally available
from the Officeof Vital records in the USA and Canada.
and
Completed Mothers declaration (link given below) http://www.xpresspassport.com/Docume...claration2.pdf

I sent my marriage certificate I guess I sent the wrong one? I have to go home and search through everything and see if I can find the one they want any advice?

and also... I went through A Briggs to get this for me (the passport) and they had no idea that I needed this stuff and I paid them extra to get the passport for me and hand deliver the information to Washington. I am so depressed. I called them and they simply said: Sometimes the Gov't will ask for additional paperwork depending on the person. So that's it.

:-( I wonder how much more delayed this will be if I get the info to them by Monday?

I have to admit we've had so much bad luck lately that I literally sobbed at my desk from exhaustion over all the things that have happened to us lately. :-( Praying and Hoping for a break at some point!!! :fingerscrossed:

The certificate you need is the one that is issued after you are married.. probably as quick to get a copy from the state you were married in..

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by gecko1 (Post 9437532)

Thank you both for your quick replies. If it is fine for him to travel into the UK on his US passport (it's just a 2 1/2 week visit) without it affecting his UK citizenship (I don't imagine that it could, but you never know) - then that would probably be more agreeable than going through admin hell that some people have been experiencing.

Then it is just a question of whether to bring his expired passport, or just apply when I return.

I'm not sure the how the process would work for renewing his UK passport in the UK, when living abroad - that's probably for a different thread but are such situations accounted for or has anyone done this?

If you're only in the UK for 2 1/2 weeks I would send the PP to Washington for renewal. Unless you can go and personally get it renewed you may not get it back before you leave. By which time the problem in DC may have been rectified.

TO: DEAN CHURM British Consul & Regional Operations Manager, Southern USA

Surely over 1200 posts tells you how BAD the passport system is in the US. The careline did not help me (tried twice), two letters to the address you gave no reply, one letter to consular, no reply. No possible way of speaking to a human in Washington. Can you at least bring this to the attention of Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the British ambassador in Washington. Now I know why I left Britain. My own case, applied January 2011, no passport but yes you do have my fee!

Regards,

Mark

Re: Passport Delays

Has anyone had any experience submitting a copy of your birth certificate? Below is what I submitted.

Birth Certificate (possible copy, not sure. I am assuming it's a copy at this point)
Copy of US passport, drivers license, student ID

The following documents were all originals
My birth registration
My Social Security card
Father's UK passport
Father's birth certificate
Father's UK insurance card
Parents' marriage and divorce certificates

Has anyone had any problems submitting documents similar to mine? I am claiming UK citizenship by descent.

Re: Passport Delays

Has anyone besides davidru had any luck totally harassing careline and just sucking it up and paying the charges? I would happily throw $50 their way to speed this process up! This website really needs a middle finger icon!

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by eanne06 (Post 9438353)

i'm not sure I would characterise it that way...

Re: Passport Delays

After re-reading that I realize it may have come off bad. Sorry if it did. I wasn't trying to knock you down.

Re: Passport Delays

Somewhere, someone on this very long thread (now running at 1300 posts :ohmy:) asked about how to get a British passport quickly after arriving in the UK.

It's now just gone 3am ET and as soon as it turned 3am the Passport Office in the UK opened up their phonelines (UK time 8am-8pm). One can only make an appointment to get the Premium Service 1 Day Passport from 14 days beforehand. There is no 'same day' service, it's by prior appointment only. I tried yesterday morning ie. lunchtime in the UK and all the appointment slots had already been taken for London, which is where I was planning to stay, so I had to set the alarm for a *very early* wake up call!

I've changed my plans after speaking with the clerk at the Passport Office yesterday and have decided to rent a car (I'll be with my spouse and he's going to take a couple of days off as annual leave to take a long weekend from 1-4 July....it's our wedding anniversary on the 4th - (he's working in London for a fortnight) - and we will rent a car and go away for the weekend as soon as I've got my new passport, probably along the Norfolk coast eg. Cromer, Wells-next-the-Sea which we've never been to before.

I got through pretty quickly to the Passport Office call centre and spoke with another nice guy with an Ulster accent (they're based in Bangor, NI). I could hear a lot of background noise.....he said straight away that the London slots get taken up pretty much straight away, so I said I'd go to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. I managed to get an 11am time slot which will allow enough time to pick up a rental car in London and drive up; you have to allow up to 4 hours for the passport to be issued and at Peterborough the last time slot is 1pm for same day service. You have to pick up a passport application form in a UK Post Office (you can't download it online, they all have an individual barcode for applications within the UK) and take 2 photos and your existing passport. No countersignatures are needed for renewals in-person unless ones appearance has changed drastically from the current passport's photo.

It will cost GBP 129.50 (GBP 109.50 for a child) but I'll have a new replacement passport the very same day, wonderful for peace of mind and no worries about having to wait for 12-16 weeks if applying for a new replacement passport in the US. :thumbsup:

Don't forget that to visit most countries one needs to have at least 6 months validity on a current passport (mine expires in April 2012).

Here is the info if anyone is planning to visit the UK and wants to get a passport whilst they're there:

The phone no. from the US is 011 44 300 222 0000:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...ions/DG_174149

Hope this helps someone! :fingerscrossed: I'm going back to sleep now!

Re: Passport Delays

My application has been 12 weeks since payment was taken and 16 weeks since I mailed the packet. This is my third post so I'm hoping I can PM Dean Chum now. Thanks!

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fraiche (Post 9438919)

I'm hoping I can PM Dean Chum now.

Before you PM him, you probably want to make sure you get his name correct... y'know... just as a courtesy.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by ian-mstm (Post 9439220)

Before you PM him, you probably want to make sure you get his name correct... y'know... just as a courtesy.

Ian

Thank you.

Re: Passport Delays

Does anyone know why you can't get to speak to someone at the chicago consul with questions over passport renewal or getting an emergency passport? Its insane. I was on hold for 50 mins to the careline, gave them my credit card number 3 times, they said it was invalid, which I know it is'nt and so they could not help me. What a joke!!! I sent in my passport renewal, they received it on May 13th. Is it better to just make an appointment and get an emergency passport so I can go back in July/August as they have not charged my cc so i doubt I'll get my new one back by then??

Re: Passport Delays

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spasticrhino (Post 9439448)

Welcome to the thread of discontent!!

Suggest you look back thru the posts on here regarding appoinments and emergency travel docs. I think there is a very tight timeframe you have to work to.
Believe me I feel your pain.. I got my passort this week .. but after a lot of anxt and money spent on Careline.. I know that other members on here can probably expand on what i've posted.

Sympathy and good luck.

Re: Passport Delays

In reply to the post about reaching the chicago branch ,there is actually no phyisical office they only have a phone number to call ,and that is almost impossible.