British Expats

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

JAJ Jun 19th 2011 3:24 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by mshedden (Post 9441815)
It may be true in theory that you can get into the UK with an expired UK passport, but practically speaking I suspect its going to be next to impossible to board a plane in the US without a valid passport of some kind, and that goes double for re-entry into the US. Especially since 9/11

Sigh.

Did you read the link you were given? If so, do you think it is genuine information or just made up?

mshedden Jun 19th 2011 3:43 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 9441816)
Sigh.

Did you read the link you were given? If so, do you think it is genuine information or just made up?

I read it, and thanks for posting it.

Do you mean the part where it says:

"If you are traveling anywhere overseas, even to Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico, you now need a passport to board an international flight and to enter any country. In general your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you enter a foreign country."

Then I read (after filling out the boxes for my country of citizenship (UK) and legal residence (US) travelling to the UK:

>> VISA Information
>> United Kingdom (GB)

>> Passport required.
>> - Expired British passport (no time limit) endorsed British
>> Citizen is accepted.

Its not clear, but the Title is 'VISA Information, and it looks to me as if the expired passport in this case takes the place of a VISA, but a passport it still required, but even if an expired passport is OK then:

I also read post #1222 from a couple of days ago, where someone was told by British Airways (yes BRITISH Airways) that they needed a valid passport (and not an expired one) to board a flight, and therein lies the rub - if they won't let you on the plane, the rest becomes theoretical.

JAJ Jun 19th 2011 3:48 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by mshedden (Post 9441831)
I also read post #1222 from a couple of days ago, where someone was told by British Airways (yes BRITISH Airways) that they needed a valid passport (and not an expired one) to board a flight, and therein lies the rub - if they won't let you on the plane, the rest becomes theoretical.

Never assume that airline staff (or front line staff in general) can deal with anything other than the most straightforward cases.

There is advice in the fourth paragraph of post #1350. If you don't get your passport on time, you won't be going anywhere (unless you find a work-around), so it may be worthwhile to read and follow suggestion.

mshedden Jun 19th 2011 3:59 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 9441839)
Never assume that airline staff (or front line staff in general) can deal with anything other than the most straightforward cases.

There is advice in the fourth paragraph of post #1350. If you don't get your passport on time, you won't be going anywhere (unless you find a work-around), so it may be worthwhile to read and follow suggestion.

Thanks, its worth a shot!

Brigette Jun 19th 2011 9:31 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by Englishmum (Post 9438715)
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!

Fantastic information and thanks for the phone number. This is the route I plan on taking. It alleviates the headache of the continuous delays and the worry about when I would ever receive my passport (seeing that I am never ever home before 6pm on a week day).

British Consul Jun 19th 2011 1:11 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by mshedden (Post 9441659)
I have not applied for renewal in the UK as I am resident in the US. I applied for renewal of my expired Blue PP in the US (Washington DC) in March. I obtained the original blue PP in the UK in 1990 before coming to the US in 1990. I am a green card holder (permanent US resident).

I am wanting to travel the the UK middle of July. Can an ETD be issued to me if my passport is not ready by the middle of July?

Thanks

Malcolm

To clear up the confusion, by "UK Passport Service" I mean the UK Passport Service for the Americas & Caribbean based in Washington DC. As you have an old blue passport you've done the correct thing by sending it to them for renewal.

You won't be able to get an ETD if you have an old blue passport.

Dean

mshedden Jun 19th 2011 1:18 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by British Consul (Post 9442484)
To clear up the confusion, by "UK Passport Service" I mean the UK Passport Service for the Americas & Caribbean based in Washington DC. As you have an old blue passport you've done the correct thing by sending it to them for renewal.

You won't be able to get an ETD if you have an old blue passport.

Dean

Thanks for clearing that up.

In your opinion would it escalate the matter if I were to write to the 'complaints' address in DC (Observatory Circle). If I cannot get to the UK to pick up my children mid July, then arrangements have to be changed (ie their flights back to the US, and that would be better done sooner rather than later).

Thank you

Malcolm.

fine1 Jun 19th 2011 1:19 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by kensha (Post 9441230)
Hey everyone..... After many sleepless nights and day dreaming about my passport it finally arrived on the Thur. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: The UPS guy must have wondered why I was so happy.... :D

So here's my time line... guess i was one of the lucky ones according to the posts....

Received Apr 21st
CC charged May 26th
Call to careline - June 10th - CC problem
Call to careline - June 12th - successful
Left msg at consulate June 14th
Passport arrived June 16th - Yippee :thumbsup:

Thanks so much for your support Dean. Many thanks also to everyone who posted on the forum that helped getting so much useful info. Hope the backlog will clear soon and everyone's life can go back to normal.

Thanks for posting this, you give me hope. My cc was charged on May 27th, maybe I will get mine this week:)

Spasticrhino Jun 19th 2011 9:45 pm

Re: Passport Delays
 
So here's my timeline to date

Passport received May 17th in Washington
cc charged June 17th-
Call to careline June 17th- cc invalid tried 3 times.
Received it back??? who knows. I need it by end of July to go back to England

ktpm300 Jun 20th 2011 12:33 am

Re: Passport Delays
 
My wife is a british citizen with an expired uk passport and also has a resident alien card for entry into the US. We sent off her passport to the D.C. office in early april and our credit card was charged on May 26th. Doesn't look like we are going to have the passport back by our trip on June 24h.

Here is my question: My wifes expired passport was in her maiden name and she now has a green card in her married name. We sent off our marriage certificate with the uk renewal application and do not have another copy. Will she be able to get an emergency travel document without the marriage license? If yes, what name (maiden or married) would it most likely be issued in. I have flights booked in our married name. We also want to make sure that she has no problems reentering the U.S. Any help would be great!

Thanks!

JAJ Jun 20th 2011 12:36 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by British Consul (Post 9442484)
To clear up the confusion, by "UK Passport Service" I mean the UK Passport Service for the Americas & Caribbean based in Washington DC. As you have an old blue passport you've done the correct thing by sending it to them for renewal.

You won't be able to get an ETD if you have an old blue passport.

Dean

I wonder if anyone in the "UK Passport Service for the Americas & Caribbean" has read this National Audit Office report on the delays in processing passports in the Passport Office back in 1999:
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/9...rt_agency.aspx

It seems that where lessons of history are not learned, they tend to be repeated.

Has anyone considered giving British consulates the ability to extend valid passports for a further 2 years? (which was done back in 1999, in the end).

mshedden Jun 20th 2011 1:04 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by ktpm300 (Post 9443274)
My wife is a british citizen with an expired uk passport and also has a resident alien card for entry into the US. We sent off her passport to the D.C. office in early april and our credit card was charged on May 26th. Doesn't look like we are going to have the passport back by our trip on June 24h.

Here is my question: My wifes expired passport was in her maiden name and she now has a green card in her married name. We sent off our marriage certificate with the uk renewal application and do not have another copy. Will she be able to get an emergency travel document without the marriage license? If yes, what name (maiden or married) would it most likely be issued in. I have flights booked in our married name. We also want to make sure that she has no problems reentering the U.S. Any help would be great!

Thanks!

Call your consulate 1st thing tomorrow am and ask for an appt for a ETD. When you speak to them / when they call back raise your questions. FWIW, they did not request that my wife bring her marriage cert, just her green card.
Both her passport and green card were in her maiden name, which is the name she uses normally.

renu5idhu Jun 20th 2011 1:35 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 9443278)
I wonder if anyone in the "UK Passport Service for the Americas & Caribbean" has read this National Audit Office report on the delays in processing passports in the Passport Office back in 1999:
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/9...rt_agency.aspx

It seems that where lessons of history are not learned, they tend to be repeated.

Has anyone considered giving British consulates the ability to extend valid passports for a further 2 years? (which was done back in 1999, in the end).

Thank you for sharing that. Very interesting! That report suggests they met 99.9% of travel dates, back then!! I wonder how Washington is doing!!

Harmerma Jun 20th 2011 3:37 am

Re: Passport Delays
 

Originally Posted by British Consul (Post 9441416)
Mark,

Is this a first time application?

Dean

To Dean,

Thank you for replying. No, I have lived in the US for 20+ years and I have had my passport renewed at least twice in the Washington office. I did once get through to a person called John in the office but he did not know anything, said he would call back but never did. I suppose what alarms me is, if there was an 'emergency', then I wonder if I could actually reach a person!

Mark

penguinbar Jun 20th 2011 4:30 am

Re: Passport Delays
 
Over 9 weeks since credit card was charged. Unbeleivable!:blink:


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