Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Mar 13th 2013, 8:36 pm
#151
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
I'm a nervous wreck because I want to fly out April 2nd (Amended from March 12th, to March 19th to April 2nd), all because of my passport issue...lol Good job I haven't booked my ticket yet or else I really WOULD be panicking. Let us know how it goes and how long it takes.
Mar 13th 2013, 9:04 pm
#152
Lelo
Joined: Mar 2013
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 40
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
WhoFan63.... Will do! I also would love to book my travel - family is waiting to hear- but am too nervous! Would love to hear how everything goes with move (once you receive passport 
) as this trip is to investigate moving back as green card expires next year and need to figure out whether to stay or go.
) as this trip is to investigate moving back as green card expires next year and need to figure out whether to stay or go.
Mar 13th 2013, 9:07 pm
#153
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
WhoFan63.... Will do! I also would love to book my travel - family is waiting to hear- but am too nervous! Would love to hear how everything goes with move (once you receive passport ) as this trip is to investigate moving back as green card expires next year and need to figure out whether to stay or go.
) as this trip is to investigate moving back as green card expires next year and need to figure out whether to stay or go.
Mar 13th 2013, 9:16 pm
#154
Lelo
Joined: Mar 2013
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 40
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Family lives in and around Northampton. So will be based there but will be in and out of London and just traveling around and seeing what's what. Going to wait until end of 2014 to go if I decide to leave so will have plenty of money saved up and I will be essentially starting over. Just very much in research mode right now and am a little overwhelmed by all the information out there.
Mar 13th 2013, 9:21 pm
#155
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Family lives in and around Northampton. So will be based there but will be in and out of London and just traveling around and seeing what's what. Going to wait until end of 2014 to go if I decide to leave so will have plenty of money saved up and I will be essentially starting over. Just very much in research mode right now and am a little overwhelmed by all the information out there.
I'm heading Lancashire way....near Bolton
Mar 14th 2013, 12:53 am
#156
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
UPDATE!!!
so i sont know how many times I called to check on my passport status... I know its expensive to call but everyone i spoke to was so helpful i dont have anything bad to say about them. i have read on here that people think they know nothing and are useless but i got the opposite everytime. one of the calls he emailed my examiner and asked her to call me just to tell me the update and the next morning she called! actually had great service!! so she calle dme told me she was waiting to recieve my id copy to compare my photo to the passport photo and it would be processed right after. I sent my supporting documents on march 4th they recieved on March 5 i called today and again got great service he checked and it was sent electronically to England and printed TODAY!!! 4 weeks exactly today!! so! they said i should have in my hand friday or monday at the latest via DHL! yipeeeee!! England here i come! May7th!!!!! i will write my timeline
FEB 12- SENT APPLICATION FOR FIRST TIME PASSPORT (due to being 10 years expired)
FEB 13- EMBASSY RECEIVED
FEB 20- 244 DOLLARS DEDUCTED FROM BANK
MARCH 1- LETTER SENT FOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS OF PHOTO COPY OF TWO FORMS OF ID
MARCH 13TH -PASSPORT PASSED AND SENT FOR PRINTING
MARCH 13TH- PRINTED
NOW AWAITING.........
again ..... passport help line VERY helpful!!!!!!!!!!!! A+++++++++
so i sont know how many times I called to check on my passport status... I know its expensive to call but everyone i spoke to was so helpful i dont have anything bad to say about them. i have read on here that people think they know nothing and are useless but i got the opposite everytime. one of the calls he emailed my examiner and asked her to call me just to tell me the update and the next morning she called! actually had great service!! so she calle dme told me she was waiting to recieve my id copy to compare my photo to the passport photo and it would be processed right after. I sent my supporting documents on march 4th they recieved on March 5 i called today and again got great service he checked and it was sent electronically to England and printed TODAY!!! 4 weeks exactly today!! so! they said i should have in my hand friday or monday at the latest via DHL! yipeeeee!! England here i come! May7th!!!!! i will write my timeline
FEB 12- SENT APPLICATION FOR FIRST TIME PASSPORT (due to being 10 years expired)
FEB 13- EMBASSY RECEIVED
FEB 20- 244 DOLLARS DEDUCTED FROM BANK
MARCH 1- LETTER SENT FOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS OF PHOTO COPY OF TWO FORMS OF ID
MARCH 13TH -PASSPORT PASSED AND SENT FOR PRINTING
MARCH 13TH- PRINTED
NOW AWAITING.........
again ..... passport help line VERY helpful!!!!!!!!!!!! A+++++++++
Mar 14th 2013, 12:55 am
#157
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Since this process had me quite stressed (somewhat close deadline to planned travel date), I thought I'd post my experience.
I applied from Canada but the process and experience should be identical to an application from the US.
Background info:
- Applying for first passport
- British citizen by descent (born 1987 to a British mother, Canadian father)
Documents sent:
- My birth certificate containing the full names of my parents
- Mother's long form birth certificate which I ordered from http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
The process for obtaining my mother's birth certificate was very painless and the cert came almost as fast as the one I had to order for myself!
- My existing Canadian passport (I later learned that a photocopy of the picture page should suffice, but I'd ask online or phone assistance first)
- Photocopy of both sides of my Alberta driver's license
- Two identical photos as per the passport requirements. They had small, barely visible watermarks on the back which said "Fuji". I was worried about this but I went on the online chat and the gentleman there assured me this wouldn't be a problem
- Passport application form C1. Only issue I had filling this out is I don't know any British professionals. The chat representative also assured me that a Canadian professional would suffice, since I'm in Canada, so I had an Engineer colleague do the signing on the photo and form.
Timeline:
February 19th - application delivered in Washington
February 25th - Credit card charged $257
March 11th - DHL attempted delivery of the passport. I wasn't there (d'oh!)
March 12th - DHL delivered passport and I received the email from DHL
Very satisfied with the time taken as I had expected a much longer wait
Haven't gotten my other documents back yet but I expect them this week.
I applied from Canada but the process and experience should be identical to an application from the US.
Background info:
- Applying for first passport
- British citizen by descent (born 1987 to a British mother, Canadian father)
Documents sent:
- My birth certificate containing the full names of my parents
- Mother's long form birth certificate which I ordered from http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
The process for obtaining my mother's birth certificate was very painless and the cert came almost as fast as the one I had to order for myself!
- My existing Canadian passport (I later learned that a photocopy of the picture page should suffice, but I'd ask online or phone assistance first)
- Photocopy of both sides of my Alberta driver's license
- Two identical photos as per the passport requirements. They had small, barely visible watermarks on the back which said "Fuji". I was worried about this but I went on the online chat and the gentleman there assured me this wouldn't be a problem
- Passport application form C1. Only issue I had filling this out is I don't know any British professionals. The chat representative also assured me that a Canadian professional would suffice, since I'm in Canada, so I had an Engineer colleague do the signing on the photo and form.
Timeline:
February 19th - application delivered in Washington
February 25th - Credit card charged $257
March 11th - DHL attempted delivery of the passport. I wasn't there (d'oh!)
March 12th - DHL delivered passport and I received the email from DHL
Very satisfied with the time taken as I had expected a much longer wait
Haven't gotten my other documents back yet but I expect them this week.
:thu mbup:how long did DHL take did you see the date on the envelope??
Mar 14th 2013, 1:00 am
#158
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
I am glad you got it ! Now if only MINE would hurry up..lol. I can't remember, but was yours a renewal or a new one?? I think that my hiccup I mentioned a couple of posts ago has delayed mine by gosh knows how long. It's been a week since the examiner called me and mentioned them having to contact the UK, so now I just sit here waiting for the doorbell to ring and hoping to see DHL on the other side 
Now if only MINE would hurry up..lol. I can't remember, but was yours a renewal or a new one?? I think that my hiccup I mentioned a couple of posts ago has delayed mine by gosh knows how long. It's been a week since the examiner called me and mentioned them having to contact the UK, so now I just sit here waiting for the doorbell to ring and hoping to see DHL on the other side Why did it have to be checked in the UK for? When are you going back to visit? i am going May 7th for 20 days i am so excited just so scared to fly!! booo hooo!
Mar 14th 2013, 1:08 am
#159
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Waiting is theeeeeee WORST! I dont want to miss it so i think i will sit home from now till mine comes... it was printed today so i am assuming sent out i wonder how long DHL takes! over night would be AWESOME!
Why did it have to be checked in the UK for? When are you going back to visit? i am going May 7th for 20 days i am so excited just so scared to fly!! booo hooo!
Why did it have to be checked in the UK for? When are you going back to visit? i am going May 7th for 20 days i am so excited just so scared to fly!! booo hooo!
That's where it gets stupid. Even though I had one of the old black passports and it wasn't attached, they said there were going to treat it as a renewal, because I'd stated on my application that I'd held a UK passport before. So because the old passport wasn't attached they were sending off to the UK for some confirmation that I'd had a passport before. The examiner told me that would take two weeks, so at the moment I've been waiting 3 weeks since they took the money and 1 week since I spoke to the examiner. At this rate it will be another week before they approve it and possibly another week before I get the passport.
I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going
Mar 14th 2013, 1:14 am
#160
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
That's where it gets stupid. Even though I had one of the old black passports and it wasn't attached, they said there were going to treat it as a renewal, because I'd stated on my application that I'd held a UK passport before. So because the old passport wasn't attached they were sending off to the UK for some confirmation that I'd had a passport before. The examiner told me that would take two weeks, so at the moment I've been waiting 3 weeks since they took the money and 1 week since I spoke to the examiner. At this rate it will be another week before they approve it and possibly another week before I get the passport.
I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going
I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going
Where is england are you moving to? I seriously envy you so much! where are you in america now?
Mar 14th 2013, 1:15 am
#161
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
OHHH permanently you are SOOO lucky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I absolutley envy you!! our goal is to move there for good too! My mom is elderly and lives here so i have to stay here for my mom at this time. All my family lives in England. I am actually going to go on May 7th to meet my brother who i have never met! I am so very excited! Every bit of my family is in England but my mom and I. my son wants to move there and my husband too.. hes a US citizen so we will have some ropes to climb and hurdles to jump come that time but my heart belongs in england! my son is 17 and wants to go really bad! I have no issue getting him there as he has the right to a british passport and i need to just register him with the british consulate.
Where is england are you moving to? I seriously envy you so much! where are you in america now?
Where is england are you moving to? I seriously envy you so much! where are you in america now?
Mar 14th 2013, 1:16 am
#162
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
That's where it gets stupid. Even though I had one of the old black passports and it wasn't attached, they said there were going to treat it as a renewal, because I'd stated on my application that I'd held a UK passport before. So because the old passport wasn't attached they were sending off to the UK for some confirmation that I'd had a passport before. The examiner told me that would take two weeks, so at the moment I've been waiting 3 weeks since they took the money and 1 week since I spoke to the examiner. At this rate it will be another week before they approve it and possibly another week before I get the passport.
I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going
I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going
Mar 14th 2013, 1:20 am
#163
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 68
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
yep it was treated as a new application but luckily i sent my old passport with it to help out with the process and i beleive it did! they said 6 weeks for new and mine was printed in 4 weeks! yippeeeee @jerseygirl I can quit worrying and as you say .... "breathe" :-)
Mar 14th 2013, 1:24 am
#164
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Apart from my trip back last year, I haven't been back for a long period of time since 1970 so it's not going to be a trip where I recognize anything. It's a way for me to start again and being home is going to be so wonderful. Since my husband passed away the US just hasn't felt the same to me, and Australia was never home !
I'm so excited I can barely stand it..lol. I have to remember I'm 49 years old not a teenager...lol
There's only me going and my parents are no longer with us, but I have so many Aunts, Uncles and Cousins back in the UK that a reunion is going to be awesome...lol.I'm heading to Bolton, so I'll be close to the relatives, close to Wigan (where I grew up) and close to friends.
I'm here in nice, sunny and hot Arizona at the moment...
Mar 14th 2013, 1:25 am
#165
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA