thirtytoes

Unbelievable luck. I've just spoken with the passport office and was told my passport was approved for print 13th June and should be with me in 7-10 days from date of approval. I should receive it within a week. I was told it was now with a courier (DHL) but they could not provide a tracking number for me. My timeline is below, I will post back to confirm delivery.

My passport application was a straight forward renewal of an unexpired passport with no name change, no visa, and few entrance stamps.


Online application May 20th
Declaration Mailed May 27th
Documents Received May 28th (per fedex tracking)
Application being process May 29th (online status)
Application with examiner 12th June (per phone call w/ passport office **
Application approved for print 13th June (per phone call w/ passport office)


**incidentally, the same day it expired.

g1ant

I'm not the kind of person who says, I told you so...... but.......

I TOLD YOU SO.............

According to DHL, my wife's passport should arrive today.

sarahusuk

Hi Everyone,

I'm just learning about the delays at the Passport Office and wanted to post my timeline so far in case anyone is interested. Fortunately we do not have any travel booked at this time, although we were hoping to travel back to the UK and further afield in September. I'm hopeful our passports will be back in good time, but my nerves are a little shot with all of our passports floating around in the ether.

FWIW, I had a nightmare trying to get the docs sent to the Passport Office in Durham by FedEx. I'm not sure if it was the gal's inexperience or a fault in the system, but they could not get the full, correct address for the Durham office and I refused to let all of our docs go on a hope and a prayer (3 passports, 3 birth certificates, marriage certificate, naturalization certificate). I went to DHL a few days later and it was no sweat.

Applications:
1 Renewal (UK Citizen, Expired UK PP + Expired EAD 2013)
1 First Time Adult (US Citizen w/ Current US PP, Naturalized 2004)
1 First Time Child (US Citizen w/ Current US PP, No Consular Birth Cert/Reg)
** Renewal submitted separately, 2 FT PP Apps submitted together

Timeline:
04/14 - All Online Applications
***** - Delay while counter signatures are sent and returned
05/17 - All paperwork sent together via DHL
05/21 - Received by Passport Office (per DHL delivery confirmation)
05/22 - Declarations Rec'd, Processing (per online status)
06/17 - No change (per online status)

At the time I sent the applications it said 3-4 weeks for renewals and up to 6 weeks for first time applications. I told them explicitly to keep all of my husband's documents for our child's application until all 3 had been completed. It's been just over 3 weeks and no documented movement on my husband's passport. It'll be 6 weeks on July 3rd, so a few weeks left to go before we're "overdue" on the 1st time passports. We'll see what happens.

Thanks to a member who shared the phone numbers in an earlier post. I'll be calling tomorrow morning for an update.

Question: Has anyone ever been called in for an interview on a first time passport and if so, where did you have to appear?

Thanks,
Sarah

thirtytoes

Yes, you did. You did ... and I don't blame you for saying "I told you so."

I do not have a tracking number from DHL -- how do you know your wife's will arrive tomorrow? Did they message you or did you call them? I'm heading in and out a lot this week and it'd be great to know when it's likely to arrive.

thirtytoes

spoke to soon... just heard message on my answer phone. DHL will deliver tomorrow. I have a tracking number.

g1ant

Well I suppose we must just be special. Having got my renewal in 18 days, my wife's just beat that.

Documents received in Durham - June 2nd

Passport received in Texas today - June 17th.

15 days. Not bad at all.

And as an FYI.. the passport was printed on June 13th. 11 days after Durham received her documents.

thirtytoes

Mine arrived. Printed on June 13th too :-D 18 days after Durham received documents.

windsong

WOW! I am tempted to try it. I applied for my passport renewal online about a month ago and have the supporting documents ready to send. I wonder if I could get an old blue book passport that expired 15 years ago renewed in 15 days!! I doubt it.

I applied online a month ago and then found out I have to leave in three weeks, so I held off on sending in the supporting documents so I could keep my passport, albeit expired.

Jerseygirl

As your PP expired over 10 years ago I believe it is not treated as a renewal...but as a first time application. Your application will therefore take longer than a renewal.

windsong

Yes, I think so - and therefore I dare not risk sending in my supporting documents and expired passport in the hopes of getting it back in a mere 15 days! lol

AngloAustin

Should I be worried that my passport was received in Durham on Monday, but the website still shows that that are awaiting documents?

g1ant

No.

petitefrancaise

It just occurred to me...
We have GCs so do our passports have to have more than 6 months before expiration when we return to the USA from the UK?

Jerseygirl

No...I have entered with only a few days remaining.

bertkloss9

I used the online application system and printed off my forms and sent them in on 7/June.

Today I received a letter to say that the declaration form was printed on the wrong sized paper (I used US standard "letter" paper) and that it could not be scanned. The letter helpfully contained a blank declaration form (A4 sized) for me to sign and return.

Interestingly the letter was very apologetic saying that this requirement was not clearly stated on the webpage. They also included an international pre-paid return envelope (I put a US airmail stamp on it anyway just to be safe).

I also used US standard sized passport photos but they appear to have been accepted.

Anyone else experienced this "wrong sized paper" problem?