Passport help; agent to agent! About This Page:

[abcangie87]

Hi FEllow Agents,

I've got clients booked on a Jamaica trip that leave in 17 days--- they applied for their passports 11 weeks ago and still have not rec'd them. Check was cashed the end of March. Do you a) know how long it usually takes after the check has been cashed; b) know how to find the # to a Regional Office and get ahold of them or c) know the best time to call that nat'l 800# where you can ACTUALLY get thru?! Any help you can give me on this would be great, this is the first passport snafoo any of my clients have come up against.

Share your knowledge.

Thanks
angie

[marisag]

I can't help you with the best time to call, as I have found it varies greatly, but I can tell you if the check was cashed at the end of March they definitely should have gotten their passport by now. Did they try tracking it online? They/ you can do so at Checking the Status of Your Application Even with the new processing times it still should take no more then 10 weeks for them to receive their passports. All of my clients have gotten their passports much sooner then that.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[abcangie87]

ugh that is not very encouraging We've tracked it online and it still says "processing." I can't remember from when we did ours- does it say "mailed on ___" at some point when it gets mailed? I will just croak if they don't get them in time. I think the nearest regional office to them is Chicago and theyare in Southern Iowa!

[marisag]

I just renewed mine in January and I don't think it said mailed on________ but I honestly am not 100% sure. Sorry!

That is not a good situation! I wish there was something I could do to help. Please let me know how it goes.

[Belle*]

It took 14 weeks for us to get the notification that Ryan's passport application had been suspended due to needing more information. When you try to call the national number, they will not speak with you unless your are traveling within the next 14 days. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the agent that I did finally speak with said the timeline for processing has gotten even longer and that is it now 12 - 14 weeks for processing. I would have them call as soon as they are within the 14 day window and ask for expedited processing.

[stonewall]

Call your US Senator's office and ask for help. They can locate them and put them in a courier pouch and get them back to your state. From there, the office can get them to you. Had to do this more than once and if it can work with all of the red tape in NY it should be a snap anywhere! Good luck!

[abcangie87]

Well the last two weeks have been TOUGH! The NPIC is difficult to deal with, we did get the congressman's office involved about a little over a week ago- and they were helpful for awhile. On the last day that they could change their trip/do any cancellations; the passports were printed and signed, just needed QC and ship. So the congress office told them "don't change your trip. you'll get your passports." Jenny's arrived just this past Tuesday-jeff's didn't pass QC so they had to start his all over again. It seemed that the congressman's office was dropping the ball on tuesday as they (my clients) could not get ahold of anyone there. Finally after much stress--they sent Jenny's in regular mail and we thought if they did that with Jeff's we are up a creek without a paddle -- we get a fedex tracking number on Wed and the passport arrived YESTERDAY! (the wedding is tomorrow-we're on our way in just a bit-!)... Goodness gracious it was a STRESSFUL TIME- but thankfully all has worked out well. Thanks for your help- ! Isn't it nice when there is a happy ending!

[dmpyron]

And now things have changed. Assuming they are traveling to the Caribbean, Mexico or Canada, they can get by with a receipt for the passport and a driver's license.

[abcangie87]

Uh yeah- that little change came about 2 weeks too late for us. How ANNOYING-- they went thru Hell getting their passports and then they change the rules. Oh well-- all turned out and they are on their way home from Jamaica today! No Worries Mon!

[dmpyron]

Our neighbor's daughter (UT student) is leaving for Dresden tomorrow. She applied for her passport in early March. Thursday they drove down to Houston to get one for her.

It arrived Saturday.

"I should have had faith in my government" Bruce says. Then we both chortled.

A receipt wouldn't have helped her.