The passport saga

[rsc]

...or, fun and games with the U.S. Department of State.

Around the turn of the year, we suddenly found ourselves faced with the facts that (1) we were scheduled to take a foreign vacation the first week in March and (2) our passports were due to expire in mid-January. (Well, neither of these was really so sudden -- it's not like we hadn't known for ten years when our passports were due to expire, we just hadn't done anything about it.)


Starting at the obvious place, we found out that we could download renewal application forms, mail them in with our old passports, properly-formatted photographs, and checks for $67(!) each, and we should get our passports back in about six weeks. Since we didn't need them for eight weeks, we figured this would be OK, and we didn't have to spend the extra money for "expedited" service. jwg got out the digital camera, we took pictures of each other, printed two copies of each, and headed down to the post office, where we mailed them in with delivery confirmation, so we could tell whether they arrived, which they did in a couple of days.


Nothing happened until Friday, February 10, which is when we received identical letters telling us that our computer-printed photographs didn't have good enough resolution, and that we should send the letters back with fresh photographs. There was no indication of how far along in the process we were, or how long we should expect to wait once we had done this. And of course it was Friday.

They did provide both a URL for checking on the status of the application and a phone number for getting further information. The web site told us only what we already knew, namely that they had sent us a letter. The phone number put me on hold for 10 minutes or so, after which I got a human being to tell me that processing the photograph was the first thing they did (not true -- they had deposited our checks four weeks earlier), and that once we had sent in the correct photos we could expect to wait another 20 business days. Well, we didn't have that kind of time, so the person said the best thing for us to do was send in the additional $60(!) apiece to convert our applications to "expedited", and hope for the best.

So off to the post office we went, to get approved photographs taken ($15 each) and send in the new photographs, the new checks, the letters, and overnight return envelopes (another ~$15 each).


The post office website confirmed delivery on Monday. By Wednesday morning, the application-status site confirmed that our applications were of type "expedited" (good) and that we should expect to receive our passports around 02/07/2006 (huh? it was already February 15, and in fact the letter that started this dance was dated Feb. 8).

Since we didn't know what to make of this information, we figured we'd better call (and wait on hold) again, but we put it off until the next day -- and when we checked the web site again on Thursday morning it now said they would be mailed with overnight service on Feb. 18. Well, that's more like it. We wondered if "overnight" mail got delivered on Sunday, or whether we'd have to wait until Monday -- oh, no, wait, Monday's a holiday, maybe it will be Tuesday? And then further puzzlement: they're mailing them on Saturday? Since when do these people work on Saturday?

At about 11:00 this morning (Friday) the doorbell rang. It was a post office carrier with our passports. Presumably the "18" on the website was a typo or something. (It now says that they have been mailed.)


All's well that ends well, I suppose. 10 years from now (assuming we're around) I hope we'll remember to start this process earlier.

Comments

[jwg.livejournal.com]

And I remind you that 10 years ago when we had to renew it was during the government shutdown - fortunately there was a way to get it done in spite of that.

Probably 10 years from now they will embed a chip in you and every ten years you will have to pass your body through a machine to renew it. And if the renewee is a suspected terrorist which they will investigate by checking every LJ post, every piece of email, every Usenet post, you will be whisked off to Guantanamo....

OK, now back to reality?

[fj.livejournal.com]

Please, before citizens get chipped they'll try it on non-citizens first. If I am still eligible, I'll let you know how it goes.

[glass-diva.livejournal.com]

10 years from now (assuming we're around) I hope we'll remember to start this process earlier.

Or wait until right before your trip and do the same-day extremely-expedited renewal thing. Spending the afternoon at the passport office is way less stressful than waiting for you passport to get lost in the mail... :)

[rsc.livejournal.com]

way less stressful than waiting

But significantly more expensive.

(By the way, where you been, girl?)

[glass-diva.livejournal.com]

Just sitting quietly in the corner... :)