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Passport Expiry Question

AW1991

AW1991

Member
Hi all, my passport expires on the 14th of Jan 2015, but my interview is early August. I know they said they need at least six months on your passport, so I went today to get it renewed but the passport office is striking and they told me it will only be available 6 weeks from today (it is supposed to take 7 - 10 days) which is past my interview date. This is a problem isn't it? What should I do?
 
AW1991 said:
Hi all, my passport expires on the 14th of Jan 2015, but my interview is early August. I know they said they need at least six months on your passport, so I went today to get it renewed but the passport office is striking and they told me it will only be available 6 weeks from today (it is supposed to take 7 - 10 days) which is past my interview date. This is a problem isn't it? What should I do?
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Hmmm... Did you have the chance to explain the urgency? It is common practice to require passports to have a minimum expiration date of six months, not just for DV visa. Hence, a policy as you describe is quite incorrect and will necessarily cause problems for anyone trying to get a visa stamp for most countries. I would suggest to speak with them again, explain the problem and, depending which country we are talking, possibly see whether a financial incentive can help. Best of luck!
 
Well, short of trying to bribe the officials, if you do not have a new passport by the time of interview I would suggest this: take the old one, explain the situation and that you are waiting for the new one. If they absolutely cannot put a visa in a passport with <6months to expiry, I expect what would happen, if you are approved for a visa, is that you will be put on temporary AP for lack of document and be told to take your new passport when it arrives for the visa to be issued. Do not under any circumstances miss your interview.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Well, short of trying to bribe the officials, if you do not have a new passport by the time of interview I would suggest this: take the old one, explain the situation and that you are waiting for the new one. If they absolutely cannot put a visa in a passport with <6months to expiry, I expect what would happen, if you are approved for a visa, is that you will be put on temporary AP for lack of document and be told to take your new passport when it arrives for the visa to be issued. Do not under any circumstances miss your interview.
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I've been discussing a similar situation with a worried man today.

At the interview, you should be able to be granted the visa. That is the important step - i.e. to show in their system as being approved. The actual stamping of the visa in a passport is a formality - and not the point that matters. So - rather than describing you as on AP in the scenario Susie mentions I think you would be issued but the physical stamping of the visa could take place later. In my opinion that could even be after September 30th - which is exactly what happens some years with visa interviews that occur on the last day of the year.
 
Britsimon said:
I've been discussing a similar situation with a worried man today.

At the interview, you should be able to be granted the visa. That is the important step - i.e. to show in their system as being approved. The actual stamping of the visa in a passport is a formality - and not the point that matters. So - rather than describing you as on AP in the scenario Susie mentions I think you would be issued but the physical stamping of the visa could take place later. In my opinion that could even be after September 30th - which is exactly what happens some years with visa interviews that occur on the last day of the year.
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Well let me share my issue also with you guys !
My wife and my last born Vladek junior has the same problem as aw1991.
With simons help he pushed me to figure out a solution!
So I phoned the us embassy today and I found out that they do accept temporary passport the one that's valid for a year...
I applied for it and they issue it within 2 days :)
So aw1991 if you can get the same option like me than ytou are sorted ;)
Simon my mate tthanks a lot your friendship means a lot to me :)
 
vladek15425 said:
Well let me share my issue also with you guys !
My wife and my last born Vladek junior has the same problem as aw1991.
With simons help he pushed me to figure out a solution!
So I phoned the us embassy today and I found out that they do accept temporary passport the one that's valid for a year...
I applied for it and they issue it within 2 days :)
So aw1991 if you can get the same option like me than ytou are sorted ;)
Simon my mate tthanks a lot your friendship means a lot to me :)
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Yes, this would be a good temporary solution in AW1991's case, also. Yet some countries have abolished these type of passports completely some years ago and only have the standard type (machine readable, chip etc.) any longer. We need to hear back from AW1991 regarding his specific circumstances.
 
If the problem is that the people producing the passports are on strike why would they produce temporary passports either....??
 
SusieQQQ said:
If the problem is that the people producing the passports are on strike why would they produce temporary passports either....??
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No, I presume he meant to say that their policy does not allow them to issue a new passport for him at this time (as they believe it is too early to do so). I don't think they are on strike, rather an expression for people rejecting to do something... Yet, of course I may be wrong...
 
SusieQQQ said:
When someone says people are striking I presume it means that .... People are striking :rolleyes:
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Yes, of course, it is well possible that this is what he meant to say... We need to hear back from him in any case at this stage...
 
vladek15425 said:
Well let me share my issue also with you guys !
My wife and my last born Vladek junior has the same problem as aw1991.
With simons help he pushed me to figure out a solution!
So I phoned the us embassy today and I found out that they do accept temporary passport the one that's valid for a year...
I applied for it and they issue it within 2 days :)
So aw1991 if you can get the same option like me than ytou are sorted ;)
Simon my mate tthanks a lot your friendship means a lot to me :)
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Glad to hear you sorted it vladdy!
 
What lovely replies to come home to haha. Just to clarify for EURO2014 they are on strike as in "not working". Well my solution everyone, is similar to what SusieQQQ recommended, I am going through a backchannel, a perfectly legal one of course. If this doesn't work out I will still attend the interview and explain the situation etc with the hopes that the CO's are understanding and by "due process" (so to speak) won't deny me a visa on those grounds. Thanks everyone for being so helpful and informative as always! I will keep you guys posted.
 
AW1991 said:
What lovely replies to come home to haha. Just to clarify for EURO2014 they are on strike as in "not working". Well my solution everyone, is similar to what SusieQQQ recommended, I am going through a backchannel, a perfectly legal one of course. If this doesn't work out I will still attend the interview and explain the situation etc with the hopes that the CO's are understanding and by "due process" (so to speak) won't deny me a visa on those grounds. Thanks everyone for being so helpful and informative as always! I will keep you guys posted.
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Just to clarify I did not suggest anything "back door", merely put the frank words to what the poster before me had been euphemistically referring to. My suggestion was to attend the interview anyway and be prepared to have to follow up with the new passport when available, if necessary.
 
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