Expedited Passport

Thanks Kabe,
My real question is " plan to do a reservation to Canada or Europe, show it as proof and then cancel reservation. What is the easiest way to do a fully refundable reservation which would be acceptable by passport agency as proof.
-g


I'm not sure if they want to see "confirmed" tickets or reservations. I think they only ask for itinerary. You can always call up a travel agent (atleast a known one) and make a reservation (just "block" tickets, dont have to purchase), and they will e-mail you an itinerary, which you can hopefully use to expedite your ppt.

I'm not 100% sure of this - but hopefully others who have done this can advise better.
 
Has that happened to anyone?????

My wife applied for expedited passport and paid for express return receipt. That was 5 days ago. Today the online status shows "you requested Routine Service and Routine Delivery of your passport".

I sent them an email and hopefully they fix it!!! Weird.
 
I got my passport today!

I naturalized yesterday on April 4th, 2007. I applied for my passport today April 5th, 2007 and I received my new passport today April 5th. 2007. Because I am traveling next week they processed it on the same day.

Basically I set up an appointment at the Philadelphia Passport Agency for 11:30am. I got there at 11:20am. Had to show the guard my ID (I used my naturalization certificate) went through the metal detectors and went to the Passport Room. I had to show them my itinerary and my Passport Application. I did this and she gave me a ticket number. I had to wait till around 1pm to see someone coz there were about 30 people ahead of me. If you do this make sure you bring something to read. At 1pm I gave them my completed application, my photos and swore the oath. I paid the fee -- $157 which is the same as expedited processing only this is better coz it's SAME DAY. They take checks, cash or even credit cards. They gave me a receipt that would get me back into the building and told me to come back at 3:30pm. So they CAN make the passport in under 2.5 hours! I came back at 3:35pm and walked up to the counter, gave her my receipt and she handed me my passport and naturalization certificate. She told me to check that everything was okay before I left. I checked it and left.

That's the way to do it people. Same day processing! A guard told me that if you are traveling within the next seven days you can get it on the same day. If you are traveling within two weeks, they mail it to you within three days which is alright but nothing beats same day processing. If you live near a Passport Processing Center there is no reason why you should wait and deal with online stuff. All you need is an itinerary. Good Luck!!!
 
Recd Passports today

We received our passports today. Applied expedited on 24th March (Sat). It reached them on 26th march (Monday).


----------------------
TSC, Atlanta

01-04-2007 - PD
02-01-2007 - FP
03-13-2007 - Interview (same day oath)
03-24-2007 - Passport applied - Expedited
03-30-2007 - Online status
04-05-2007 - Received Passports

---- N 600 ----
03-31-2007 - Application sent
04-04-2007 - Recvd standard letter from USCIS Atlanta
 
Guys...Calm Down. I applied for my passport right after my oath ceremony (they had a USPS booth setup). I opted for the expedited service, $128.00 and also requested 2 overnight express USPS envelopes for anothe $58.00. Sent my passport in on 03/29/07, Status came online on 04/03/07 and received my passpor ton 04/05/07.Swear to god...within a week.Amazing job.awesome..I am already looking for trips to take my wife on.Hope this helps.By the way I applied out of Tampa.
 
Guys...Calm Down. I applied for my passport right after my oath ceremony (they had a USPS booth setup). I opted for the expedited service, $128.00 and also requested 2 overnight express USPS envelopes for anothe $58.00. Sent my passport in on 03/29/07, Status came online on 04/03/07 and received my passpor ton 04/05/07.Swear to god...within a week.Amazing job.awesome..I am already looking for trips to take my wife on.Hope this helps.By the way I applied out of Tampa.

Can I apply for myself and my minor Son (with one Naturalization Cert), simultaneously, or do we need to wait to finish one and apply for the other?

-g
 
Can I apply for myself and my minor Son (with one Naturalization Cert), simultaneously, or do we need to wait to finish one and apply for the other?

-g


I don't think that is possible. I have read a lot of posts on this topic.
You need to send yours off first - get your passport and natz certificate back, then only you can apply for your kids. You will not be allowed to apply simultaneously. The Passport agency/ Post office folks will advise you - check with them.
 
Can I apply for myself and my minor Son (with one Naturalization Cert), simultaneously, or do we need to wait to finish one and apply for the other?

-g

You can apply simultaneously. We applied on March 24th for my husband, minor daughter and myself. We had to give a copy of the naturalization cert. of one of the parents, birth certificate (orig), Greencard (orig), marriage cert. (orig) for our daughter appln.

We applied on 24th (expedited) and recvd our passports on 04/05/2007. They returned all the originals and greencard.

nss
 
gabbor07,

I think your child needs to be present at the post office. I got my citizenship on March 13th but applied only on March 24th at the post office. We took our daughter with us. But I kind of remember a lady in the line mentioning that she had gone to a post office near her office where there was no crowd but she was informed that the child should be present, so she had to come to this post office on a saturday with her child.
 
Guys...Calm Down. I applied for my passport right after my oath ceremony (they had a USPS booth setup). I opted for the expedited service, $128.00 and also requested 2 overnight express USPS envelopes for anothe $58.00. Sent my passport in on 03/29/07, Status came online on 04/03/07 and received my passpor ton 04/05/07.Swear to god...within a week.Amazing job.awesome..I am already looking for trips to take my wife on.Hope this helps.By the way I applied out of Tampa.
2 express mails do not cost $58. I assume you meant excecution fee + express mail fees.
 
expedited pport status still not online after 18 days

:confused: Applied on 3/22 (expedited + express mail). Check encashed on 3/27. Still status not available online. The phone msg says that only applicants traveling in the next 14 days should talk to a representative and I'm not. I did not mention travel dates on the application form. Could that be the reason why they are delaying?
 
:confused: Applied on 3/22 (expedited + express mail). Check encashed on 3/27. Still status not available online. The phone msg says that only applicants traveling in the next 14 days should talk to a representative and I'm not. I did not mention travel dates on the application form. Could that be the reason why they are delaying?

This is the latest I found in the passport website. Since you are close to that date, I am not sure if it will apply to you or not..
-------------

***Expedite Service: As the resources that Passport Services has put in place to meet the challenge of increased passport demand become available, the timeframe for Expedite Service has changed as follows:

If you submitted your application before March 23, 2007: It was taking 3-4 weeks and possibly longer if it was a renewal by mail without “Expedite” marked on the mailing envelope.

If you submitted your application after March 23, 2007: Currently, it takes 2 weeks from the application date to receive the passport. It may take longer for customers who apply for a renewal by mail without “Expedite” marked on the mailing envelope.

Normally, Expedite Service takes 2 weeks to receive your passport from the date you applied. If you haven’t received your passport and are traveling within the next 7 days , please call or email the National Passport Information Center.
 
Applied for passport expedited: 4/5/2007
Delivered to passport factory:) : 4/6/2007
Status appears online: 4/10/2007

Harumph. I get the same "you applied for routine service message" that Alex 1's wife got. Wonder if it is just standard or if I should email the agency.

At least it is online now.:eek:
 
Misspelt name

This is the latest I found in the passport website. Since you are close to that date, I am not sure if it will apply to you or not..
-------------

Thanks Rama Bashyam. I could finally get across to a representative on phone after ~30 mins wait and several attempts before that. The first question asked was my travel date. I said that I prefer to make my plans only after I get the passport and pushed ahead with the reason for my call before she could hangup. Then after checking the database, she was glad that I called because my name was misspelt in the database! That's why I could not see the status on the web. She fixed it and once again said that she's glad that I called. I'm able to see the status with the incorrect name on the website. She said that I can hope to get the passport this week or next.
 
Expedited or routine

I applied expedited last week, but the website says applied using routine processing. I was concerned and called the customer service. After some 20 minutes of wait a representative responded and confirmed that it has been expedited.:confused: All these websites have unreliable status information.
 
Passport Information

Passport Applied: April 5th, 2007
Online Status: April 10th, 2007

Applied expedited, but status shows as routine. Called up the passport center and was told that on their system it shows as expedited eventhough I see it as routine at my end. She said that someone made a wrong entry and I didn't have to worry as it was being expedited. :)

Seeing the number of folks here who see routine instead of expedited, I can't believe that someone can input so many of the expedited ones as routine in to the system :rolleyes:

So, Teddy and the rest of the folks who are seeing routine status even though you had expedited, I guess it should not be an issue as their system is different from our system and what really matters at the end of the day is their system and not our system :D
 
Applied for passport expedited: 4/5/2007
Delivered to passport factory:) : 4/6/2007
Status appears online: 4/10/2007

Harumph. I get the same "you applied for routine service message" that Alex 1's wife got. Wonder if it is just standard or if I should email the agency.

At least it is online now.:eek:

Well, at least we are not alone :rolleyes:. My wife called the toll free number twice and got the same response both time. Basically, they just received the file and it has not been processed yet and has not been assigned to a "batch" for whatever that means. So I am hoping that it gets assigned to the right batch and not having to wait 10 weeks for it.

We sent 2 emails to the agency but no replies!!

It seems also that customer service is not willing to do anything unless you are leaving within 2 weeks. My wife is leaving mid May so hopefully we won't be in trouble.

For myself, I applied via regular service and got my passport in only 3 weeks but that was back in November before the big rush.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Passport Applied: April 5th, 2007
Online Status: April 10th, 2007

Applied expedited, but status shows as routine. Called up the passport center and was told that on their system it shows as expedited eventhough I see it as routine at my end. She said that someone made a wrong entry and I didn't have to worry as it was being expedited. :)

Seeing the number of folks here who see routine instead of expedited, I can't believe that someone can input so many of the expedited ones as routine in to the system :rolleyes:

So, Teddy and the rest of the folks who are seeing routine status even though you had expedited, I guess it should not be an issue as their system is different from our system and what really matters at the end of the day is their system and not our system :D

Now we have company :D . Let's make sure to keep the others updated about this system bug (#!&*&%^).

Wife's passport timeline:
Application 3/31 (expedited with express return mail)
Showed online 4/5 (showing as routine service and routine delivery)
 
change in online status, corrected the "expedited" part

Today's status changed for the better:
"Thank you for submitting your passport application!
Your application has been received and is being processed.

Your passport application locator number is blah blah blah.:rolleyes:

When you applied, you requested Expedite Service and Routine Delivery of your passport. Passport Agencies use Priority Mail.

You should receive your passport within 4 weeks from the date you applied. However, if you are traveling within 2 weeks and have not received your passport, please contact the National Passport Information Center."
----

This is like Christmas, I can't wait to see my little blue passport!
 
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