Add Passport renewal experience at Indian Consular Offices in US

confused2

Registered Users (C)
I am experiencing a very tricky situation with my passport renewal. My passport is expiring in March 2001 and I sent my passport to Houston Indian Consular Office for renewal. They promptly renewed my passport and sent me a brand new one. The new passport says (in one of the last pages of passport) that my old passport is cancelled and returned to me. But they did not send me my old passport in the mail but only the new one. I think this is very tricky considering the fact that my old passport is lost (which requires paperwork through police report etc) or should I be happy that I have a new renewed passport in my hand and my old passport is cancelled and so is not required (so it is ok if it is lost).

I did my best to fight with the indian embassy people in houston, and they are quick to answer me by saying that I do not need old passport. Is there a legal procedure for this kind of situation? I really want to sue the embassy for being so reckless in dealing with the passports or in answering for queries. Well, it is indian embassy and sueing doesn\'t work I guess...

I just want to share my experience and would like to tell everyone to personally renew their passports and not send them through mail (I mailed as all my friends did so and I am the unlucky one).
 
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Dear Confused2

1.How did you send your passport. I guess by couirer mail.

2.Did you write a covering letter saying that my passport is expring so I need new one bla blaw

3. What document you need to give them (I mean birth certificate, certificate showing permanent address bla blaw

Kindly let me know, I am also in similar situation.

Kishan Patel
 
indian consulate Houston sucks!!!

just sharing our bad experience with the consulate . we applied for a new passport ---and we tried to know the status of our passport atleast 50 or 60 times---all the emails ,fax were in vain. a lady used to take the call som etimes and used to tell us that it will take time and we shld wait for few more weeks. beleiving that she is telling the correct status we waited for morethan 2months---.today we got to know that it was send to us one month back.and it is lost. we r in a desperate situation now---both the old and new passport is lost.Indian consulate Houston really SUCKS!!! :mad: why the heck they have given the status inquiry ph nos if they r not ready to give us the correct status of our passports. :mad:
 
Indian Consulate Sucks 2!!!

Reason #1: I agree all email, fax, and after trying 20-30 times you will find a lady answering your phone but of no help. She is just an operator. All of their phones go to voice mail and they are full so that you cannot leave a message. Emails were never answered, who know where those faxes go to. Once you send your passport you are at the mercy of the consulate. There is no status.
Reason #2: If you are from out-of-town they require 3 weeks for an Indian visa whereas if you are from houston it would be the same day.
Reason #3: Bangladeshi Consulate offers gratis visa to Indian citizen and it should be reciprocal. However, it's only in paper as Gratis visa for Bangladeshi citizen, but they charge $20 for a 6 months visa.

I needed the status of my passport, they don't know. I requested it to be returned even without visa, they don't know where my passport is.

However, I was able to manage a backdoor phone number: 713 626 3154, this person answer the phone and agrees to take note. Next, I don't know.

Indian Consulate at Houston SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS!!!
 
Indian Consulate Sucks!

It's been more than 10 working days since Indian consulate Houston had my passport. I asked them to return my passport without visa. They told me to send them a request via email. I did. Nothing happened yet. Now they are giving me the number of Mr. Muralidhar Babu, vice consul 713 626 3252 (what I already knew) to contact him. There is no response from that phone and the answering machine is full. The person would say you need to contact Mr. Babu and there is nothing he could do. On the other hand, there is no way you can reach Mr. Babu!
Once you send your passport at Indian Consulate you are at their mercy. You are out of luck! Indian Consulate at Houston SUCKS! SUCKS!! SUCKS!!!
 
Lost passport 11 weeks now...

I sent in my issue of duplicate passport 11 weeks ago using CIBT services. Even the agency is so pissed at the Indian Consulate (Houston) unprofessional behavior that they have given up. They have went there so many times to collect my passport but everytime they get only 1 answer "We are working on it.". I have same experiences with the messed up consulate, no email replies, no answer to phone, no place to leave voice mail as it is full... Man, there has to be a limit to all the crap we have to take to deal with these ass*&^3#.
 
Am at mercy of CGI Houston

I submitted my passport for change of name sequence and its been 7 weeks since then. I havent received it back. I see that all you guys have faced the same problem. If anyone of you found a way to get out of please share the same.
 
passport renewal at houston

I submitted my application for new passport as mine is expiring in couple of months. It is almost 4 weeks now. I tried to reach the consulate at Houston through the phone number and email, No response from them. From my Fedex delivery reciept, i know that it has reached them.

Can anyone who had prior experience in renewal of passport at Houston consulate, let me know the time-frame it takes for the consulate to return the passport.

* I am not sure how they will be sending the passport back, USPS or Fedex ?

* Can we visit in person to consulate, I am not sure whether they will be approachable in person ?

I need to travel out of US in Dec., I am stuck :mad:
 
Sent passport 6 weeks ago .. no news

I sent my passport to Houston consulate 6 weeks ago (sept 22). I spoke to a lady just before sending my pp and she said i should get it back in 10 days at the most.
Its been 6 weeks. Nobody picks up the phone. Mailbox are full. I tried email/fax.
The only thing I was able to speak to one of the consulate officer after 3 weeks and he said they are getting 100 pp everyday and they have a backlog of 4 weeks.

I am not sure of what to do. I live in Florida, I was thinking of going to Houston personally. Will that help? Does anyone have experience?

-Rahul
 
Got my PP

I recieved my passport yesterday!!!! finally!!!
I had sent on sept 22nd and yesterday was nov 9th. So almost 7 weeks I guess. I am glad atleast it came back :)

Just wanted to update you guys.

Good Luck
Rahul
 
I am in the same boat as you guys. . I sent my passport to Houston consulate 6 weeks ago.
Nobody picks up the phone. Mailbox are full. I tried email/fax. It is very frustrating. Also they have differnt infomation on differnt website.
I am not sure of what to do.

Does anyone have experience?
 
hum1 said:
I am in the same boat as you guys. . I sent my passport to Houston consulate 6 weeks ago.
Nobody picks up the phone. Mailbox are full. I tried email/fax. It is very frustrating. Also they have differnt infomation on differnt website.
I am not sure of what to do.

Does anyone have experience?

I sent my passport on Sep 27 th and it reached them on Sep 28th and from then on I havent heard anything from them..I been trying to get in touch with them but it either goes to voice mail which is always full or keeps me moving around various extentions..I dont know what else to do? Do you think it is better to go in person and find out the status?
 
I have sent my passport on 2 Oct 2006 and I havent heard anything from them..and also trying to get in touch with them.... I plan to visit houston in person. Since I dont have my passport I cannot fly and I need a ride to houston and its almost 9 hrs from my place...I guess thts the only way to find the status of the passport.
 
abhishekd said:
I have sent my passport on 2 Oct 2006 and I havent heard anything from them..and also trying to get in touch with them.... I plan to visit houston in person. Since I dont have my passport I cannot fly and I need a ride to houston and its almost 9 hrs from my place...I guess thts the only way to find the status of the passport.



guys I got my passport today ... I am sure there is a huge backlog in houston.... u guys will get it soonn... good luck....
 
barun1978 said:
Hi abhishek,

do they send by USPS or Fedex


I got my passport yesterday..I sent it on Sep 27 th and got on Nov 15th..It came in FedEx..They leave it in front of the house...so please make sure someone stays at home so u dont miss it..
my friend had a similar experience
 
New York Indian Embassy

I sent my passport renewal application to NY Indian embassy on 11/09/06.
I received my new passport today 11/16/06 by UPS.

Seems like NY is very fast like New Yorkers!!!



***************
speddi said:
I got my passport yesterday..I sent it on Sep 27 th and got on Nov 15th..It came in FedEx..They leave it in front of the house...so please make sure someone stays at home so u dont miss it..
my friend had a similar experience
 
I did walk-in passport renewal (Indian Consulate, NY).

I got passport back same day. They are also giving old passport back.
 
I am another victim

These b@st@rd$ received my passport on 23rd October. Three voice mails, two faxes and four emails. No one responded so far. What the hell are they doing sitting on their @$$e$.

I am frustrated with my queries. We have a travel in January ending. That is not even the worst part, we are moving in two days and I don't know how to get the passports to my new address.

Does any one have ANY idea how to or whom to contact? You will be of great help.
 
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