Expedited Passport
- Thread starter JUANTAMAD
- Start date
desihoosier
New Member
You only need an appointment if applying at a 'passport agency', not at an acceptance facility. See link below:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/agencies/agencies_913.html
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/agencies/agencies_913.html
naumank4273
Registered Users (C)
I applied for a passport at the Chicago Passport Agency this morning and the situation there was totally chaotic and out of control.
I had an appointment at 9:30am but I was told to wait in a line regardless of the appointment time or whether one had an appointment. After standing two hours in the lobby I was finally among the 15 or so people in the front of the line. All the sudden, a female staff of the agency took around 20 people from the back of the line to the very front claiming they had made appointments, although I also had an appointment.
Finally I was allowed into the waiting room on the 2nd floor which looked more like a refuge camp. People were sitting on the floor because of the long wait and one guy had a problem of low blood sugar and had an argument with one of the guards. Nobody working there seemed to know what they were supposed to do and we were made to wait for another hour before we were sent upstairs to the actual passport office. What was disturbing was that for a period of time there was nobody in the passport office because we were all made to wait downstairs.
One guy drove all the way from Cleavand to Chicago because he had applied for a passport (expedited) via mail in January and he hasn't gotten it. He needs to travel tomorrow.
I had very good experience with the USCIS during my naturalization process, but it seems that the Dept of Homeland Security is a mess after all.
I had an appointment at 9:30am but I was told to wait in a line regardless of the appointment time or whether one had an appointment. After standing two hours in the lobby I was finally among the 15 or so people in the front of the line. All the sudden, a female staff of the agency took around 20 people from the back of the line to the very front claiming they had made appointments, although I also had an appointment.
Finally I was allowed into the waiting room on the 2nd floor which looked more like a refuge camp. People were sitting on the floor because of the long wait and one guy had a problem of low blood sugar and had an argument with one of the guards. Nobody working there seemed to know what they were supposed to do and we were made to wait for another hour before we were sent upstairs to the actual passport office. What was disturbing was that for a period of time there was nobody in the passport office because we were all made to wait downstairs.
One guy drove all the way from Cleavand to Chicago because he had applied for a passport (expedited) via mail in January and he hasn't gotten it. He needs to travel tomorrow.
I had very good experience with the USCIS during my naturalization process, but it seems that the Dept of Homeland Security is a mess after all.
Triple Citizen
Registered Users (C)
Passports are issued by the State Department.
That is incorrect. Appointment is needed at some post offices.
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r2ichennai2007
Registered Users (C)
Hello,
I called many times and got hold of a representative three days back. I thought I got lucky. Luck did not stay long. The representative said "The system was down for a couple of hours". No wonder I got hold of the representative. This is a mini USCIS where you cannot get hold of the representative. There is no option of wait in the queue.
Anyways today the status change to "You will receive the passport on or about March 25, 2007". Let me see my luck this week.
I called many times and got hold of a representative three days back. I thought I got lucky. Luck did not stay long. The representative said "The system was down for a couple of hours". No wonder I got hold of the representative. This is a mini USCIS where you cannot get hold of the representative. There is no option of wait in the queue.
Anyways today the status change to "You will receive the passport on or about March 25, 2007". Let me see my luck this week.
Are you guys really in such a hurry?
Hi,
I follow this thread from time to time and tend to find amusing how everybody seems to be worried about expedited, and appointments, and checking the passport status online. Are you really in such a hurry, or is it the excitement of getting the passport quick? It seems that most folks who apply for expedited don't even have any trip planned, it beats me that people would pay extra for an already too expensive passport just to have it a few weeks earlier. Please exercise your new citizen powers and do the old American way, call them up and give them an earful for not processing regular passports quicker
Gee, it seems we're goind down a road of a "two level of service" government, one for people with money and one for people without.
PS: As I am still stuck waiting for interview I am hoping that by the time I am ready to apply for a passport the backlog will have gone down considerably or been eliminated.
My 2 cents.
Hi,
I follow this thread from time to time and tend to find amusing how everybody seems to be worried about expedited, and appointments, and checking the passport status online. Are you really in such a hurry, or is it the excitement of getting the passport quick? It seems that most folks who apply for expedited don't even have any trip planned, it beats me that people would pay extra for an already too expensive passport just to have it a few weeks earlier. Please exercise your new citizen powers and do the old American way, call them up and give them an earful for not processing regular passports quicker
Gee, it seems we're goind down a road of a "two level of service" government, one for people with money and one for people without.PS: As I am still stuck waiting for interview I am hoping that by the time I am ready to apply for a passport the backlog will have gone down considerably or been eliminated.
My 2 cents.
naumank4273
Registered Users (C)
I was able to make an appointment at the Chicago passport agency two weeks ago for last Friday. You might want to try to call the number late at night to get through. It's very difficult to get an appointment - you have to keep trying later dates.
Hi,
I follow this thread from time to time and tend to find amusing how everybody seems to be worried about expedited, and appointments, and checking the passport status online. Are you really in such a hurry, or is it the excitement of getting the passport quick? It seems that most folks who apply for expedited don't even have any trip planned, it beats me that people would pay extra for an already too expensive passport just to have it a few weeks earlier. Please exercise your new citizen powers and do the old American way, call them up and give them an earful for not processing regular passports quicker
PS: As I am still stuck waiting for interview I am hoping that by the time I am ready to apply for a passport the backlog will have gone down considerably or been eliminated.
My 2 cents.
I'd like to see what your reaction would be when it comes time for you to get your passport
I realise that the passport is expensive enough so why would anyone pay extra?
I can think of one important reason...they have your nice new unwrinkled naturalization certificate!!!
I can only speak for myself (though I'm sure that there are folks out there that think this too) but I have waited soooooooooooo loooooooooooong to get through the process and get to where I now have a Certificate in hand. I don't want someone else to lose this precious piece of paper as it's so important. The less time they have to hang on to it, the better. I think that is worth an extra $60.
I can only speak for myself (though I'm sure that there are folks out there that think this too) but I have waited soooooooooooo loooooooooooong to get through the process and get to where I now have a Certificate in hand. I don't want someone else to lose this precious piece of paper as it's so important. The less time they have to hang on to it, the better. I think that is worth an extra $60.
Well said happigal!
I don't buy it They can lose or destroy your certificate no matter if it is expedited or not. As far as I know the certificate can be replaced. I think it has more to do with the excitement of getting the passport quick as part of the excitement of being a new citizen. About what I am going to do. I am not sure, I might have plans to travel out of the country this summer, so I might have to get an expedited passport I am not trying to make anybody mad, it's just that I find amusing how we as human beings make certain decisions.
On the other hand, I think it is also human nature that when one resource is thought to be scarce (talk about land in Silivon Valley for example) some people would just do about anything to get it. In the case of passports, the rational thing is that if people are not in a hurry to obtain a passport, and knowing that the passport facilities are currently swamped, the best thing to do would be to backoff and apply for it later, so you give them a chance to clean up the backlog. However, I have a feeling that certain people when they see the situation they actually get encouraged to get the passport right away, as if they were the last ones to be printed ever. I am not thinking about members of this forum who rightfully would like to have their first passport, but in general, how difficult it is for people to have patience when something is not really urgent in their lives.
They can lose or destroy your certificate no matter if it is expedited or not. As far as I know the certificate can be replaced. I think it has more to do with the excitement of getting the passport quick as part of the excitement of being a new citizen. About what I am going to do. I am not sure, I might have plans to travel out of the country this summer, so I might have to get an expedited passport I am not trying to make anybody mad, it's just that I find amusing how we as human beings make certain decisions. On the other hand, I think it is also human nature that when one resource is thought to be scarce (talk about land in Silivon Valley for example) some people would just do about anything to get it. In the case of passports, the rational thing is that if people are not in a hurry to obtain a passport, and knowing that the passport facilities are currently swamped, the best thing to do would be to backoff and apply for it later, so you give them a chance to clean up the backlog. However, I have a feeling that certain people when they see the situation they actually get encouraged to get the passport right away, as if they were the last ones to be printed ever. I am not thinking about members of this forum who rightfully would like to have their first passport, but in general, how difficult it is for people to have patience when something is not really urgent in their lives.
thre can be reasons..huracan,
1. being ...(india) folks trying to get ICO for their citizenship of India. OCI is being processed quickly these days, with the way indian govt works...that's amazing to see.
In my case, my indian passport is getting expired...I need a US PP to quickly process OCI and stop bothering about renewing indian PP just for OCI.
2. being....sponsoring their spouse's GC and wanting the passport in hand before the interview.
3. just like you said, want to get it over with and get the nat cert back from the postman
4. just for the heck of it !!!
reasons...my friend...can be plenty. Just like the old wise men say ....Everything has a reason behind it. People who do senseless acts also have reasons....they need anti-depressants.
1. being ...(india) folks trying to get ICO for their citizenship of India. OCI is being processed quickly these days, with the way indian govt works...that's amazing to see.
In my case, my indian passport is getting expired...I need a US PP to quickly process OCI and stop bothering about renewing indian PP just for OCI.
2. being....sponsoring their spouse's GC and wanting the passport in hand before the interview.
3. just like you said, want to get it over with and get the nat cert back from the postman
4. just for the heck of it !!!
reasons...my friend...can be plenty. Just like the old wise men say ....Everything has a reason behind it. People who do senseless acts also have reasons....they need anti-depressants.
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Ok, ok, I get it. I see people who do expedited passport have their strong feelings towards this approach. What bugs me is that in some countries they give you a new passport on the spot, even for less money, and that it would be better that the regular passports were processed quickly. In my view there should not be a two speed process, there should only be one queue and it should be fast, and everybody would be happy Anyway, I know that today's backlog is an anomaly and in a couple of months or so it should return to normal.
One of my main points in my original post is that people should exert pressure on the passport agency to provide a service that is faster, and cheaper. They should privatize and open to competition passport production, the same way the administration wanted to privatize social security. Just imagine, people going around with an Apple, or Dell, or Microsoft passport I'm just kidding, but the government having a monopoly of passports is bad in terms of price and time, as they couldn't care less, unless people start putting pressure on them.
Anyway, I know that today's backlog is an anomaly and in a couple of months or so it should return to normal.One of my main points in my original post is that people should exert pressure on the passport agency to provide a service that is faster, and cheaper. They should privatize and open to competition passport production, the same way the administration wanted to privatize social security. Just imagine, people going around with an Apple, or Dell, or Microsoft passport
I'm just kidding, but the government having a monopoly of passports is bad in terms of price and time, as they couldn't care less, unless people start putting pressure on them.