New US Passports

Called the State Dep. today and, after a 20 minute waiting period, got to speak to a live person. I was told that the online system "has been having difficulties" and that they received my application on March 10th, 2009. That's 5 days after I submitted it. That's... slow. I asked him what to do if my passport doesn't arrive in time for my trip on April 8th, he said I should expedite it over the phone, or wait until the trip is in 2 weeks or less and then call the Passport Agency. I said how am I gonna prove my citizenship to them if I already sent my Naturalization Certificate, he said I'll give you your application number and that should do it.

So, waiting for it to come until April 25th and then I'm calling the Passport Agency.
 
Passports taking longer now (looks like)...

Looks like the passport processing is running slow these days. I had applied for my passport on 02/13/2009. The check was cleared from my bank on 02/19/2009. Its 3/19/2009 today and I have still not received my Passport (or Nat Cert). I had spoke to a rep last week 03/10/2009), he told me that are still "processing" the application and he does not have a ETA. Each call to the passport National Passport Information Center takes about 30 min. (I have been on hold for 15 right now...)
 
chintu_pc said:
Looks like the passport processing is running slow these days. I had applied for my passport on 02/13/2009. The check was cleared from my bank on 02/19/2009. Its 3/19/2009 today and I have still not received my Passport (or Nat Cert). I had spoke to a rep last week 03/10/2009), he told me that are still "processing" the application and he does not have a ETA. Each call to the passport National Passport Information Center takes about 30 min. (I have been on hold for 15 right now...)
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Yes, it appears so. The website (travel.state.gov) has a time-frame of 4 weeks for routine applications, up from 2-3 weeks a couple of days ago.
 
my US passport timeline...

this is my experience:

So i applied it at a local USPS office on 02/23/2009 (routine process), and SF passport agency received my application on 02/27/2009. I got my passport book today (03/20/2009) in priority mail. Still waiting for my passport card and my citizenship doc.. Will keep everyone posted, thanks!
 
iitiff said:
this is my experience:

So i applied it at a local USPS office on 02/23/2009 (routine process), and SF passport agency received my application on 02/27/2009. I got my passport book today (03/20/2009) in priority mail. Still waiting for my passport card and my citizenship doc.. Will keep everyone posted, thanks!
Click to expand...

i just got my US passport card and citizenship doc today...thanks
 
The RFID in the new e-passport can be hacked and cloned - just google it. I'm not going to do this but I have some paranoid friends that did it: You can disable the RFID chip by microwaving your passport. Then the passport becomes a regular old passport, with some broken electronics in it :)
 
usa_ctzn said:
The RFID in the new e-passport can be hacked and cloned - just google it. I'm not going to do this but I have some paranoid friends that did it: You can disable the RFID chip by microwaving your passport. Then the passport becomes a regular old passport, with some broken electronics in it :)
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Altering the electronics is illegal and the passport becomes invalid as soon as you do so. Some smart friends you got there.
 
The passport does NOT become invalid if you disable the RFID, it's turns into a plain old paper passport. I see you haven't gotten your passport yet, the booklet that comes with it clearly states - "If the chip in your Electronic Passport should cease to function, your passport remains valid for travel throughout the world".

Also I read that taking a hammer to the RFID is a better way of disabling it, since microwaving the chip could potentially burn the page.

But be careful – tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years in prison.

And yea my friends are smart, the guy that nuked his passport is a mechanical engineer. :eek:
 
My family has US passports so just because I haven't received mine yet does not mean that I haven't seen one.

"If the chip in your Electronic Passport should cease to function, your passport remains valid for travel throughout the world".
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That refers to the chip ceasing to work properly on its own, not when tampered by the bearer. Also, if it's punishable by 25 years, why are you telling people how to break the law?
 
usa_ctzn said:
The passport does NOT become invalid if you disable the RFID, it's turns into a plain old paper passport. I see you haven't gotten your passport yet, the booklet that comes with it clearly states - "If the chip in your Electronic Passport should cease to function, your passport remains valid for travel throughout the world".

Also I read that taking a hammer to the RFID is a better way of disabling it, since microwaving the chip could potentially burn the page.

But be careful – tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years in prison.

And yea my friends are smart, the guy that nuked his passport is a mechanical engineer. :eek:
Click to expand...

Why are you talking about destroying US Government property on this forum? Alteration or mutilation of passport may subject you to prosecution. (Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1543)

Do you have a new American Express credit card, aparking card, or employee ID badge, or toll tag, that has RFID chip. They will will continue to be valid (and useless) after microwave.
 
I'm not telling people to do anything just providing information for other to consider.

Btw it took me 2 weeks to get the passport, 3 weeks to get the passport card. I applied for naturalization at the San Francisco CIS office.
 
chintu_pc said:
Looks like the passport processing is running slow these days. I had applied for my passport on 02/13/2009. The check was cleared from my bank on 02/19/2009. Its 3/19/2009 today and I have still not received my Passport (or Nat Cert). I had spoke to a rep last week 03/10/2009), he told me that are still "processing" the application and he does not have a ETA. Each call to the passport National Passport Information Center takes about 30 min. (I have been on hold for 15 right now...)
Click to expand...

Finally, got my passport on 04/04/2009. Took 7 weeks from the date of application.
 
Status update

i got this massage today

Your passport application locator number is 1xxxxxxx

We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you.

You paid for overnight delivery. This means you should receive your passport on or about 04/08/2009.

3 weeks from the date i applied for expedited service
 
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