Cruiseluv, sounds about like my news. I called last week and got a very young sounding clerk who said "oh, I see no reason why you won't get your passport by your trip, I wouldn't worry if I were you". Hmmm, no reason to worry? So I emailed my congressperson. I called the passport office on Tuesday and finally lied about the departure date and she put an expedite on the passport and told me to follow up today (Thursday). This morning I got a call from my congressperson's staffer that he had looked into it and they had shipped it and gave me a priority mail tracking number. Like you, not celebrating until it's in my hands but it seems like progress is being made. 15 weeks later.

That's great news Monica. Maybe we'll be able to celebrate the same day!

The congressman's aide said to me: "Call me if you haven't gotten it by Monday". You bet I will! LOL!

Cruiseluv, my daughter's passport came today!! You? Can we raise a toast yet? And what am I going to do with all of my free time now that I don't have to follow up with the passport office? :)

I'm so glad to hear of some progress being made! My student has NOT been this successful yet, and I fear that her mother doesn't truly understand the seriousness of the situation.

Just as an update- Mom called again last night and was told (again) that the passport should arrive Monday.

This will put us almost exactly one month behind schedule... but if it comes Monday, her passport will make it into our visa processing group.

The mom was stunned to hear from the passport agency that after waiting this long, she might still have to go to Boston to receive the passport on time (!).

This is why we encouraged the students (at the beginning of April, no less) to expedite their service.

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Congratulations Monica!! Not such luck here yet , hopefully tomorrow which is for when they promised it. But don't wait for me, go ahead and toast. I'm having some wine anyway ( to dull the pain! LOL!)

Katya,

I think people that have not been reading the various message boards where people are venting their frustation have no idea how messed up the system is. My husband was one of them, until he started reading. That moved him to action to call our congressman!

Cruiseluv: I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had any luck yet, either.

I think that for my student, her mom is a bit too timid- and I can't call the agency for her... It is very frustrating for me, as her daughter is a wonderful girl who I really want to be able to join us! I hate the fact that she (and her mom) may need to go to Boston themselves for the passport, and then on to NYC for the visa... but as you said, I don't think people really understand the severity of the passport situation right now.

Here's hoping all passports arrive Monday!!!

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Cruiseluv--passport yet?

Hi Monica,

YES!!!! I forgot to come back and post. We got it a little over a week ago! Thanks for checking in. I couldn't enjoy the trip planning until I got it!

Excellent, I am so happy for you and what a load off of your mind!

Thanks. I don't wish the feeling of not knowing on my worse enemy! Have a great trip!

An update about my student: nothing good was happening, until she called our congressman. She had already made an appointment to wait in line in Boston today- but the congressman stepped in and she received the passport Tuesday!

So I would definitely second the rec. to contact your congressperson!!

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Katya, I would recommend a professional visa expediting service for the Russian visa (so there would not have to be the one day trip to NY only to obtain the visa). Some services can even meet the passenger at the airport and hand them their passport/visa.

Just received our new passports (with requested extra pages) after 13 weeks, with regular service. We got the old ones back along with the new. Good thing we didn't need them until Oct. I was going to panic in Aug. ((*))

I applied for 5 new passports on 5/14, for my family of 5 to go on a trip to Itay on 08/10. The last 2 weeks have been a nightmare trying to get valid answers from the agents at the Passport agency. They tell me that they sent an urgent message to the Philadelphia agency on Friday, but still can't guarantee if I will get my passports in time. I tried to make an apptmt on the automated application apptmt line, but there are none available until after 08/13. I asked to speak with a supervisor, but he told me that he could not make an apptmt for my family to go to Philadelphia - that it is against the rules when you have passports in process. He did put in a "will call" request which means that when the passports are ready, if there is no time to mail them, then I can come in person to pick them up. My nerves are so frazzled at this point, I can't even finish planning my trip. Please give me any advise possible.

travelGirl,

If you haven't already, contact your congressman and your US Senator. And don't stop bugging the passport office either. I know how you feel, my mother is going through a similar situation with her Canadian passport. All of this stress is not allowing people to enjoy the prepration for vacation.

I hope things work out for you, how horrible!

travelgirl,

lyb has given you good advice. I had applied for my daughters passport renewal in MARCH , and I just got it less that 2 weeks ago. We are leaving this Friday.

Are you calling Phildadelphia directly? Wow, I wasn't able to find their phone #'s. My congressman's office helped us.

And forget about having an appt. or not. If you don't get the passports a couple of days prior, just go there! Make sure you have paperwork and proof of travel.

Good luck!

Travel girl 16,
If it gets too close, just go in person. I went to Chicago in June to get passports for my boys. Be sure to check the times the office accepts walk-ins.
We made it just in time.

Good Luck!!

Travelatte

All,
Just wanted to let you know that I finally spoke to an agent yesterday, who set up an apptmt for my family today (8/1). Even though all 5 of our applications were in Phil., I still gathered all of the Birth Cert, photos, and apps again yesterday. We left our house in Edison, NJ today at 6 and drove to Phil. Got there at 7 and there was a line. Some lady who worked there asked if anyone had already applied and if their information was being processed in Phil. She had us fill out an index card with our locator info, etc., on it. I told her that I had printed out the email with our meeting appointment on it. Her response was that - "They probably didn't even read it here". Looks like it does not matter if you have an apptmt in Phil. They took our information and told us to come back at 11:30 AM. We came back and by 12:15 PM, we had all 5 passports in our hands!!! All I can is if we did not go in person, I don't think we would have ever gotten our passports. To all that are waiting out there, you can't rely on what is being told to you on the phone by the agents - you need to go in person as quickly as possible, if you can. Good luck to all, this has been a nightmare which I'm gald is over. Can't wait to go to Italy next week and tell you all about the trip. Thanks for everyone's advise.

travel girl,

So glad to hear it your good news! I do hope that next week after my parents return from LA, after their appt at the Canadian Embassy, I will have similar good news regarding my mother's passport.

Hi Travel girl,

Great news! You did the right thing, not waiting until the last minute. Can you imagine how stressful that would have been? BTW, I'm in NJ too and I was ready to go to Philly the week prior to our travel date (8/3). But , luckily the passport got here first.

Have a great time in Italy!