Cricket

I'm leaving in 2 weeks to meet up with my husband, who's stationed in South Korea. I got out my passport yesterday, and was surprised to find that it had expired. We were stationed in Italy in 2001, and I was issued a no-fee passport. When we moved back in 2003, I locked it up and haven't looked at it since. I just assumed it was a 10 year passport. Nope, it's a 5 year, and it expired last March. I leave in 14 days, and I am very sad thinking of the possibility of not seeing my husband, who's on a year deployment.

I've been trying to make an appointment on the automated phone line at the passport office in San Francisco. I live in Phoenix, and apparently that's the office I need to show up to in person if to get an emergency passport. They have no appointments available. I'm going to talk to my congressman tomorrow, and I'm going to check with the base here as well (although I'm not hopeful that the military can/will help me since I am not on official orders).

Besides those options, can anyone think of anything I can do to get my passport soon? I've had this trip planned for so long, and I've been so excited, but now I'm just so mad at myself. What to do?

smartcookie

you can expedite it through an agency for a fee.

offlady

You have to act on it immediately. You can download the application (make sure you use the proper renewal form to expedite), get your passport photos done, and call for an appointment at your nearest passport agency (our post office did ours with an appointment). When you go there, make sure you have all the required documents such as your old passport, birth certificate, photos, etc. Here's the website.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html

J62

I would not trust the normal passport expedited service. Recent reports are that it's running about 3 weeks for expedite.

I believe your best option is to contact an agency that will do the legwork for you.

One such agency is Visa Network tel. 415-693-0330. Not vouching for them, I just have the name in my files.

NeoPatrick

I plead ignorance but if they can't do this for a military wife to see her husband, whom can they do it for? Is there someone in the military who can make this happen easier and quicker?

danal

I'm a corporate travel manager. We've used CIBT and have gotten passports this summer in as little as 8 days. Their website is www.cibt.com. Their fee will be about $150.00. Good luck!

luv2fly

http://www.speedypassports.com/library/renewal.htm

NewbE

Forget about the congressman and the military -- take it from me, if you're just visiting a spouse on an unaccompanied tour, they will not prioritize helping you, they'll just tell you to postpone the trip and tough luck. Pay an expediter, and do it NOW. Going to SF yourself will cost you more and may not work anyway. Best of luck.

Postal

Absolutely correct - pay whatever price you have to, because the military isn't going to help and I know the expedited service through the Post Office is taking three to four weeks.

starrsville

I've used this service - www.visalady.com

janisj

I agree w/ most of the others - use a commercial Expediter -- not the expedited service through the pasport office in SF.

Normally going through the passport office works and you can contact your congress person's local office w/i two weeks of your trip. But - you have left things just too late for that option. So pay a commercial expediter - that is how they earn the big bucks - they get passports in time.

And no, the military probably won't be of any help since you are not on orders. if you were, they'd get it done for you. But since you are "free lancing" you've got to do it on your own.

Cricket

Thanks for the help. I'm going to go the expediter route. I was checking out visalady.com and I didn't see anything about their charges or how quickly I should get my passport. Am I missing something?

starrsville

I'd give them a call tomorrow to find out. Given your time frame, you may have 3 different options with them.

katydidnt

Contact your Congressperson. I've heard they can make a 24 hr turnaround happen for passports and would likely appreciate the goodwill and possible PR that would come their way for making this happen for a military family.

RandiRA

I would definitely not use the "expedited" service through your post office. My husband and I did ours that way, both submitted June 6.. His passport arrived 7 wks. later and the dob was wrong so had to be returned. We're still waiting on that one.
Mine took 10 wks. I've sent emails and letters regarding a refund of the expidited fee portion and have had no acknowledgement of my correspondance.
The system is overwhelmed.
Try a private service. Good luck.

Cricket

Well, it's off to an expediter. I paid for the 2-4 day service. I feel confident that I'll get it back early next week, and I'll visit my congressman if I don't. Thanks for all the help/advice! You guys are the best!

NewbE

Good luck!! I hope it all workd out for you.

NewbE

meant to say "works"

justme22

another friend of mine had to get passports in a hurry this june for herself and her two daughters. they were told they had to wait and have the plane tix in hand and be leaving in less than 2 weeks and the agency would help her with an expediter appt. well, it worked like a charm she had passports for all within the two weeks before her trip (they only problem with this - she taught her daughters its ok to procrastinate, she'd known of the need of passports since march!)

Cissy

Contact your local state representative or congressman..they can work wonders, especially for a military wife.