Please don't mess around w/getting your passport.
 

My husband, god bless him, is somewhat travel challenged- great at other things, but travel planning is not the highlight. But he planned a whole trip to Ireland w/my teen son; I opted not to go so he ended up having to plan it and has done a fantastic job of pulling the trip together in the last two months, setting up times to meet relatives he has in Ireland, renting a car, got good airfare (although I never would have used expedia for air, and he did, but hey, it's his trip).

So 7 wks ago he finally sends in for his passport through the local post office. I suggested expediting, but he thought it would get here in 5-6 wks. like all the literature and State dept website says it takes. They are supposed to leave this coming Sat. and NO PASSPORT has come. He has been calling and getting different story from each person he talks to; they are all saying passports are running at 8 wks right now. One agent told him to get an appt. at the downtown D.C. passport facility and take a day off of work this week, but when he goes on the site to make such an appt they are all booked up rest of the week.

To top it off he has a 2 day trip planned Wed and Thurs of this week to a mini-football camp in New Jersey w/the same son. ANd he won't cancel that trip (at least he hasn't been willing to so far, beleive me, I am working hard on that point). So he only has Friday to deal w/this in person anywhere, if he could get an appt.

His trip is in jeopardy. I feel awful for him (and I am glad I was not planning on going, it is his trip and his tragedy, but of course my son's also).

PLEASE DON'T EVER FOOL AROUND WITH WAITING FOR A PASSPORT ON A TRIP LIKE THIS!! If he would have just paid the $60 and gotten it expeditied, everything would be fine.

If anyone has any advice, please tell- but I think he might just be screwed on this unless it shows up in the mail in the next 3 days.

And I have no idea what experia will do about the air tickets if he has to postpone the trip...a whole other tragedy.

My goal this summer is to get our passports. I ran into a family who told me that there is an office in Norwalk, Ct. where you can go and get your passports, that day, in person, no waiting. If a site exists there, there must be site similar elsewhere.

emd- how awful for your husband, after all his hard work. My sister did the same thing back in Feb. We had planned the trip 8 months in advanced and the Tuesday before we were to leave (we left on a Sunday) she called me at work to say she couldn't find her passport. The only thing I could do was laugh and tell her to see if she could get an appointment ASAP in Philly to get a new one. She was able to get a 10 am appointment the next day but it took her all day and she spent a small forunte for parking not including the fees for getting the passport. In the end, it was a lessoned learned. I am going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that you have the same happy ending as us.

My advice is simple..if he hadn't waited as long as he did then this would not be an issue.

It really is too bad that the travel planner in the family didn't check on this beforehand.

emd:
What a timely post!! We have a trip to London planned at the end of the summer. I have my photos and paperwork all ready to go in but my husband does not. I asked him if he thought we should do expedited. He answered that he will think about it. After reading this we will send it in for expedited processing. Thank you.

To emd, good luck!! :) Hope it all works out, please update us this week-end.

Dawn--you piqued my curiosity and I looked up the website for the State Dept. Here is what it said:

"The Connecticut Passport Agency only serves customers who are traveling, or submitting their passports for foreign visas, within 14 days. To apply at the Agency, you must schedule an appointment by calling toll-free at 1-877-487-2778, 24 hours/day. If you are not traveling, or needing to submit your passport for foreign visas within 14 days, you must apply at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility."

PS to Dukey....not sure if you meant that emd should have made sure that her husband did it right, but if after she suggested expediting, he refused, well at what point does an adult accept responsibility for his/her own choices?

I hope it all works out for your husband and son, emd.

Gee, 7 weeks ago was the middle of May -- the start of the summer season when everyone else has the same thing on their mind. Of course his first mistake was trusting that 5-6 week window (maybe in March, but not come May)!! His second mistake was not listening to your advice, lol.

Again, I hope it all works out for you. Birdie, get movin!! :D

Everybody, please, I'm begging you, get a passport, keep it current. I can never understand why so many people resist or monkey around with this one simple thing. Compared to the cost of international travel, a passport, which is good for YEARS is dirt cheap, even expedited.
:-)

I don't know if this is what socialworker was suggesting, but I'll spell it out in case of being redundant - your husband should try to get an appointment at the Connecticut passport office, as the DC has none left. That way, he'll be in CT for the camp at least one of the two days, and he'll have made a decent effort at trying to fix the situation. I think the son would be more bummed that the Ireland trip was cancelled than that his dad missed a few hours of his sports camp.

I recommend expedited service - I put off getting my passport for years. I did expedited, by visiting my local post office, in 2004, and it took less than 2 weeks to come back to me.

I would call my congressman's office first thing tomorrow and ask for assistance.
Sometimes they can help these things.

Otherwise, I would go in person to the closest passport office with ALL documentation including birth certificates etc.

When I sent in for ours, even though I don't need them immediately, I sent fedex envelopes both ways. They ciould have sent them back and they got lost at the post office and the problem is yours according to someone I spoke with there. So I think it is best to pay for tracking the applications both ways.

I am in Atlanta, and, if I do not receive them back, I would have to go to Louisiana to the passport office to try to get them reissued. If you are in a city with an office, you are much luckier than I.

How about this problem with passports. I have traveled all over the world before I was married 10 years ago. No problem with getting my passport. Since I've been married, my husband and I have traveled extensively in the US and he's ready to venture out into the world. Except he's never had a passport. Here lies the problem. He's a 76 year old Black man who was born at home in Valdosta, GA. I have a certified letter from Valdosta which says that they have no record of his birth. Anecdotally, it has been said that Georgia didn't keep very good records of black births in the 1930's. His grandmother lost her family bible, so that record is gone. No baptism records. His older relatives have died as well as his younger brother, his only blood relative. I spent an hour on the phone with the passport office in Washington to try and see what could be done to prove that he is an America citizen. I went on line to get an Birth Affidavit (now I have to find someone who knew him when he was younger to fill it out), and Washington just sent me Application For Search of Census Records to complete and send to the US Census Bureau. The woman on the phone at the passport office told me things have changed since 9/11 and that getting a passport for my husband didn't look too good as he will need 3 evidences of birth in the US to get a passport. Very discouraging!

After reading all your posts, I plan on getting my kids' passport applications mailed in soon, even though we won't need them until next spring, why wait?!
PS When I sent mine in in April, there were already lines of families (who planned summer vacations to Europe) at the Post Office. The Post Office employees were very patient, as most of the families had no clue what they were doing. Kudos to the Postal workers who have to deal with that every day! I expedited mine and got it in 2 weeks, definitely worth it.
Your husband might want to try contacting the Irish consulate for assistance, they might be able to help somehow.

sparkerlaw, there was an article about a dear elderly man in a city near me that was born in NYC but his immigrant mother never registered his birth and never got a birth certificate.

This man served in the military during WWII but he had never been able to get his passport, story similar to your husbands problem.

The article said by the help of his congressmans office he finally had his US passport. But due to his age and health problems he is no longer able to travel. Such a sad story. But inspite of not being able to travel he was smiling ear to ear while holding his passport. Best wishes that your husband can obtain his passport.

Thank you LoveItaly. I work with a State Senator who is now running for Florida Attorney General and who adores my husband - he keeps him happy with his homemade award winning barbecue sauce :)). I just hate to ask for favors (afraid of being turned down), but after reading your post, I just may have to. Thanks again.

No, kgh8m...I was not suggesting that emd's husband go to CT. It is just that dawn--in a post above--had said she was thinking of going to thre CT office to get a passport but it seems from their site that they only do "emergency" passports and not the everyday kind.

A few years ago, I mailed in my passport for renewal during what I thought was a lull in travel - then I found out I'd need to be going to London on business within a week or two. There is a number for checking the status of your passport application. I called, they were able to track my passport and change it from regular delivery to expedited delivery. That might be worth a phone call tomorrow morning.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get...atus_2567.html

1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778)

Dukey, as I said, I suggested expediting to him. But he is a 44 yr old adult, not a kid, and he did it his way and will have to live w/the anxiety and the result, and my son's disappointment.

LOL- good thing you aren't married to my husband, you'd have driven yourself crazy taking that much responsibility for him (what, am I supposed to go to the post office and yell at him to expedite it while he is standing there w/the clerk? I'm not that kind of spouse, I know where the line of personal responsibility is) or you'd likely be divorced by now!

Thanks to everyone else for the advice- I have forwarded this thread on to Mr. emd.

Ms_Go, GREAT- I am giving him that number now- I don't think he has called that one yet and no clerk on the phone has suggested that can be done by phone!

emd, please let us know how this situation turns out.

"Otherwise, I would go in person to the closest passport office with ALL documentation including birth certificates etc."

It is likely his birth certificate was taken when the application was submitted so I don't know if he will be able to go that route.

Good luck emd!!!

Actually, try this link. You might be able to get some information on this today.

https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_i.asp

Dear sparerlaw, the old saying that "it is not always what we know but who we know" is so true! You have an ideal situation to get help, please ask for it. We just had a serious family problem and trust me when I say I went to a person who was able to solve it. Best regards!

emd - check out this website: http://www.abriggs.com/passports/new_passport.php I found it on Google. There is an 800# you can call. See if they can handle it for him. Good luck.

Well, LoveItaly, first I'll try the Census thing, then the Affidavit thing, and armed with that information or no information, then the Senator thing (if I can find him on the campaign trail)- and I'll certainly let you know the outcome. Best regards to you too.

You are preaching to the choir. I have a Passport, was planning in 2000 to go the Bahamas but decided against it and even so - glad I still got a valid Passport through 2010 for ID and just if I want to go up north, no hassles. Its really silly for all Americans to not have them. On average its $6/yr. Who can't afford that if you are a travelling person in anyway?

emd, please keep us posted on how this turns out! I've got my fingers crossed for your husband!

emd, remembering your DH & DS in our prayers. God is still performing miracles!

Please keep us posted~

So let us know what happened?????

This sorta happened to my brother a few years ago. He moved in the process of getting his passport. Three days before his trip he frantically called all the local passport offices. Believe it or not, he was able to get an appointment in Boston on a Saturday to get it. However, his was a renewal so he brought his old one with him.

I would tell you husband to call every office within driving distance or train distance.

Best of luck...

Ok, here's the current update.

Apparently my husband had already called the number suggested above about getting the request changed to expedited- he called that number on Monday (before I posted) but it was already late afternoon and the person he spoke with said no one would look at his request until Wed. due to the Tues July 4 holiday. So yesterday morning he got on the phone and pleaded w/them to extra-expedite it. He spoke to a sympathetic man who said he would take care of it due to the sensitive date (which had alreqdy been "flagged"), and he promised that the new passport (which is a renewal BTW, so old one was sent in w/the request) would be Fed Exed to our house for Friday delivery (tomorrow).

My husband tried to get appts. in two different passport offices within driving distance of the football camp in New Jersey that he is at today but
no openings. However, this man at the passport line sounded like it is a done deal, it is coming Fed Ex on Friday.

So now he is waiting to see if it comes on Friday. He said the man sounded confident and more sure of himself than anyone else he had spoken with. So hopefully it will come Fed Ex tomorrow. I'll post back tomorrow.

emd...Hope things turn out perfect.Expedite..Expedite..Expedite...12.50 FedEx to Pittsburgh...12.50 FedEx to LA..60.00 Expedite Fee...85.00/10years = 8.50 per year, 71cents per month....You do the math.

emd, call your local FedEx office and have them flag the delivery and pick it up yourself instead.

Yikes, but good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

A few years ago we planned a trip to Ireland with another couple who both dragged their feet getting their passports. They ended up sitting in the passport office in D.C. the entire day before we left, but they did get them.

Sparkerlaw,
This may be a long shot but try Ancestry.com. They have complete census records going back about 150 years-not that you would need records going back that far! But in the early part of the century the census was taken by hand, door to door so there is a chance your husband's family will be there.

I have done a lot of research on ancesters in Georgia and have found everyone I was looking for in the census records-including my mother who is about your husband's age and grew up in a small town in south Georgia.

Another posibility would be death records, if survivors are listed.

Let me know if I can help you it.

My passport expires in July 07. I have no overseas plans until Sp 07. Should I renew it now or wait a few months?

Thanks.

I'm in the same boat with family passports and will wait till the start of 2007 to renew. Plenty of time before travel and passports are still valid.

I hope you made a note of the FedEx Tracking number. If not, call back immediately and request it from the clerk.

I think you can renew your passport a couple of years after it expires but you will not be able to use an expired passport.

How can you renew an expired passport?

Everyone should have a passport. You will need them everywhere within the next couple of years. Why wait?