Got your passport ?

[Raul]

My wife 's passport is kaput so she filled in the forms and applied for a new one, it 's been two months since she sent the papers and no passport has arrived yet.   :-/

So she called the American Embassy, guess what they told her ?  that they have a "small" delay in delivering the new passports, oh well, yes it is understandable because she 's living in Mexico, bla, bla, bla, but, that 's not all of it, her relatives ( uncles & cousins ) from Cali visit us every year and their passports are either kaput or they don 't have one, but they can 't get theirs right away ! ...... what ?!?!?!   ... in America ???  :-? , dang, down here you apply for a passport in the morning and you pick it up in the afternoon.

So, if you are planning that dream vacation outside the US in the short term better begin to worry if you don 't have your passport because it may not be there when you are about to leave.

[Captain Cali]

My girlfriend has been waiting on hers for 7 weeks now.

down here you apply for a passport in the morning and you pick it up in the afternoon.

I know of a spot in downtown L.A. that will do that (as well as many other not good things).  

[Raul]

My girlfriend has been waiting on hers for 7 weeks now.

What a bummer Capi !  :-/

Now, on the bright side of the issue, I made the mistake of making fun busting my wife 's chops for it, I told her I was going to call the INM ( Instituto Nacional de Migración ) and tell them I had an illegal alien living with me and had her deported ...... Oh boy !   I should have kept my mouth  :-X. She got really mad at me.  :-/

[jb_from_texas]

They'll let you travel to the Bahamas, Canada and maybe some other places without one for now (because of the backlog).  But you have to show them a receipt for the renewal or purchase of a passport and a driver's lic.

My wife and kids almost missed their trip and was going this route, till the passports showed up the day before departure.

good luck.

[flechero]

I feel for anyone who get inconvenienced by the passport delay but remember one thing... it has always taken a long time - even in the days before 9/11/01.  I got my passport in early 2001, after a 10 week wait... which I was told was standard for a passport, by each person I talked to in the passport office.

The system was broken then and now it's overwhelmed and still broken.

[Live.2.Fish]

I just heard on the news that the average wait is 3 months (12 weeks) to get your passport.  So does that mean if I get mine in 11 weeks, I recieved speedy service?  :-?

[Raul]

I just heard on the news that the average wait is 3 months (12 weeks) to get your passport. So does that mean if I get mine in 11 weeks, I recieved speedy service? :-?

Nope, you got lucky.  ;D

[mattm]

FYI for everyone.  I recently had a friend who had a tripped planned to Italy.  When he accessed the website to track the progress of his and his wifes passport it showed no record.  No record when he called to check on it either.  After finally getting the run around enough times from the automated answering service at the passport office he called our congress woman.  They said they would gladly take care of it and he had both passports less than a week later.

[jb_from_texas]

FYI for everyone. I recently had a friend who had a tripped planned to Italy. When he accessed the website to track the progress of his and his wifes passport it showed no record. No record when he called to check on it either. After finally getting the run around enough times from the automated answering service at the passport office he called our congress woman. They said they would gladly take care of it and he had both passports less than a week later.

i was told the website and the folks you call will not have that info until a certain time before the date of expected fullfillment.  In other words, when you applied for one and was the given a stated date of getting it....your info will not be available online or to operators till something like 10 days prior.

I guess this keeps everyone from calling over and over again, a few weeks after applying.

[Long Mike]

As I posted earlier, I received my renewed passport in only three weeks.  In the earlier post I neglected to mention that it was a renewal, instead of a new passport.  I've carried a passport for over thirty years because I  used to live and work overseas.  I also blamed the Department of Homeland Stupidity for causing all of the mess, and for creating additional stupidity such as banning cigarette lighters on airplanes while permitting matches.  For some reason my earlier post was deleted.  In light of the fact that government stupidity is rampant, and in light of the fact that I posted under the topic of "Everything Else"  it never occured to me that my post would have been considered objectionable by the power that be.

My opinion hasn't changed.

[Guest Bountiful_Waters]

I had my friend pay the expedited price for a new passport for next months trip to Mexico. Took about 3 months, but he got it. I highly recommend folks send off the application at least 6 months in advance if possible.

[Raul]

I had my friend pay the expedited price for a new passport for next months trip to Mexico. Took about 3 months, but he got it. I highly recommend folks send off the application at least 6 months in advance if possible.

Well it was EXPEDITOR SERVICE, 3 months of waiting .... not bad, I guess my wife will have to wait, we didn 't pay expeditor service.

That 's why I don 't get, renewal or new one it doesn 't matter, you ask for a new one at the county office down here in the morning and you pick it up in the afternoon, which is a blessing for everyone, a few years ago you had to go to Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey.  >