Time to get Passport

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Let's keep a log on how long it takes to get your and/or your family's USA passport.

Information to provide:

Number of passport(s) applied?
Date applied?
Date received?
Weeks to get passport(s)?
Did you pay extra to expedit it or them?
Did you have to get anyone to help get your passport(s), if so, whom did you
have help?
Did you miss a trip because you didn't get your passport(s) in time?
Is your new passport(s) the old style or the new style with the 'chip' in it?
Where was your passport(s) issued from?

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Passport:

My youngest daughter just applied for a replacement passport (her mother washed it) on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at the local post office. She did not pay to expedit it.

Will update as more information becomes available.

[dioxide45 Member Find all posts View Profile Close dioxide45]

If one has absolutly no travel plans, then not expiditing makes sense. However, if you have any plans at all the expidition fee will be well worth any trouble that you will run in to. Being Canadaian living in the USA I was able to drive to a Passport Canada office in Canada and will have to pick up my passport there again in two weeks. Fat better than the 12-15 weeks by mail.

[garyd210 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close garyd210]

Expired passport replaced in 1 day w/STRESS

Our local paper had a tale of a 13-year old who was going to Mexico for the summer. With less than a week before he was to fly south, it was then noticed that his passport had expired last month! With a lot of stress and nastiness being published in the article why they were being victimized by the system, they got it re-newed in 24 hours. No talk of appreciation by this family. Thousands of passport applications are being routed via their Congressional representatives, which of course means that everyone else get pushed back in line a little further. My wife and I applied 3 weeks ago and we don't have a clue when our first passport requiring trip will be.

If you lack the ability to plan ahead, please show some act of kindness to those who try to cut through the red tape for you. This passport issue is hardly anything new. Blaming others for your lack of preparation shows that you haven't matured much about taking responsibility for your own actions. Those who plan a very special occasion requiring family and guests to have passports and flights arranged on a moments notice surely apprears to be sending the message that they want it to be an intimate affair!

Our application was modified to show it'll take 10-14 weeks and that's ok with us. It gives us plenty of time to think of all the far off places we may eventually get a chance to visit.

Set to retire in 7 weeks and ready to relax.

Gary

[Denise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Denise]

12+ weeks...

I applied before my old one expired. I'm not planning any trips out of the country in the near future.

Number of passport(s) applied for? 1
Date applied? March 7, 2007
Date received? June 4, 2007
Weeks to get passport(s)? 12.5 weeks though I was promised 6-8 weeks
Did you pay extra to expedite it or them? No extra fees
Did you have to get anyone to help get your passport(s), if so, whom did you
have help? No help
Did you miss a trip because you didn't get your passport(s) in time? No
Is your new passport(s) the old style or the new style with the 'chip' in it? It looks new and different
Where was your passport(s) issued from? San Francisco

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

I sent off for mine about mid May for regular delivery - did not pay extra for rush. At that time is was a 12 week wait.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I'm just glad we got ours in 2002 before the mad rush of everyone who's waited until the shoe finally dropped. I was one on cruise critic pushing people to get them now (a couple of years ago) before the deadline arrived but, everyone seemed to want to put it off until they either had to get it or had a trip planned.

For us, in 2001 it took only 3 weeks even though we were told 6 to 8 weeks. I was stunned the feds could do something faster than what we were told. We have until 2011 to renew so I'm hoping the crush of applicants has died down by then. Just in case, I think I'll skip planning foriegn travel for that year until we have both our renewed passports in hand.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

I applied before my old one expired. I'm not planning any trips out of the country in the near future.

Number of passport(s) applied for? 1
Date applied? March 7, 2007
Date received? June 4, 2007
Weeks to get passport(s)? 12.5 weeks though I was promised 6-8 weeks
Did you pay extra to expedite it or them? No extra fees
Did you have to get anyone to help get your passport(s), if so, whom did you
have help? No help
Did you miss a trip because you didn't get your passport(s) in time? No
Is your new passport(s) the old style or the new style with the 'chip' in it? It looks new and different
Where was your passport(s) issued from? San Francisco

Your passport can from San Francisco in 3 months. Now asked how long does it taking New Orleans to proceed passports?

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I renewed my passport last year. It took about 4 weeks to get it. I paid no extra fees and applied at the post office in Temecula, CA. I did not miss any trips as I wasn't waiting on it. I automatically renew it when it is due ( every 10 years ).

My wife applied for her first passport last summer shortly after becoming a US citizen. My wife followed the same procedure as me, applying at the Temecula, CA post office with no extra fees. It took 6 weeks to receive it in the mail.

We had to leave for Mexico the day after she was sworn in as a US citizen so she had to use her naturalization certificate in place of a passport.

[thv13 Member Find all posts View Profile Close thv13]

Applied on March 6 and received yesterday obviously not expedited and no extra fees..Was wondering if it would ever come but had no immediate time constraints...Tom

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Number 2 daughter applied on March 22, 2007 for her spouse and two children. Have not received yet, did not pay extra to speed them up.

[senorak Member Find all posts View Profile Close senorak]

Student tour group...

OK, technically, they are not my "family"; but I am leading a student tour of Paris & Madrid, so for 9 days (leaving on June 25th), we will be a "family". Three of my travelers are still waiting for passports....and all 3 applied back in Feb. or March. At this point, they have called the passport agency numerous times, and have also contacted our local congresswoman, who is putting pressure to expedite the needed passports. One traveler contacted me and said it was " promised" to be Fedexed by later today, so she should receive it tomorrow or Saturday. Still waiting to hear from the other two travelers. A few others in our group, (also applied back in March), just received their passports within the past week....after calling both of the above mentioned agencies. No extra fees paid by most of the group....although one person did decide to go through a company that charges extra to expedite the passport....(she waited until the beginning of June....and was promised the passport by today).

Deb

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Number one DS just received his Passport after 12 weeks. The new passport is really cool. Very patriotic. Guess Bush wants to remind us Americans of our heritage.

The front and back pages feature Intaglio printed pages. There are quotes from famous americans and past presidents such as MLK, JFK, FDR, LBJ (he was a moron) , GW, Ike etc. Overall I think it is a very neat, and precious document. I can't wait to renew mine!

(Description of the intaglio printing process from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing)
Printing plates are covered with ink and then the surface of each plate is wiped clean which allows the ink to remain in the design and letter grooves of the plates. Each sheet is then forced, under extremely heavy pressure (estimated at 20 tons), into the finely recessed lines of the printing plate to pick up the ink. The printing impression is three dimensional in effect and requires the combined handiwork of highly skilled artists, steel engravers, and plate printers. The surface of the note feels slightly raised, while the reverse side feels slightly indented. This process is called intaglio printing.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

What about the embedded chip? Is there a way to shield the passport so that folks can't read the chip except for the ones that should read it.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Hmm I dunno. Who might maliciously read the embedded chip? Do you mean to steal someone's identity?

Oh I forgot to mention that this new passport also has the color shifting ink found on the new US currency. Only the letters USA are printed in shifting ink instead of $20. Also every page has a watermarked eagle if you hold it up to the light. Really cool!