The Erratic State of US Passport Issuance: What works and what doesn’t - July 2 Update

By PHK

July 2 Update: For practical suggestions on navigating the passport application process, please see our Tips Page.

Note: Please also see WhirledView's June 3, 2007 post . The June 3 post includes information for travel to Mexico from the US Customs and Border Patrol as well as recent State Department tips for passport filing.

If you still haven't found what you are looking for, we suggest you also look at the numerous reader comments below this post for individual experiences: there are nuggets of information in them with respect to passport agency experiences as well as ways people have managed to deal with the national level. A number of the tips were reportedly so helpful, that are incorporated in our Tips Page.

For all WV posts on US passport issuance problems (they begin February 7, 2007 except the WV Tips Page) please see WhirledView Categories (righthand column) and click on US Passports and Visas.

The US passport issuance delay saga continues because the number of applicants continues to far outpace the State Department’s ability to respond in a timely fashion. As we have indicated in four previous posts – and as a comment from a beleaguered passport office staffer indicated today – the U.S. government passport agency staff is working flat out – but there are only 450 of them throughout the country and the 2.5 million passport work load is staggering. They need more help. That help is way too slow in coming. Seems to me the whole process needs a major revamp, a reality check at the top, less outsourcing and lots more resources.

The problems, in my view, are worsened by State’s penchant for over-optimism or - as another recent commenter suggested - misrepresentation of the far longer times it can take to provide this fee for service than State’s website promises.

This is WhirledView’s fifth post on the topic since we discovered the problem in early February. Here we summarize the actions available to an American citizen to overcome his or her personal bureaucratic nightmare with this broken service. Reports we have received from readers – some who have left comments and others who have talked with us personally – suggest that the passport issuance time remains erratic.

• We know of people who have received expedited passports in four weeks, others who have received them in five weeks and others for whom the expedited process has taken longer

• We’ve heard from people who did not pay the extra fee for expedited service. From what we can glean, regular service often takes between 12 and 16 weeks – although we are certainly in no position to guarantee anything.

• We’ve also talked with two people who paid an additional hefty premium (between $200 and $300) to a “fixer” located next door to the passport office on 19th Street in Washington, D.C. and had their new passports back within 36 hours.

We can offer no cookbook or single recipe that would lead to sure success, but here are a few suggestions that might help:

1) Apply early and pay the $60 extra for expedited service.

2) Check the State Department website for your tracking number and write it down.

3) The tracking number, at least, ensures that your application made it into the system and should be moving onto the next stage. It may take two weeks (on occasion longer) for this number to appear on the appropriate page. (State currently says one week for expedited and four weeks for regular). You can also obtain the tracking number by calling the telephone number listed on the website (Tel: 1-877-487-2778) but be prepared for a lengthy wait on line – and perhaps even being cut off.

4) This telephone number is, in fact, for one of three call centers under contract to the State Department to handle such inquiries.

5) Be sure to obtain and retain another official birth certificate or expired passport to prove you are an American citizen. This is imperative if you are one of the unlucky ones whose passport was not processed in a timely fashion and you are within two weeks of travel – or in need of your new passport earlier (for visas or to purchase a ticket) – and need an emergency appointment at the passport agency office nearest you.

6) If you have still not received your passport and you are due to travel internationally (including flights to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean) in two weeks, call (don't e-mail) your Congressional or Senatorial District Office immediately. You could also call the State number, but from what we understand a Congressional staffer will be more helpful faster. Don’t wait until the last minute – do this at the beginning of the 14 day period, not just a day or two before you plan to depart.

A Congressional staffer can help you in one of two ways:

a) With your tracking number, the staffer can contact the appropriate passport office and ask the office to find your application and move it forward for faster processing to ensure you will not miss your trip. Besides the tracking number, the Congressional staffer also needs to know 1) the name of the applicant as it appears on the passport application; 2) the applicant’s date of birth; 3) the applicant’s social security number; and 4) the applicant’s travel departure date.

b) If you have no tracking number, you will need an emergency in person appointment at the passport agency office nearest to you. There are 13 located throughout the US. Your Congressional staffer can make that appointment and the passport office can issue the passport on the spot. This may mean, however, taking the time off work, making a lengthy drive, an overnight stay and/or taking the kids out of school – but don’t do this without having first secured an appointment. The Congressional staffer will make this appointment for free. You will need to write another check – but you should also be refunded your original application fee.

c) Here’s what you need for an in-person appointment: 1) another completed passport application (unsigned); 2) evidence of US citizenship, e.g. an official birth certificate (additional copies can be ordered at the Vital Records Division of your county or state of birth) if your previous passport is unattainable because you submitted it with your original application – a commenter has suggested that official birth certificates can be ordered more quickly through http://www.vitalchek.com/; 3) two passport photos; 4) valid photo identification; 5) proof of departure; and 6) the passport fee.

d) A reminder for in-person appointments for children’s passports (and this includes babies): both parents need to be present. If not, the absent parent must sign a notarized approval for the child to obtain the passport.

There is also the third world “fixer” approach to the U.S. passport issuance dilemma as I mentioned above – of questionable legality in my view. This approach is cropping up because our bureaucracy is so broken it cannot handle even this seemingly routine, fee for service process competently.

Meanwhile, please continue to share your experiences with us – both pro and con. Your advice can be crucial for others attempting to navigate the process successfully.

Previous WV posts on this topic: American international travelers beware: Don't Buy that Ticket Until Your Passport's In Hand (Feb. 7, 2007); US passport delays drag on at State (March 14, 2007); US Passport Delays to continue. . . (March 30, 2007); US Passport Problems Redux (April 12, 2007).

Comments

[Maya Batinkova]

I was supposed to fly to Bulgaria with my three kids yesterday-May 16th.We missed our trip worth of $3500!!! Our passports were in the beaurocratic mist and past 12 weeks from the day of application.I called our travel agent and was able to reschedule our flight to June 4th and have to pay $1600 total; $400 per ticket in fees by Lufthansa and the inrease in season prices for the fairs.
I called the National Passport Center numerous times beginning the 14 day period before the departure- who kept on sending urgent e-mails to the people that work on the passports in Texas.Obviously it wasn't so effective! The appointment at an agency was not an option:1.we just became citizens in Feb. and a birth certificate is not going to do us any good; our originals of the certificates of sitizenship are with the application documentation;2.I was never even able to access the automatic appointment system.
I wish I read everything hear earlier so I can be better prepared.I also wish I expedite the service and pay the extra money.However, they should not promise 6 weeks to process when they can not get them done in even 12.
I see our case as just the beginning of a wave of many disappointed, angry people who, hopefully, are willing to look for their rights.

[D. Muhs]

I'm glad I stumbled across this site. I will definitely pay the $60 extra to speed up the process somewhat.

[Helmut]

A few days prior to a trip to Hungary last year, I realized that my passport had expired. I went to the office in DC, paid the $60 expediting fee, and had the new passport within two or three days. Just an example here of what appears to work best. If one is not in DC, however....

[David]

I sent in my passport 12 weeks before our departure date, also under the impression that there was no need for expedited service. We're supposed to leave tomorrow, but we're still waiting on the passport. I called them on Monday of last week and the lady I talked to said they would expedite the process. When I called again on Thursday, the lady I spoke to said the passport was "printed out and ready to mail", and that it would be sent out Friday and should arrive Monday or Tuesday this week. I took her word for it, but the State Department web site didn't update the status of my tracking number to having been shipped until late Monday night. The USPS label number they gave didn't show up in the USPS system until Tuesday, and the delivery estimate is this Saturday - the day after our flight!

I'm still hoping that since it was apparently shipped on Tuesday it will arrive tomorrow (Friday) - I was hoping today, but no luck - but if it does, it'll be a tight squeeze. Our mail comes around 1-2 PM and our flight leaves at 4:50 PM! So much for arriving 3 hours early...

[PHK]

Helmut: what you were able to do last year in DC no longer applies. The system fell apart in January 2007 when the new regulations requiring passports for air travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean went into effect. The reality now is far too many delays, close calls and even missed trips as well as frazzled passport office employees who cannot handle the increased volume.

[paul]

Here's my story. I applied for a passport for my son on March 3, for a trip to Mexico with his class that leaves May 22. I knew at the time that I was cutting it close, but, even on March 3, the person at the Post Office said it would take 6 to 8 weeks -- she even wrote that on the receipt. So, I didn't ask for expedited service.

I made my first call to the National passport office on May 7 -- two weeks before. I was told at that time that "they" had until May 11 to finish processing. I called again on May 12 and I have called 8 times since then, always getting a variation on the same answer -- it was in process.

Here's a twist I haven;t read about. I called on Saturday May 12 and the person at the call center said that she would send an e-mail to the Charleston processing office to expedite the process. I called again on Tuesday, the 15th and the person at the call center told me that according to what he could see on his screen, the Saturday e-mail hadn't even been opened yet. I called next on Wednesday, May 16, and the call center person had no record on her screen of the May 12th or 15th calls, only of the May 7 call. I tried last night for the first time to schedule an appointment using the automated system -- the first available appointment was May 31st, more than two weeks later. The State Department website gives no indication that appointments may need to be booked MORE than two weeks in advance. The website gives the impression that making an appointment is a last-ditch effort -- and there is nothing to indicate that it may be impossible to make an appointment.

I made three calls today, May 17 -- the answer is the same each time -- that the Charleston processing center has received the "expedite" message but that the passport is still in process.

I'm not even sure that even if they finish it tomorrow it will be here on Monday.

My son's class sold pizza for lunch for three years and raised all the money they needed to pay for a 10-day class project trip to Mexico. At this point it looks very unlikely that he will be able to join them next Tuesday.

[paul]

I meant to add two things. One, thank you for this website -- I KNEW that other people must have been having these same problems, but I could find nothing on the web until I googled "passport" and "missed trips".

Second, I recognize that the majority of the responsibility for this problem is mine -- the class knew since December that they were going to go to Mexico. But the Post Office and the State Department website and even the call center people gave me no good guidance about expediting the process and even gave me wrong information about how long this would take.

Also, I find it dumbfounding that the people at the call centers have no way of communicating with the processing center at Charleston except by e-mail.

[Suzanne Blezard]

I am both encouraged and distressed by all the stories on this site. My favorite poster is the one who figured out the dialing "9" trick to get in the cue.

We applied on March 10 for a passport for our 2-year-old son. We are scheduled to travel on May 25, a week from tomorrow.

Since the web-site said our application was not in the system, I began calling the "service" center on Monday. After many hours, I came to find out that there are no available appointments for such emergencies at the agency in NYC. I was not able to even reach a person until I learned the "9" trick.

I have spoken to 3 different service reps. On Tuesday evening, the first one said she would send the e-mail regarding expediting the application. She also said she had no idea when the e-mail would be received, or the passport ready. She suggested I call back later in the week to follow up.

Last night I spoke to another woman who was able to tell me that the application had been worked on yesterday, and had gone through 3 steps...whatever that means. She said it *should* be OK for next week, but no guarantee. She also mentioned that whenever it is ready, the passport will be shipped Fed Ex, next morning delivery.

Tonight I was told the passport was about half-way through the process. She suggested I call back on Monday the 21st if it has not arrived. This representative did not know how the passport would be shipped.

I did contact both my Congresswoman's and Senator's offices today. They were not as helpful as I had hoped. Senator Clinton's office gave me one voice mailbox where I left a message. When I called again later, I was given another voice mailbox (for Immigration issues) that said to send a fax, so I did. No calls back.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke's office said there was not much that they could do besides call the same place I have been calling (and did I not understand how the 3 branches of government work?)... however they only do things like filing on Thursdays and Fridays, so it would have to wait until Monday.

I will keep trying on these 2 fronts as well.

Would love to hear any more suggestions or success stories!

[brian]

Similar story here, with a daughter supposed to fly to Europe Monday for a trip she's been looking forward to for a year. No passport after 12 weeks.
Off the record, our local congressional office (who have been trying their hardest to help) say that they are working on literally dozens and dozens of cases for people that have, or are about to, miss trips due to passport delays.
In particular most of the applications here go through the office in a certain southern city where there has apparently been a sort of meltdown. A local travel agent calls it 'the black hole' for passports, since apparently very few of the documents are able to escape its bureaucratic gravity. Apparently they won't answer e-mails or phone calls- even from Washington- and 'rush' or 'expedite' requests are simply ignored.
I would like to get the director of that office on the phone to personally explain to my crying teenage daughter why she won't be able to take a trip that she's been looking forward to for a year....but of course he/she/it won't answer the phone....

[The Angry Independent]

Thanks for this information...

I will be applying for a passport within the next few weeks.

Luckily I don't need to have it by any certain deadline, as I am not traveling.

There are only 450 people in the country to process passports????? Unreal!!!

Another example of incompetence from this government. They should have anticipated a rush of applications when the policy requiring passports for Mexico, Canada & the Caribbean went into effect. They had to see this coming. Therefore, they should have had more people to process the applications. There were already too few people doing passports before the new policy.

Meanwhile, our northern and southern borders are still wide open...and the Visa system is still a mess. This is supposed to make us safer?

The overall vision is good.... but they get an F for implementation.

And now there is an agreement on an immigration Bill. I mentioned in a commentary last year that there would not be enough people to process all the paperwork for that. So pretty soon... ICE will be in the same boat... in fact, I think it will dwarf the problem with the passport division. So just think of the passport situation as a taste test for what is to come in terms of government backlogs and system breakdowns.

In fact... I first thought of these two situations as being separate...but they will actually be linked...because all those people that will have to travel back to their home countries will probably need travel documents of some kind. That's just going to make matters worse.

Luckily this immigration plan is probably a couple of years away from actual implementation... long enough for the State Department & ICE to hire enough people.

About 6 months ago I had to send for my birth documents through the State Department... and they got my documents back in 4-6 weeks. (although they made an error...and I had to send everything back and wait another 4-6 weeks). But they seemed to be timely on that... I guess it depends on what you need.

[paul]

While I gird myself for going to the Chicago passport office this morning, without an appointment, here's what else I did. With help from other online friends and some googling, I found the State Department's public listing of department employee's and the phone numbers of at least two people who work at the Charleston passport processing department. I've left voice mails with both people -- I have no clue where they are on the pecking order -- broadly outlining my situation -- that I need my son's passport processed today and overnighted -- and asking that they call me back for the particulars.

We will see what happens.

[paul]

Here's some practical information. As many of you have found out already, the National Passport Information Center is almost hopelessly tied up. I called someone at the State Department and they gave me the number of the office in Kentucky that is handling the overflow of calls. You still have to wait, but there is no annoying series of menus you have to navigate.

That number is 606-526-7600.

[Mag]

It was this site that even gave me the idea to call my congress woman. Like everybody else I have spent sleepless nights worrying, and about 4 hours a day on the phone (or trying) to get through the system. I had originally applied on March 2nd for a passport for my trip to Germany to visit my fiancé, whom I haven't seen since Feb. The trip is scheduled for May 22nd. We have all the reservations made, the trip and travel once in Europe is totally planned and paid for. Missing out on seeing him would mean I couldn't see him at least until August. Not to mention I have been looking forward to my trip to Europe my whole life.
I didn't think I needed to worry at first because I applied over 11 weeks before travel right? WRONG! I finally called on Sunday the 13th because I really thought up until then that it would be ok, boy had I not called I would have been out of luck. From there they began expediting it. I as well got different responses each time I called but consistently they at least knew it was being worked on since I put in the expedited notice. However, Wed night I got a lady on the phone who was very helpful but also truthful. She told me that if I called on Sunday I should ask if it is in the stage of processing where I could go to Chicago for a "re-issue". Because I had already tried making an appointment and if I even got through there were never appointments available. Even when I called at 5am during the time when cancellations are posted. So with a re-issue you can go to the regional office w/out an appointment and basically re-apply and they give it to you on the spot. I then needing to know the worst case scenario, (incase I needed to contact the airline) asked her "So if I call on Sunday and it isn't in that stage and ready for a re-issue if need be, am I basically screwed?" And she said well I hate to say this but "yeah" (she was very polite though). So I was like great, she said she would again put in a notice to expedite and that it shouldn't be a problem. However, I wasn't even going to live with that because they keep saying I should have it, and well I haven't. And believe me I have tried everything else, appointments, cancellations, try at all times of the day. So I called my Congress woman's office yesterday morning right away and a lady there was a case manager that dealt with these sorts of issues. She took my tracking number and all the personal info and wrote an email to the passport agency. She said she has done this for about 100 people and only one person had missed their trip so far. I had my fingers crossed and sure enough she called me the next day (today) before even 8am and gave me the FedEx tracking number. I checked the status then and it appears to be on the delivery vehicle as of an hour ago a half-hour away from where I live! I double checked the status of my application with the travel.state.gov site with my passport application # and it too has been updated, saying it was sent out last night and should be to me by the 19th!
So what does this mean...I am hoping to give you all a bit of hope because I know first-hand how uneasy it was to hear only problems, so I figured I would give a positive story (after a lot of work). I would suggest to all of you waiting on the "expedited" service of the passport agency to be persistent with them still, ask them what stage it is in processing, especially asking if it is in the stage where you can get a re-issue, and if it ever is then go to your nearest regional center. If you are very polite, but sound like you know what you are talking about (that they are processed in stages) then you will probably get more honest answers from the people on the phone. Also, CALL YOUR CONGRESS woman/man! I know they aren't all probably as helpful. But it is their job to help out in dealing with federal agencies, such as the passport agency. So use the kindness principle (but firm) when dealing with all the people at the passport agency and the congress office and hopefully they will be able to help you out! It worked for me, and I wish you all the best of luck!

[Fred]

How long does it take to complete
a passport once the examiner has it
in their hands? My passport request has been 9 weeks. What could they possible check that would take so long? Sure they have about 2 million application to do but 450 people is a big staff I think.

[Megan]

I requested my passport expedited on April 18, 2007. It has been 4 weeks, and I am scheduled to leave for vacation on June 4, 2007 (That is in 2 weeks). Should I start freaking out? I have already contacted both Senators in Maryland. Both told me I have plenty of time and not to worry. When I track it on the website the status says: Processing. I am extremely worried after reading the horror stories!! Is there anything else I can do?? The lady at the post office told me I would get it in 4 weeks no problem, well I took her word for it and 4 weeks has come and gone.

[PHK]

Megan: Did either or both Senatorial staffers offer to send an e-mail to the passport agency on your behalf (see Mag's comments above)? If not, on Monday I would ask one of them to do so pointing out your date of departure is less than two weeks from now and asking that they help expedite your passport. I don't think you need to involve both offices - one should be sufficient - but one that will help as Mag's did. If your Senators staffs refuse to help then ask for assistance from your Congressional District Office.

[caranorth]

I am on hold with the emergency passport number as I write this. We are supposed to depart on wednesday may 23 for a trip we have been planning for a year. I applied for my 3 childrens passports in february and was told no need to expedite. I have called my congressman, and the emergency line and have been told they are not done. Why not???? My stress level is a 10 and it does not look like we will be going anywhere at this rate. Also when you call the emergency number you are given to a call center where no 2 people seem to see or know the same thing.

[Victoria]

I just wanted to say thanks to this site and all of your helpful comments. I can honestly say that if I hadn't stumbled onto this site, I may have been one of the unfortunate ones who missed their trips because of these passport delays.
I went through all the stresses and frustrations while waiting to get through to the agency too, only to be told to call back, to be hung up on, to even be reprimended for Not having expedited my passport in the first place etc. etc. Panic,impatience,frustration,insomnia,
anger,insanity and hopelessess. Ifelt it all just like the rest of you. I really didnt know what to do in a situation like this and your suggestions helped me a great deal!

My suggestion is not to give up...
Keep calling, email, make an appt. and call your Congressman's office immediately!!! Don't wait!

It was 4 days before we were to leave on the 19th and still no passport... So I finally called my Congressman Adam Smith's office! They emailed the passport agency that day and by that night/early the next morning, I had a FedEx tracking number. I had my passport in hand the next day!
Coincidence? I dont really think so.
Good luck to you all!

Success story: Passport Renewal for name change.
Mailed on March 17th - Registered mail
In system on April 4th -
In hand on May 17th -
Departure May 19th-
Elapsed Time : almost 9 weeks

[dave]

6 weeks after submitting my "expedited" application the state department website doesn't even have me in the system.

Their website says it takes UP TO one week to get into the sytem, if thats a joke I don't think its funny.

[Tiffany]

I wanted to give an update on my certified birth certificate order from Vitalchek, but first, two things: I think it would be much cheaper and faster to get your birth certificate from a vital records office, provided you live in or near your county of birth. I, however, live many states away, so went this route.

Total cost for me: $39 including S&H and all fees, etc.
Total time elapsed: Ordered on May 16 at noon, and should have it on Monday, May 21 (according to UPS tracking.) So basically 4 business days, more or less.

I ordered it b/c I had no idea if I would have to get my passport in Houston at an appt., and since I didn't have a certified copy of my birth certificate and my passport was lost in hell, I decided to order one just to play it safe. It gave me peace of mind that if I had to rush to Houston (3 hours away for me) that at least I wouldn't have to worry about how to prove my citizenship.

Fortunately I won't need it, because somehow I miraculously received my passport today after almost 12 weeks of waiting. I am feeling incredibly lucky right now, and I am wishing all the best to you. Stay persistent--I too called my Senator, and I don't know what happened (haven't been able to get in touch with her office b/c of busy phone lines--apparently an issue lately!) so I don't know if was that that made the difference, or if it was my increasingly desperate e-mails to the passport center (since I could never get through to a real person), but I can now leave the country next week as planned.

Crossing my fingers for all of you out there... good luck.

[Suzanne Blezard]

I posted a few days ago regarding my 2-year-old son's passport, which we need on May 24. I finally got a call back from a staffer at Hillary Clinton's office (the Rochester location - I tried that number on a whim since I grew up there, even though I am in NYC now), and she said she would send an e-mail on my behalf. I was not able to get confirmation that this was actually done, but when I called the Passport Agency last night (the 1-3-1 customer service line), I was readily given an appointment at the NYC agency for Tuesday, whereas before I told there were no available appointments. I was told that a fax would be sent to them with my information, and that I would get an e-mail confirmation of the appointment (which, miraculously, I did!). She said the agency opens at 7:30am, and to show up at 7:00am will all the paperwork.

Cara, who posted above, do you live near one of the agency offices? I wonder what would happened if you just showed up there (even without an appt), with the kids and all the photos/paperwork? That is what we were going to do if we hadn't gotten any response.

I am wondering what happened to the dad who did that in Chicago yesterday?

[dave]

Here's a story describing the scene at the houston office, titled, "A visit to passport hell."

[paul]

My son's passport arrived this morning, Saturday, via Federal Express. I was fortunate, through some online connections to find out phone numbers to both the Charleston, S.C., processing center as well as the State Department office in Washington that handles passport issues.

I had to work on two fronts at once -- (1) working to get the original passport processed and (2) figuring out how to get an emergency appointment at the Chicago office.

I had searched in vain on the web for a phone numer for the Charleston passport ptocessing office. Even the people who I reached through the National Passport hotline said they didn't have a phone number. But an onlien acquaintance found a copy of the State Department's phone directory of nonclassified employees and through some other searching figured out the name of a likely manager of the Charleston facility. She provided me with three phone numbers -- I left three voice mails late Thursday night at the Charleston facility. I got two calls back from Charleston Friday morning.

One woman, who was extremely helpful, found my son's passport and basically told me it hadn't even been started on (the previous 8 calls to the National Passport hotline had all elicited the information that the passport was still being processed. She told me that she would start work on it right away and that it would be Fed-Exed on Saturday. She even called me an hour later to let me know there were no problems with the passport and that everything was in process. Fed Ex delivered it a few minutes ago.

So, if you know that your passport is at the Charleston facility, here's a nuumber to call -- 843-746-1690.

I still needed a back-up plan in case the passport didn't come through. In my research Thursday night I found three phone numbers for people with passport related fuctions at the State Department in Washington. One of the numbers was for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services. (202-647-5366 or 202-647-7948). I reached a very helpful administrative assistant. The one thing she could do was put me in touch with the Duty Officer, the person responsible for making emergency appointments if you needed to go to a regional passport office.

The administrative assistant was helpful and friendly -- the Duty Officer, who's services I didn't need in the end -- was unintentionally funny in a bureaucratic way. He wouldn't make an appointment for me for Monday on Friday morning -- he said I would have to wait until Monday morning to make an appointment for that day. He also was the only person in my two week travail dealing with various government officials who wouldn't give me his name -- he would only refer to himself as "Duty Officer" in the third person.

Anyway, if you need to make an emergency appointment with your regional passport office, Duty Officer's number is 202-663-2465.

Duty Officer didn't beleive that I had actually talked to someone in the Charleston office. In a slightly smarmy way, he said, "Oh, you must have reached thr New Hampshire office." When I read the number to him, he agreed that it was, indeed, a number for the Charleston office. He sounded hurt and a little annoyed, as if someone had given me a state secret.

[paul]

>I am wondering what happened to the dad who did that in Chicago yesterday?

Fortunately, I didn't have to. And several people told me I'd just be turned away if I did show up.

[DDriver]

One thing is for certain if I miss out trip- When I do recieve my daughter's passport, we will never come back to the US. I'm so sick about this situation I could throw up. You see, I was stupid enough to believe that ignorant bafoon postal woman too who said "Expedited?, you don't need it!" -that was on feb 16th. So naturally me being the biggest idiot in the world, I turned in my resignation at work. Wouldn't be so bad but I have been training a guy to take my place for the duration of my wait. My job will no longer be as of the 24th. This means we will be living off the money we have set aside for the trip while I find another job. The people I have spoken to on the phone said my passport will ship overnight by fedex- they just don't know when. Seriously, how does this goverment think they are going to allow status for 12 million illegals when it can't process a simple passport on time? It's not going to work.